- Deadline for receipt of all application materials is DECEMBER 28. Candidates who are admitted or waitlisted will be notified by February 15. Applicants who have not been contacted by the department by APRIL 1 are no longer under consideration for this year's admissions.
- The nonrefundable APPLICATION FEE is $85.00. We accept money orders or personal checks (do not send cash), if you are applying online you can pay with a credit card. An additional fee of $10.00 will be charged for a returned check. Applications can be processed only after the application fee is received. For 2024 admissions, the application fee for doctoral programs is waived for those residing in Texas or bordering states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.
- COPIES OF TRANSCRIPT(S) must be uploaded electronically in the application system. If an applicant is accepted to the doctoral program, OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS must be submitted to the department in a sealed envelope, sent directly to the Department of Anthropology, at the following address: Rice University, Department of Anthropology-MS 20, PO Box 1892, Houston, TX 77005. Any degree that a student is currently pursuing (BA, BS, MPhil, MA, MS) must be conferred (completed) before submitting the transcript(s); the student will not be allowed to register for the second semester at Rice without official conferral of degree and official transcripts on file.
- Applicants for academic year 2024/25 will NOT need to provide GRE (Graduate Record Examination) General Test scores. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is still required of any student whose native language is not English. The Anthropology department will consider GRE scores if an applicant chooses to submit them, but applicants are not required to do so. The GRE and TOEFL scores should be sent to: Rice University, Department of Anthropology-MS 20, PO Box 1892, Houston TX 77005.
- GRE: The scores must not be more than five years old, and an official copy must be sent to Rice University directly from the Educational Testing Service. Personal copies are not acceptable. The codes for the GRE test are: School code: 6609; Dept. code: 1701.
- TOEFL: The score must not be more than two years old and an official copy must be sent to the Graduate School directly from ETS. The score must be at least 600 on the paper-based TOEFL or score at least 90 on the internet-based TOEFL. For students who choose to take the IELTS in lieu of TOEFL, the minimum score is 7. The TOEFL may be waived for an international student who received a degree from a university in which English is the official language of communication.
- THE STATEMENT OF PROPOSED RESEARCH – A document indicating why you wish to come to this department for graduate training, and what specific research ideas or projects you wish to develop here. The statement should be no more than 2,000 words total. It is recommended that applicants review the research foci and specializations of the faculty. It is also recommended that applicants take time and care to craft a well-articulated, clear, and sophisticated description of their intended doctoral research. Successful STATEMENTS OF PROPOSED RESEARCH will show evidence of an applicant's scholarly aptitude and research focus; they will also make explicit the importance of the intended research to the field of anthropology. The department makes its graduate admissions decisions collectively and applicants are encouraged to show how their intended research articulates with the specializations of at least 3 faculty in the department.
- THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION – A document of no more than 1,500 words describing any additional factors that you would like to have the admissions committee consider in evaluating your application (e.g. personal background, work experience, leadership roles, etc.)
- LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION – Three letters of recommendation are required for the application and are to be submitted by the letter writer through Rice's application portal or through an online recommendation letter service (such as Interfolio). If possible, it is advisable that applicants solicit letters from current or previous professors with whom the applicant has taken classes.
- WRITING SAMPLE – Please upload a writing sample that represents your past work and interests effectively, up to 8000 words (but fewer words is also adequate).
Application Q&A
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need a background in Anthropology to apply?
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No, most of our students do not have a background in Anthropology.
- Do some PhD students enter the program with an MA?
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Yes, we have students with and without an MA enter our program.
- Is the PhD program a STEM program?
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No
- How much does the program cost?
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All students admitted to the graduate program are fully funded for five years, dependent on maintaining good standing. The funding package includes tuition remission, a partial health insurance subsidy, and a stipend for living expenses. The tuition waiver is extended through year six, and a significant reduction in tuition through year eight. Graduate students also have a strong track record of success in securing dissertation research and write-up funds from internal and external resources.
All students (international or domestic) receive the same funding. - What does the timeline look like for the PhD program?
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Please read our graduate handbook to learn about the timeline for graduate students.
- Do you offer Spring admission?
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No
- Do you offer a Masters program?
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No
- How long does it take to complete the PhD program?
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Our students average 6 to 8 years to complete the program.
- Do you have a PhD program in Archaeology and Socio-Cultural Anthropology?
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Yes
- When do applications open?
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Our online application system will begin accepting applications for the year before planned matriculation in September.
- When is the deadline to apply?
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December 28, 2024, by 11:59 PM (ET) or 10:59 PM (CT)
- What is the most important part of the application?
