Temple University’s Anthropology MA and PhD degree programs are designed for those who are seriously passionate about working hard towards furthering their anthropology education. If you’re accepted into the program, you’ll conduct exciting fieldwork and learn the skills you need to join the ranks of Temple grads performing groundbreaking anthropology work in academic and professional settings. Learn more about admissions into our graduate programs and funding your education.

Graduate Programs

The newly restructured graduate programs in anthropology provide students with training that integrates the four traditional subfields of the discipline and organizes their engagement with anthropology around two thematic areas. The first, mobility and global inequality, emphasizes social processes and institutions that underlie the impact of peoples’ movement and the experiences they encounter in terms of social inequalities, resource distribution and power inequities. It is marked by the emphasis on ethnographic, linguistic, and visual data and analytical methods grounded in contemporary theory in the social sciences. The second thematic area, evolution and human environments, emphasizes the origins and development of all forms of human adaptations in the biosocial realm. It is marked by an emphasis on ecological, geographic and spatial-historical data, and quantitative analyses grounded in evolutionary theory. All students in the program complete a set of core courses, which include foundational courses in the thematic areas and history of the discipline.

Additional core courses provide professional training in ethics and grant writing in the discipline. Students complete elective courses allowing them to specialize in the literature, theory, and unique subdisciplinary perspectives most relevant to their intended career goals or dissertation research. Faculty from the subfields of prehistoric and historic archaeology, bioarchaeology, biological anthropology, sociocultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, visual anthropology and medical anthropology contribute to the program.

Our two-year Master of Arts program is intended for students who seek advanced training in the social sciences in preparation for a PhD program or employment outside academia. The program is structured along two thematic lines: evolution and human environments, and mobility and global inequality. A comprehensive exam is the culminating event. There is no thesis option. **Please Note - This program is not accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year.**

The PhD program in Anthropology provides students with training that integrates the four traditional subfields of the discipline, all of which are represented at Temple: archaeology, biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology and sociocultural anthropology. In addition, the department also offers specialized courses and training in the anthropology of visual communication. Doctoral students typically specialize in one of these areas, but interdisciplinary study and research are encouraged. Students complete two years of course work prior to beginning their dissertation research. Well over 100 doctoral degrees have been conferred by the Department of Anthropology since 1976. **Please Note - The PhD program is not accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year.**

Admission Requirements

MA Admissions

Before you apply to our MA in anthropology program, it is recommended that you contact the director of graduate studies to discuss your interest in the program. A BA or BS degree is required. Two letters of recommendation and a statement of interest are required. GRE scores are not required. Financial support is not available for MA students.

• Learn more about the MA Admissions Requirements

PhD Admissions

Before you apply to our PhD in anthropology program, establish personal contact with at least one faculty member at the Department of Anthropology whose research interests overlap with yours and who might serve as an academic advisor. It is also recommended that you contact the director of graduate studies to discuss your interest in the program. As an applicant to our PhD program, you should have a bachelor’s degree, but it does not need to be in anthropology. You are not required to have a master’s degree. The minimum admission standard for all graduate students is an undergraduate grade point average of B, or 3.0, or the functional equivalent for students who attended universities outside the United States. GRE scores and a written statement of interest are required. TOFEL scores are required for international students. Three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with your academic work are also required. The number of applicants accepted each year varies depending on such factors as our ability to offer financial support and the availability of faculty members to serve as advisors to new students. In recent years, our newly incoming cohorts have generally had four to six students. **Please Note - The PhD program is not accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year.**

Temple Graduate School Funding

Outstanding PhD applicants are nominated for Temple University’s presidential, university and future faculty fellowships, which provide four years of tuition remission, a living stipend and other benefits. Limited numbers of teaching and research assistantships, which provide up to five years of funding, are also available for well-qualified applicants. Students are strongly encouraged to apply for external grants and fellowships. For more information about funding please contact the director of graduate studies. Temple University fellowships and assistantships are not available for MA students. Visit the Student Financial Services website for additional financial aid information.

• Learn More about Graduate School Funding

Temple Tuition and Fees

For more than 130 years, we have focused on providing a world-class education at an affordable price. Just compare Temple to other universities and see what we mean. Temple tuition rates vary by college or school, residency status, student level, and more. Use the Temple tuition calculator to estimate your tuition rate.

Application Deadline

• Fall Semester: Jan. 5
• International Applicants: Dec. 10

Graduate Resources

• Graduate School Calendar
• Graduate-level Course Offerings

Graduate Faculty

Our faculty are committed to helping students develop professional competence in oral and written communication and gain the analytical thinking and logic skills necessary to succeed out in the field, the classroom and beyond.

Graduate Students

Our graduate students are an intricate part of the learning and teaching experience here in the Department of Anthropology. Our graduate students conduct research, teach courses, and work closely with various faculty members and students throughout the department.

• Marie-France Baveye
• Julien Ehrenkonig
• Michelle Hurtubise
• Kierra MacLeod
• Elysia Petras
• Lauren Ruhnke
• Ryan Wheatley
• Claudia Zamora Valencia