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College of Arts and Sciences \| Anthropology Choosing a Graduate School

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College of Arts & Sciences
USF St. Petersburg Dav 100
140 Seventh Avenue South,
St. Petersburg Florida 33701
Phone: 727-873-4156

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This web page is maintained by: Kathy Arthur.
The page was last updated
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Choosing a Graduate School

Dr. Weedman's Advice:

A. If you are confident and know what your specific interests of study is including: the subfield, geographical and specific interests within a subfield, then find a program with faculty that best suite your interests

B. If you are uncertain. Try at least to narrow it to at least a geographical interest. If you are interested in Africa, Latin America, Asia, Europe then find a large university with a program that has a diverse faculty in African studies (Michigan, Univ. of Indiana, UF), Latin American Studies (Univ. Texas, UF) etc. This way you will have more flexibility once you enter graduate school and you will not have to change universities mid-stream if you decide you want to do cultural, archaeology or even history.

In both instances, Locate 5 graduate school you wish to attend and apply to all of them.

Do not be afraid to dream and to shoot for the best program and school you want to attend!

The key is remember is that you are a unique individual and although there are scholars you may admire, you want to make unique contributions and not be a clone of someone else!

For instance, if you want to study Gender in Health in Africa, you could spend a lot of time looking for one scholar here or there that has this specialty or you could look for a university with an African studies program, a gender studies program and a strong program in medical anthropology. The former gives you a lot of intensive time to study with one individual and the latter will give you a broader perspective and more flexibility.

Advice from USF TAMPA Anthropology Department:

If you conclude that graduate school is right for you then you have further considerations.

§ Be aware that Applications are a financial drain: Grad-school fees range from ~$30 to $90. Many universities are swamped by record numbers of applications, & have raised their fees to reduce applications from less-motivated individuals. Remember, costs for postage, transcript fees, photocopying, and so on can add up fast.

§ Economically speaking, it pays -- in time and money -- to narrow your field down to four or five good target schools.

§ Do not limit yourself to one school, however, that could be a major mistake. Do not put all your eggs in one basket!

To evaluate a graduate school, you need to look at three major factors:

1) The academic quality of the program

2) Your chances of getting into that program

3) The practical considerations that will affect your choice.

What do you want in a program?

§ Do you prefer education that leans toward the theoretical or practical?

§ How large an emphasis on research do you desire?

§ Do you want a flexible or structured curriculum?

Consider who you would like to study with in Graduate School:

§ Professors you work with make a big difference, so research their backgrounds and publications.

§ If you have someone who is special (hero/idol) & active in your field, contact them.

§ Don’t think anyone is too “Big a Name” or “Too Famous” to contact.

§ At the very least, you should call the professors at your top choices and discuss the programs

Another consideration is in choosing a suitable advisor.

§ Do you want a mentor who provides personal as well as professional guidance, or is that not a necessity for you?

§ Would you rather have an advisor who can introduce you to the research community, provide advice about research topics or give you feedback on your thesis?