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The Statement of Purpose is the most important part of the application. The Rice Graduate and Postdoctoral office offers great resources for students applying to Rice. Suggestions for writing a Statement of Purpose can be found here.
- Is there a separate deadline for Letters of Recommendation?
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Letters of recommendation must be submitted no later than the end of the first week in January for students applying the following fall.
- Will you accept admission materials after the deadline?
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Application materials delivered shortly after the deadline will be added to your file as they arrive. However, there is no guarantee that they will be reviewed by the admissions committee if they are delivered after the deadline.
- How do I report my GRE and TOEFL Score?
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The GRE and TOEFL tests are administered by the Educational Testing Service. To officially report your scores, visit the ETS website to order score reports. The ETS institutional reporting code for Rice University is 6609. Please allow 2-4 weeks for your ETS scores to be officially reported to Rice.
- Which English Proficiency tests do you accept?
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Rice Anthropology accepts the TOEFL IBT and IELTS tests. For Rice's English Language Requirements, click here for more information.
- Do you require a cumulative GPA? What is the minimum requirement?
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Yes, the reported GPA should be cumulative, and it must be converted to a 4.0 scale. The minimum required GPS is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- What if my university doesn't use the same scale to measure my GPA? How do I convert the GPA to a 4.0 scale?
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Please contact the following agencies: Educational Credential Evaluators or World Education Services.
- Where do I send my official transcript?
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PhD Applicants only need to upload COPIES OF TRANSCRIPT(S) in the application system.
If an applicant is accepted to the doctoral program, OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS must be submitted to the department in a sealed envelope, sent directly to the Department of Anthropology, at the following address: Rice University, Department of Anthropology-MS 20, PO Box 1892, Houston, TX 77005. Any degree that a student is currently pursuing (BA, BS, MPhil, MA, MS) must be conferred (completed) before submitting the transcript(s); the student will not be allowed to register for the second semester at Rice without official conferral of degree and official transcripts on filent
- What should I do if my transcripts from my undergraduate institution are not in English?
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If your transcripts are not in English, you must submit an official English translation in addition to the originals. Transcript translation can be completed by the university degree-granting institution or by a credential-evaluating service.
Your evaluation should include your degree equivalency and a course-by-course conversion of marks/grades. You can request that the evaluator return the translated version to you or have it delivered directly to Rice. The evaluation should be in a sealed envelope with an official stamp across the flap when it is received by the Office of Admissions. Please contact either of the following agencies: Educational Credential Evaluators or World Education Services. - Do you accept transfer students or transfer credits at the graduate level?
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No
- Is an interview part of the application process?
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No
- May I schedule a visit?
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Yes, please contact our program administrator to schedule a time to discuss the graduate program.
- Do you have an open house?
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An open house for admitted students will be held in mid to late February.
- Are there any faculty members working in my area of interest?
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Please read our website to learn more about the research interests of our faculty.
- Is it okay to reach out to faculty?
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You can reach out to faculty to learn more about the program and to ask questions related to your research proposal but it is not necessary. Please know that you are not required to be matched with an advisor to apply to our program.
- Will you explain the online letters of recommendation process?
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Please use our online letters of recommendation form, which can be submitted within the application. We suggest asking your recommenders to prepare the letter in advance so it can be quickly attached and submitted when the online system generates a request for the letter of recommendation. You must enter a valid email address for your recommender. If your application is sent without or one of recommenders declines to provide a recommendation, you can log back into the application and add a new recommender. Suggestions on letters of recommendation can be found here.
- My recommender didn't get the request for the online letter of recommendation? What should I do?
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Please note that it is possible that the email generated by our application system was filtered as spam in your recommender's email system. You can log back on to the application and resend your letter of recommendation request. If you misentered the email address, simply add your recommender again as though they were a new recommender.
- Have you received my GRE/TOEFL score?
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It is not necessary to call/email to check the status of your test scores. Your online application status will be updated once we have received your official scores through the online system.
- Is it possible to defer?
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We do not permit deferrals. You would be required to reapply if you are admitted but unable to attend.
- Will I receive a notification?
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Candidates who are admitted or waitlisted will be notified by February 15. Applicants who have not been contacted by the department by April 1 are no longer under consideration for this year's admissions.
- I have been put on the waitlist. What does that mean?
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We admit a certain number of applicants straight into the degree program and then place some on a waitlist. As we hear from the first group, we will start to admit to attain full enrollment.
- What do I need to submit to reapply?
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You will need to repeat the application process except for your test scores. TOEFL scores are valid for two years after the test date.