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UCSC ADMISSIONS PROCESS

All applications will be processed online at: http://graddiv.ucsc.edu/admissions/

Where do I send Transcripts and Letters of Recommendation that cannot be submitted online?
We cannot accept hardcopy material other than transcripts.

Mail ALL transcripts to:
UC Santa Cruz
Graduate Application Processing
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95064

(DO NOT mail any admissions documents to the Anthropology Department)

All of your hard copy material will be scanned and saved digitally. Because of that, we would prefer you not to use colored paper. To make it easier for us to handle your material, paperclips would be better than staples. Please do not glue or laminate your documents. Unsolicited material sent to Graduate Application Processing and the Anthropology Department will be not be included in the review materials and will be discarded. Be sure to include your name and birth date and the department to which you are applying to with every hardcopy document.

ANTHROPOLOGY ADMISSIONS GUIDELINES

The deadline for submitting an application to the Ph.D. program in Anthropology is December 15. The minimum grade-point average established by the University of California for admission to graduate school is 3.0.

In general, we look for potential excellence in our graduate students, whether this manifests itself in a high grade-point average, strong letters of recommendation, or high Graduate Record Examination scores.

Applicants will be evaluated on their individual merits and also with regard to how well their proposed doctoral projects can be supported by the existing resources of the program.

Only students interested in working towards the Ph.D. will be admitted to the Anthropology program (a Master's is earned along the way).

International applicants must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum score of 550 on the TOEFL(paper) or 220 on the TOEFL (computer) is required for admission. The TOEFL exam may be waived for international students who have taken and successfully passed a freshman composition course at an accredited university in the United States.

Applications are kept on file for one year, if you wish to reapply the next year let the Division of Graduate Studies know which parts of the application you want to reactivate.

APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

  1. Application form, statement of purpose, a $70 application fee, and writing sample (i.e.- a term paper or a chapter of your thesis, maximum of 15 pages). All submitted online.

    Fee waivers for cases of hardship are available to US citizens and permanent residents only; international students are not eligible. Funds for waivers are limited, but if you feel you qualify for a waiver, complete the “Request for Graduate Application Fee Waiver” form [pdf] and return it to the Graduate Admissions office for approval. Do not submit both a fee waiver request and an application fee payment. If your request for fee waiver is not approved, you will receive an email advising you and requesting the application fee.

  2. Three letters of recommendation. Three letters of recommendation must be received prior to the application deadline. These letters of recommendation should be prepared by professors or others who are in a position to analyze your abilities and academic promise in your chosen field of graduate study.

    You must register your recommenders as part of the online application, which allows them to submit their letters of recommendation online.

    Once your letters of recommendation have been submitted, you are not permitted to inspect them; however, if you are admitted and enroll, you will have access to your letters of recommendation unless you have previously waived that right. If you wish to waive access, please request and complete a Waiver of Access form for each letter. If your recommenders are submitting your letters directly, they must be received prior to the program deadline.

  3. One copy of official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended after high school. (These transcripts should be in sealed envelopes with the registrar's stamp on the outside of the seal and be mailed in the same envelope as any other hard copy documents to the Graduate Application Processing address above). If your university prefers to send transcripts directly use the address above. However, it is much more secure to have all documents arrive in one package.

  4. Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test scores. Have GRE scores sent directly to the Graduate Application Processing address above. (UCSC's school code is 4860).

ADMISSION DECISIONS

Email messages are prepared and mailed during March to let applicants know whether or not they have been admitted, or you may check your status at the http://my.ucsc.edu/ web portal. University policy does not permit the department to give out any information via phone, e-mail or fax regarding which applicants were selected. Please wait for Grad Admissions to contact you.

For further information, please contact:
Graduate Program Coordinator
Department of Anthropology
University of California, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
(831) 459-3588