Anthropology

The program is committed to excellence in training students for careers in research, teaching, and in non-academic sectors where anthropological knowledge is needed and crucial. With over 60 full-time faculty members across the four subfields of the discipline, augmented by a host of affiliated faculty from other institutions near and far, we advise and mentor more than 200 doctoral students of diverse backgrounds and interests.

Learn more about the program

Degree Offered

Ph.D. in Anthropology

Full-time
4 subfields

Admissions Deadlines

December 1 for Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology and Linguistic Anthropology

December 15 for Biological Anthropology

(fall enrollment only/no spring enrollment)

Contact

Anthropology

anthropology@gc.cuny.edu

+1 212-817-8005 Room 6406

Few programs can boast the height of scholarly achievement, breadth of expertise, diversity of personnel, level of activity, degree of disciplinary leadership, and deep commitment to socio-political engagement and justice work that is our stock in trade.

Leveraging resources from our central New York City location, distinguished faculty in related disciplines at the Graduate Center, and continually improving student fellowship support, the program has sustained a reputation for excellence, diversity, access, and engagement.

Seventy-five percent of our graduates work in full-time academic jobs. Faculty publications have been honored with numerous prestigious awards, multiple alumni have won the MacArthur “Genius” Award, and our students receive grants and fellowships at consistently high rates. Each year we offer an extensive array of public lectures across all the subfields of the discipline.

Our program is known for:

Intellectual vitality, warmth, camaraderie, and collegiality.
Our faculty’s productivity and students’ achievements, which make us stand out among anthropological programs internationally.
Our commitment to conversation and collaboration across subfields.
Our rethinking of anthropological practice to advance less extractivist, more collaborative ways of doing research, disseminating findings, and communicating with multiple publics.
An interdisciplinary approach to scholarly work, teaching, and service.
A commitment to aligning the cutting-edge scholarship of our faculty and students with new visions of justice and egalitarianism informed by contemporary struggles.
Generous fellowship packages, with every student guaranteed a 5-year tuition fellowship and some awards offering a combined work and fellowship package exceeding $37,000 per academic year and including eligibility for low-cost individual or family NYSHIP health insurance.

Subfields

Archaeology

The archaeology subfield at the Graduate Center maintains a dual focus on major theoretical issues of wide concern in anthropology (rise of the state, hunter-gatherer organization, chieftainship, gender, human impacts) and on rigorous training in archaeological method (lithic technology, locational analyses, zooarchaeology, pottery analysis, quantitative methods).

Learn more about the Archaeology subfield

Biological Anthropology

Biological anthropology at the Graduate Center covers a wide range of topics, with a strong emphasis on evolutionary approaches to understanding human and nonhuman primate biology.

Learn more about the Biological Anthropology subfield

Cultural Anthropology

The cultural subfield maintains a focus on the material bases of inequality, analyzed in both local and global contexts, combining historical and ethnographic approaches.

Learn more about the Cultural Anthropology subfield

Linguistic Anthropology

The linguistic anthropology subfield investigates the role of language in ethnographic, cultural, social, and historical contexts.

Learn more about the Linguistic Anthropology subfield

Our Faculty

The Anthropology program at the Graduate Center draws its faculty from across the CUNY system. There are currently over 50 active, fulltime faculty members representing 10 different CUNY campuses, supported by a rich collection of emeritus professors, many of whom continue to participate substantively in student training, and a broad set of adjunct/affiliated faculty from a variety of prestigious institutions.

Faculty

Anthropology colloquium - speaker and audience

Colloquium Series

Each semester, the Anthropology hosts a colloquium series that features esteemed anthropologists discussing different aspects of the field. See what's on the schedule for this semester!

Colloquium Events

Two students looking at a computer monitor

Admissions

We value diverse applicants with interesting political and intellectual backgrounds. Annually, we admit 13-15 anthropology students. New students study tuition-free for 5 years, plus many receive full stipends and research support.

Admissions and Aid

Nandini-Sikand-photo-by-Andy-Smith-IMG_2921

Visit Us

Visit our CUNY Commons site for additional information about our program or visit our offices at Room 6406.

CUNY Commons Site

Jul 5, 2023

Textures of Terror reviewed in London Review of Books

Anthropology professor Victoria Sanford's book, Textures of Terror: The Murder of Claudina Isabel Velasquez and Her Father's Quest for Justice, was reviewed by the London Review of Books. Read the review.

Media Coverage

Nov 2, 2022

Anthropology Alumni Publishes New Edited Volume

CUNY anthropology alumni Sophia Perdikaris has published a co-authored an edited volume with Becky Boger. The book is titled: Barbuda: Changing Times, Changing Tides.

Focusing on the island of Barbuda in the West Indies, the volume shares critical insights into how climate change is reshaping our world. It explores a range of themes including impacts of climate change, resilience, sustainability, indigeneity, cultural genocide, disaster capitalism, preservation of biodiversity, and environmental degradation.