Admission Requirements

Graduate Programs

Masters in Sociology

Admission to the program is based on scholastic performance, aptitude for graduate work, and English proficiency. Applicants should possess a bachelor’s degree in sociology or its equivalent from a recognized institution of higher learning.

If an applicant is not an undergraduate major in sociology, enrollment in two undergraduate courses, SoSc 1 Introduction to Sociology and Socio 105 Principles and Concepts of Sociology, will have to be made but taken as reading and not taught courses. He/she may enroll in these subjects in tandem with graduate level courses.

Required documents include the following:

• Department Application Form
• Statement of Purpose
• Official Transcript of Records
• Letters of Recommendation from two former professors
• Certificate of Transfer Credentials
• Alien Certificate of Registration (for foreign students)
• 2 x 2 color photograph

These documents will be assessed by the Department of Admissions Committee, headed by the Department Chair. The deadline for submission must be two months prior to the opening of the semester/summer to give ample time for the Departmental Admissions Committee to meet and deliberate whether or not the applicant is worth admitting to the program.

Graduate Anthropology Program

The Department normally accepts only promising students seeking either the M.A. or the Ph.D. degree as their ultimate objective(s) in entering the graduate program, with the M.A. degree expected to be acquired as a necessary step toward the Ph.D. However, should a student fail to show exceptional competence and promise for Ph.D. work, the M.A. degree may be awarded on the condition that the student given such an award will not be allowed to enter the Ph.D. level.

All applicants may have only the AB/BA Anthropology or a related degree from a recognized educational institution. If the applicant shall has not taken undergraduate coursework in each of the four traditionally-recognized fields of anthropology (Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology, Physical/Biological Anthropology and Linguistic Anthropology), he/she will be required to do post-baccalaureate work and enroll in the aforesaid courses in tandem with graduate level courses.

Applicants may have already earned an M.A. degree in Anthropology or a related field in another recognized institution. If promising, they can enter the Ph.D. level.

The Departmental Admissions Committee, composed of graduate anthropology faculty members, reviews an application only when all required documents have been submitted to the Department. It is the task of the Committee to review application documents in order to determine whether the applicant has a potential for a career in anthropology. It is expected that all relevant documents be submitted as required.

The following documents are required and must all be submitted in a single dispatch/packet:

• Department Application Form
• Official Transcript of Records (in duplicate)
• Certificate of Transfer Credentials
• Alien Certificate of Registration (for foreign students)
• Statement of Purpose
• Two letters of Recommendation
• Copies of publications/thesis (if any)
• Three 2 x 2 color photographs

There are two deadlines for submission of applications:

• February 28/29 for those intending to enroll in the First Semester
• June 30 for those intending to enroll in the Second Semester
  
  Only in special or highly exceptional circumstances will these deadlines be waived.

There are three major criteria used to determine the applicants' capabilities: the applicant's background and preparation, the applicant's statement of purpose and the letters of recommendation. The following items constitute the criteria:

• The Applicant's Background and Preparation
  • Overall undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA)
  • Undergraduate GPA in the major
  • At least a minimum previous grade average of 1.5 (USC scale) or A-/B in graduate courses already taken (where applicable)
  • Prior courses in Anthropology
  • Prior courses in related or relevant fields
  • Other graduate courses (if any)
  • Fieldwork or any other research experience
  • Publications

• The Applicant's Statement of Purpose
  • Ability to write clearly in English
  • Ability to set realistic goals in doing graduate anthropology
  
  The applicant's statement of purpose must be submitted as a double-spaced computer-printed or typewritten document on A4 or 8 1/2 x 11 paper. With a minimum of 500 and a maximum of 1,000 words, the applicant is expected to discuss his or her reasons for applying to the GAP, relevant background, goals and research interests as well as career objectives. Candidates who might have a particular preference for a faculty member to be assigned as his/her adviser are advised to manifest this in the application form.
  
  The applicant will be informed that the application has been received and in what way it may still be incomplete.

• The Letters of Recommendation
  • The Recommender's overall evaluation of the applicant's capability to do graduate research work
  • The Recommender's assessment of the applicant's qualities in relation to pursuing coursework
  • The Recommender's evaluation of the applicant's personality in terms of his or her ability to work with others, openness to new ideas, critical-mindedness, enthusiasm and creativity
  
  At least one recommender should be a faculty member of the last institution attended by the applicant.