Facilities
Applying for Graduate Study
Guidelines & Procedures
Thank you for your interest in advanced studies at our Department of Anthropology. The minimum requirement for admission to the Master of Arts (M.A.) program is a Bachelor's Degree or its equivalent. The minimum requirement to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program is a Master of Arts or Master of Science (M.S.) in Anthropology.
Our admissions process is highly competitive. The Department Admissions Committee will review each application in its entirety, critically evaluate your statement of objectives for career goals and specific reasons for interest in the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, and look for strong letters of recommendation from individuals who are familiar with your academic preparation and scholarly potential. For regular admission, the Graduate Division requires a minimum 3.00 grade point average (on a 4-point scale). Although we set no minimum requirements, applicants to our Department generally have high GPAs and GRE scores.
Complete information is in the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa General and Graduate Catalog, available on-line at: http://www.catalog.hawaii.edu
Please note that prospective applicants must complete TWO different applications, one for graduate admission to the University of Hawai'i and another for admission to the Department of Anthropology. The Department of Anthropology accepts applications for Fall admission only.
The application deadline is January 15th for all students.
Application Checklist:
- Send the following to the Graduate Admissions Office, 2540 Maile Way, Spalding 354, Honolulu, HI, 96822.
- Graduate Division application forms, available on-line at: http://www.hawaii.edu/graduatestudies/admissions/html/admissions.htm
(or click here for the Graduate Division home page) - Official transcript from every college/university attended
- TOEFL score if you have not had any higher education within the United States. Minimum score is 560/220/61 (paper/computer/internet) and must have been taken within the last 2 years.
- Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test scores. For information on computer-based exams, call 1-800-473-2255, or go to the website at: http://www.gre.org or email gre-info@ets.org
- Send the following to the Anthropology Admissions Committee, 2424 Maile Way, Saunders Hall 346C, Honolulu, HI 96822.
- Department of Anthropology Graduate Program Application Form or request a printed copy or attached MS WORD document by emailing anthprog@hawaii.edu This form is also downloadable here: [PDF Format] [Word Format]
- Statement of Objectives
- Curriculum Vitae
- 3 letters of recommendation (no special form for this) mailed directly from the recommender, faxed, or e-mailed to the department in pdf format directly from the recommender.
As you may know, the cost of a graduate education and living in Hawai'i is high, so advance planning is advisable. We do not wish to discourage you, however; the majority of our students do find employment (in some cases as Graduate Assistants) and other means of support, both on campus and off. Scholarship information: [In PDF Format] [In Word Format]
Ordinarily, the Department and Faculty have no fellowships or scholarships to offer. We have nine half-time Teaching Assistantship positions. These are usually given to people who have had at least one year residency in our Program. The only other direct support from the Department is tuition waivers. We usually have a few available for non-resident students during the second semester. You will be notified if you receive a tuition waiver.
If you would like additional information, please email the Department at anthprog@hawaii.edu or telephone (808) 956-7153.PDF: Frequently Called Numbers and Webpage Information
Resources restated:
Department Application Form [In PDF Format] [In Word Format]
Scholarship Information [In PDF Format] [In Word Format]
Frequently Called Phone Numbers
UHM General and Graduate Catalog, http://www.catalog.hawaii.edu
Graduate Division application forms, available on-line at: http://www.hawaii.edu/graduatestudies/admissions/html/admissions.htm
(or click here for the Graduate Division home page)
For further, more informal advice for graduate students and junior scholars, see also "The Other Graduate Handbook," written by Dr. Alison Rautman, who has given us permission to share it on our website.
page last updated May 15, 2009