What's up with U Washington sociocultural anthro?

[mdmelib]

Hello, aspiring anthro grad students.

I'm wondering if anyone out there knows what the story is on the University of Washington's move to accepting sociocultural PhD students EVERY OTHER year. Do you think it's a money-saving move, or a department politics decision, or something else?

From their website:

"Archaeology and Biocultural Anthropology admissions will be run every year, however, Sociocultural Anthropology has moved to an every other year model admitting students in the odd numbered year. Next admission cycle for Sociocultual Anthropology will be for Autumn 2013."

[timetogobacktoschool]

are you even joking? that's the worst. i was for sure applying there as one of my top choices this year. boooooo.

[Eigen]

I'm guessing it's a money-savings related move.

If they have, say, enough money to bring in and fund 3-5 students each year, it's in a lot of ways more beneficial for the students and a better flow for the department as a whole to wait and bring in 6-10 students every other year. You can offer more classes that way, etc.

I could be wrong, though.

[Armadilla]

I suspected something like this would happen with U of Wash, because they have already cut their funds for international students tremendously, so it doesn´t look that surprising to me.

[mdmelib]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, everyone. I was also sorry to hear the news. I would love to be in Seattle, but alas, Eigen's point about grouping students so as to offer more support for a larger cohort makes a lot of sense.