The M.A. Degree Program in Anthropology is designed to provide (1) Advanced knowledge of the field of contemporary anthropology (2) Training for independent postgraduate research. The program is organized to facilitate the training of students from different intellectual backgrounds.

Anthropology is devoted to the study of human beings and human societies as they exist across time and space. It is distinct from other social sciences in that it gives central attention to the full time span of human history, and to the full range of human societies and cultures, including those located in historically marginalized parts of the world. It is therefore especially attuned to questions of social, cultural, and biological diversity, to issues of power, identity, and inequality, and to the understanding of dynamic processes of social, historical, ecological, and biological change over time. Education in anthropology provides excellent preparation for living in a multicultural and globally-interconnected world, and helps to equip students for careers in fields including law, medicine, business, public service, research, and ecological sustainability and resource management.

The Department of Anthropology offers a wide range of approaches to the various topics and area studies within anthropology including: archaeology, ecology, environmental anthropology, evolution, linguistics, medical anthropology, political economy, science and technology studies, and sociocultural anthropology. Methodologies for the study of micro- and macro-social processes are taught through the use of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The department provides students with excellent training in theory and methods to enable them to pursue graduate study in any of the above mentioned subfields of anthropology.

The master’s program in Anthropology offers the following options for students who seek a Master of Arts (MA) degree:

Degree Options

Students may pursue one of two possible department tracks in the Anthropology MA degree program.

• Archaeology

• Culture and Society

The tracks are not declarable in Axess and will not appear on the transcript.

The master’s degrees are only open to Stanford students. There are two routes for admission to the Anthropology MA program:

1. Terminal MA (MA on the way to PhD) | You are a current PhD student/MD at Stanford University and wish to complete an MA during your time as a PhD student. 

2. CoTerminal Program | You are a current undergraduate at Stanford University and wish to continue your studies to complete an MA

The department does not require the GRE test scores for admission to the MA degree program in Anthropology.

Admission to the Coterminal Master’s Degree Program

The graduate application deadline for the coterminal MA degree program in Anthropology is December 4, 2024. Stanford University undergraduate majors are eligible to apply for the coterminal MA degree program if:

1. They have a 3.4 GPA in their department major

2. A 3.0 GPA in overall coursework

3. Have no more than one incomplete listed on the transcript at the time of application.

Successful applicants to the MA program may enter in the Spring Quarter of their Senior Year. However, the department may consider a request for deferral of admission by Exception. Coterminal MA degree applicants are not required to submit their Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores.

Co-Terminal Applicants must submit the following:

1. Online Application for Admission to Coterminal Master’s Program

2. Preliminary Project Proposal

3. Plan of Study Form

4. Three Letters of Recommendation: Two letters should come from  Anthropology faculty members. The third letter can come from an academic advisor and may be from outside Anthropology. 

5. All relevant transcripts

6. A two to three page, Statement of Purpose (single-spaced)

7. Writing Sample in English: A 10-12 page paper giving evidence of writing ability and the capacity for research, analysis, and original thought at the graduate level and demonstrating the ability to use theory in relation to evidence. If your writing sample is longer than 10-12 pages, please indicate which 10-12 pages should be reviewed by the admissions committee.

See the department’s website for additional information.

University Coterminal Requirements

Coterminal master’s degree candidates are expected to complete all master’s degree requirements as described in this Bulletin. Coterminal Master’s Program describes university requirements for the coterminal master’s degree.

Admission to the Master of Arts in Anthropology

Graduate Degrees describes university requirements for the terminal MA.

The Department of Anthropology offers the terminal MA degree to the following:

1. Stanford graduate students, taking advanced degrees in other departments or schools at Stanford, who are admitted to the terminal MA program in Anthropology.

2. Anthropology PhD students at Stanford University who fulfill the MA degree requirements on the way to the PhD degree.

Procedures for Stanford Graduate Students Taking Advanced Degrees in other departments/schools

Current Stanford graduate students who are pursuing an advanced degree in other departments or schools at Stanford apply for admission to the MA in Anthropology (on the way to another graduate degree program) by Submitting the following by December 4, 2024.

1. Intention to Apply - Anthropology MA (for current Stanford Graduate Students)

2. University Registrar’s Graduate Authorization Petition (submitted via Axess e-forms) If approved, an admitted MA applicant usually matriculates in the MA beginning in the following spring quarter or the following autumn quarter (next academic year).

Procedure for Anthropology PhD Students

Anthropology PhD students choosing to take the MA in Anthropology on the way to the PhD are governed by separate requirements described in the Anthropology Ph.D. Guide.

Consult the department webpages for further information about the department’s MA degree program requirements.

No financial support is available to students enrolled for the MA degree.