M.A. Program Frequently Asked Questions

In our MA program we offer training in archaeology, biological anthropology and cultural anthropology. We specialize in applied anthropology in all three of these subdisciplines. More specifically:

Forensic anthropology is a part of biological anthropology.

Bioarchaeology (where the primary focus is on skeletal remains) also falls under biological anthropology.

Health (where the primary focus is on health in living populations) is a part of cultural anthropology (this is listed as cultural and linguistic anthropology on ApplyTexas).

Yes. Students with undergraduate degrees in disciplines other than anthropology can be admitted to our program. We strongly recommend, however, that all incoming students have completed—at a minimum—introductory courses in archaeology, biological anthropology and cultural anthropology.

Yes, it is appropriate to do so.

Details about each faculty member’s interests and current research can be found on their individual faculty pages.

We strongly advise students to not email faculty in order to simply “establish a connection,” for example by asking questions about the faculty member’s research interests. Doing so will not increase the likelihood of a successful application.

The Department of Anthropology does not offer campus tours, neither does the Graduate College. If you are interested in a tour of campus you should contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. They offer limited space tours that can be booked up to six weeks in advance.

If you plan to visit campus and would like to meet with specific faculty members, please join us for our annual Graduate Open House (RSVP link coming soon). In addition to learning more about our graduate programs and touring our centers and labs, faculty members will be available to meet with prospective students. Please note that faculty may not be available to meet with students outside the day of the Graduate Open House. Faculty are not available over holidays or breaks.

We typically receive between 100-150 applications and accept approximately 20 students. The selection process is the most competitive for students who want to study biological anthropology.

You must apply online through the ApplyTexas portal.  Please allow 2 working days for the application to be received by Texas State.

If our program is not listed as an option on ApplyTexas for a given semester, this means we are not accepting applications for the program at that time. Please be aware that we only accept students for fall semesters. We do not accept students for the spring or summer semesters.

January 15.

• One official transcript from each four-year college or university from which credit was received. Applicants who have not yet graduated with a bachelor’s degree should send the transcript with the most recently completed semester’s grades
• A statement of purpose regarding your academic interests
• Three letters of recommendation
• A copy of your CV/resume

The Graduate College requires a minimum of a 3.0 in the last 60 undergraduate semester hours (plus any previously completed graduate work) for students to be admitted in good standing. Occasionally students are admitted conditionally with GPAs slightly below this minimum. However, these students are not eligible for GIA or GRA funding and are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA in their first year to continue in the program (to graduate all MA students must have at least a 3.3 GPA).

The Department of Anthropology requires a combined GRE score of 300. Please be aware that scores are valid for up to five years after the exam date.

Yes. The Graduate College requires all international students (with some exceptions) to have a score of 78 or above on the TOEFL or a score of 6.5 or above on the IELTS. For additional information, please see the Graduate College’s website.

Application fee for applicants with domestic credentials: $55

Application fee for applicants with international credentials: $90

Applicants with incomplete files after the deadline will be denied admission, unless the missing materials are out of the student’s control, for example if one letter of recommendation is missing because the recommender submitted the letter late. In these cases, however, the application must be completed as soon as possible and before any offer of admission can be made. We strongly encourage students to apply early to avoid these types of problems.

Yes. The Graduate College requires that all application materials, including letters of recommendation, be resubmitted.

While all components of applications are considered, most faculty pay particular attention to a student’s statement of purpose, letters of recommendation and past experience (class work and “hands-on experiences” such as internships, field work and lab work) related to their intended field of study.

This information should be included in your statement of purpose.

If you meet the criteria to apply for Texas residency, we strongly encourage you to do so.

Alternatively, all out-of-state students who have scholarships in the amount of $1000 or more are given in-state tuition for the academic year in which they receive the scholarship. For this reason we strongly encourage all out-of-state students to actively search for financial support in the form of scholarships.

Financial aid applications are processed through the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office. We cannot help students with this process.

In regards to departmental funding, we do provide some students limited financial support through GIA (graduate instructional assistant) and GRA (graduate research assistant) positions. There is no application process for these appointments. Admitted students are considered based on their GPA, GRE scores and other factors. To be considered students only need to submit their application by the application deadline (January 15) and be admitted in good standing by the Graduate College (i.e. not conditional admittance).

There are also college-level scholarships available. As soon as you submit your application to our program you should apply for the Celebrity Classic Scholarship as well as the Graduate College Scholarship. Once acceptance decisions have been made by the department, the highest ranked applicants in terms of GPA, GRE scores and strong letters of recommendation, will be nominated by the department for the Texas State Graduate Merit Fellowship.

We also strongly encourage students to look for outside sources of funding. Your current university should be able to help you begin this process.