Cultural Anthropology

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I have a few questions about graduate programs in Cultural Anthro: 

 

•  What kind of marks does an undergrad need to get into a masters program for cultural anth in Canada, the USA or perhaps somewhere else in the world? And then, what kind of masters grades does one need to get into a PhD program? 
• How is the job market for PhD's in anth both inside and outside of academia? 

 

 

 

[RepatMan]

MA programs vary depending on the prestige, as with any type of program, but you can get into an MA program with as low as a 2.5 at some programs, but most you'll need at least a 3.0 for them to consider you. Not sure how Canadian grades work or look, but you can look up equivalences. In order to get in with low grades, however, you'll want to do well on the GRE and make sure you speak to and make a good impression towards potential advisers and the grad chair.

You don't need an MA to get into most PhD programs, though more and more of the elite programs are taking students with MAs. Your MA grades should look really good since below a B is failing, so your GPA in your MA program probably won't matter much. What will matter is the research experience you've had, the paper you write, and the recommendations you get. Different programs have different emphases, but the research experience and your paper are in your control. Make sure you're conducting your work to your highest standard, and be highly considerate of how you're contributing to the literature of your subject area. For letters of rec, make sure to ask the people you're hoping to have write you one whether or not they can write and outstanding one for you. Ambivalent or unenthusiastic letters can damn an application, especially in prestigious programs.

The job market is pretty awful, especially within academia. The most recent stats I saw is about 500+ new Anthropology PhDs are graduating every year. Then there's probably 30-40 new (decent) teaching positions a year (that I've seen). Obviously, the odds aren't good there.

Outside of academia it all depends on how creative and motivated you are. A PhD seems to be worth a lot on the job market if you can leverage it properly. That means keying in on the skills you've honed throughout your program and marketing them in industries that need them. I know a lot of former MA students that are in some sort of market analysis work that is huge right now. In all likelihood, those jobs aren't going away anytime soon.

Like I told the last person, make sure to peruse the pages. People have come here asking the same questions year after year, so make use of the search function (a la "job market").