Applicant Checklist

The Application Checklist is your guide to everything you need to know about our Ph.D. application. This page provides descriptions for the materials needed to be submitted with your application and helpful links to additional resources.

• ALL application materials must be submitted online
• The GRE is no longer required for admission

• Submit online:
  • Application form
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Personal Statement
  • CV / Resume
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation (names and contact information of recommenders)
    • LORs are due on December 1st and must be submitted through the online application
    • Select "Yes" under Use Online Recommendation System? to submit your letters electronically and send requests to recommenders
  • Scanned Copy of Official Transcripts
  • Writing Sample (optional)
  • Application Fee payment or Fee Waiver code

• Request online (to be sent to Rackham Graduate School):
  • Official Transcripts directly from your institution
  • English Proficiency Test Scores (if applicable)

Statement of Purpose is an essay between 1,000-1,500 words and is the most important part of your application. It should answer why you want to pursue a career in anthropology, what anthropological questions interest you, how you want to address these questions, and why you want to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan.

Personal Statement is an essay with a maximum of 500 words. It should answer how your personal background and life experiences motivated you to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan. This can include social, cultural, familial, educational, etc factors.

Description of Interests indicates your topical and geographical areas of interest and the names of faculty you are interested in working with. Please do not write an essay in this section, but rather provide a list or bullet points of your interests.This section is not evaluated for content, but will allow us to better determine the degree to which our faculty members’ areas of expertise match your interests. 

Writing Sample is an OPTIONAL essay between 5 and 30 pages. Applicants are strongly encouraged to upload a short research paper, an excerpt from a thesis, a journal article, an essay, etc. This should provide the admissions committee with a substantive piece of scholarly work that demonstrates your ability to write clearly and make a cogent argument.

Transcripts should be official copies, scanned and uploaded with your application. Screenshots or downloaded copies from student portals are NOT acceptable for review. An additional official copy must be submitted directly to Rackham from your institution, by mail or by email. 

• Non-U.S. Institutions:
  • Please include English translations if necessary
• Review Rackham's Transcripts section for more information

English Proficiency Test Scores are required for applicants whose native language is not English. Test Scores are due on December 1st with all other application materials. 

TOEFL: Institution code 1839, Department code 81.

IELTS: Official IELTS scores are sent electronically to the Rackham Graduate School.

• You qualify for an exemption if:
  • You are a native speaker of English (i.e. U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia);
  • You are an applicant from Puerto Rico;
  • You completed all of your undergraduate education and earned an undergraduate degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English only;
  • You completed all of your graduate education and earned a graduate degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English only;
  • You are a current U-M student
• You do NOT qualify if:
  • You earned a one year graduate degree;
  • You completed a Master’s degree that was strictly research and no academic classes. This type of Master’s degree is generally awarded at a non-U.S. institution
• Review Rackham's Tests section for more information

Application Fee is $75 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents, $90 for non-U.S. citizens, and $10 for current Rackham students. Fee Waivers are limited. Requests will be evaluated from mid-August to 2 weeks before the application deadline (November 14th, 2025). We offer application fee waivers for both domestic (U.S. citizens and permanent residents) and international applicants. When submitting your information, indicate which type of fee waiver you are requesting. 

To apply for a fee waiver, email the Anthropology Grad Office at anthro.grad.program@umich.edu with your explanation of your eligibility:

You must meet at least one of the following:

• Come from an educational, cultural or geographic background that is underrepresented in graduate study, in your discipline, in the United States or at the University of Michigan;
• Have experienced financial hardship as a result of family economic circumstances;
• Are a first generation U.S. citizen or first generation graduate from a four-year college

Race, ethnicity, gender, or national origin may not be used as criteria for requesting an application fee waiver