Fall 2025 Admissions
The application must be completed online on the Graduate School's Application page. In addition to filling out the online application, complete applications must include:
- Three letters of reference*
- CV
- Statement of Purpose
- TOEFL or IELTS scores, if required (see link below)**
- A non-refundable application fee***
- Official transcripts from the undergraduate college(s) or university(s) in which a degree was conferred
- Official transcripts from each college or university relating to graduate-level work, regardless of whether a degree was conferred
As part of the application, you will also need to choose a potential concentration (subfield), as well as identify any faculty member(s) for whom you’d like to work with.
*Letters of reference are not uploaded by the student. Rather, students provide the names and contact information for their letter writers and the application system solicits letters independently. For this reason, please contact your letter writers early and/or start your application early enough so that your letter writers are not caught off guard by the due date.
**Please refer to the Graduate School website for more detailed information regarding transcripts, TOEFL/IELTS scores, etc.
***Application fee waivers are covered by the Graduate School policy here. If you don't fall within one of the listed criteria (e.g. international student), an application waiver may still be possible. Please reach out to the Academic Programs Coordinator, Tara Powers, for additional information.
Note: Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are NOT currently required.
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Applications will be reviewed by the admissions committee of the IDPAS, and successful applicants will be considered for financial assistance through the award of a tuition scholarship and teaching assistantship (TA). The deadline for receipt of applications and all supporting materials (including letters of recommendation) for Fall admission is December 1 .
Currently, the IDPAS is unable to deliver a full curriculum in Socio-Cultural Anthropology. Thus, for the time being, the IDPAS will not accept any applications for the socio-cultural track. Students interested in Socio-Cultural Anthropology should apply to other programs.
For more information on Stony Brook graduate admission policies, please visit Stony Brook University Graduate School Admissions.
The majority of the students admitted to the IDPAS graduated from a baccalaureate program with majors in anthropology. While at least some exposure to the field - and especially to the field of research that is the applicant's expressed interest - is common and desirable, it is not a prerequisite for admission to the program. Rather, the faculty believes that the expected level of performance in graduate courses in anthropology and related fields can be predicted from the applicant's overall undergraduate record, with emphasis given to grades obtained in courses related to the student's area of interest.
Graduate students are admitted to the program after careful scrutiny by the IDPAS Admissions Committee. The Admissions Committee includes members from all the subfields, and admission to the program is only made after full consultation with all committee members and any relevant faculty not on the committee. Note that fit with the program and a potential advisor is the first criterion that is considered by the admissions committee. Prospective advisors may or may not be taking students due to a variety of reasons, including research fit, and whether they have the capacity to support any additional students. Because of this, students are strongly advised to contact prospective advisors prior to applying to the program.
At the national level, IDPAS students typically have high job placement in academic and other research or education-related positions. See list of alumni and their current positions here.