Prospective Students

All prospective students wishing to ultimately pursue a PhD must apply to the MA/PhD program. Applicants are admitted to the MA/PhD program with the expectation that they will meet the requirements for the M.A degree and advance to complete the PhD degree. Students entering the program with or without an MA in Anthropology must first satisfactorily complete all the requirements for our department's MA degree and then may be invited to work toward the PhD degree. 

Students develop their dissertation topics in consultation with their PhD committees and submit research proposals by the end of the third year of study. Students entering with an MA degree from another institution normally prepare a research proposal during their second year at UCSB. Acceptance of the dissertation proposal and satisfactory completion of an oral examination permits the student to advance to candidacy. The research proposal can also form the basis for applications for research funding. PhD students in both archaeology and sociocultural anthropology must spend at least 3 quarters doing fieldwork. The field research normally forms the basis for the dissertation in both programs.

Admissions Criteria

The criteria used in judging applicants are grades, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose and the writing sample. The faculty considers carefully the merits of each application and no set formula for admission is applied. All applicants must complete the Online Graduate Application. Please carefully read the instructions below and within the eApp portal to ensure that you correctly complete each section of the application.