
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 programDegree 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)
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.

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
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 EventsAdmissions
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
Visit Us
Visit our CUNY Commons site for additional information about our program or visit our offices at Room 6406.
CUNY Commons SiteAnthropology FYIs
More Like ThisTextures 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
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.
- Announcement
Archaeology Ph.D. Student Will Williams Publishes New Article & Blog Post
Article: Shared Bodies: Social Patterns in Rural East Jersey and the Formation of an African American Community
Blog post: Archaeology at the Montclair History Center and an Early 20th-Century Women-Owned Floral Business
- Congratulations/Kudos
Recent News
Aug 29, 2023
For an Aspiring Paleontologist, All Signs Pointed to the Graduate Center
A Ph.D. in Anthropology is the route to a long-held dream for Joseph Won, a 2022 Goldwater Scholar.
- GC Stories
- Student News
Jun 20, 2023
Summer Books: 9 Books by Graduate Center Scholars That Will Take You Far Afield
Recently published books by faculty members, students, and alumni offer uncommon escapes.
- GC Stories
- Faculty News
- Student News
- Alumni News
Jun 14, 2023
‘Textures of Terror’ Traces a Father’s Quest for Justice for His Murdered Daughter in Guatemala
Professor Victoria Sanford’s new book depicts the precarious state of human rights and the dangers of being a woman in Guatemala.
- GC Stories
- Faculty News
May 25, 2023
From a Postdoc at Smith to the Tenure Track at Vassar
Alumna China Sajadian, who studies refugee farmworkers in the Middle East, shares what helped her manage the faculty job search.
- GC Stories
- Alumni News
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Or visit us at Room 6406.