Admission Requirements for PhD Degree
For applicants who hold a Master’s degree, the primary requirements are distinction in their previous graduate work (equivalent to at least a McMaster B+), and strong letters of reference.
Normally a student will have completed the requirements for an MA degree in anthropology before their admission into the doctoral program. Since application for the program is usually made before completion of the MA degree, a student may be accepted conditionally on completion of the MA degree.
For purposes of admission, an MA in anthropology from any other university is considered equivalent to that awarded by McMaster. Equivalence also is recognized between an MA degree achieved by examination, by course work alone, by thesis, or by major research paper. It should be noted, however, that students who have major gaps in their anthropological background will be required to undertake additional work after admission into the program.
A student who is already registered in the MA program at McMaster may apply for the department’s PhD program. Registration in the MA program does not guarantee admission into the PhD program.
In some circumstances, exceptionally qualified students holding an Honours BA in Anthropology may be offered direct entry into the PhD program.
Admission to the doctoral program is very competitive and is based on a consideration of demonstrated scholarly excellence, suitability of research interests, availability of appropriate supervision, and availability of openings. Most successful applicants have sufficient background in their area of specialization within anthropology to benefit from advanced training in the field. Completion of the minimum requirements for acceptance into the doctoral program does not guarantee acceptance. It should also be understood that all applicants for the doctoral program for a given year, whether already enrolled at McMaster or not, normally will have been considered together during the second term of the preceding year. A discussion of required application materials and procedures can be found in the graduate handbook.
Only under exceptional circumstances will the department consider for admission any student who has taken two prior degrees in anthropology at McMaster.
Important: If English is not your native language
Applicants are required to submit evidence of their proficiency in the English language as part of their application. The most common evidence is a score on one of the following exams:
- TOEFL: minimum score of 92 (internet based), 237 (computer based) or 580 (paper based)
- IELTS (Academic): minimum overall score of 6.5, with at least 5.5 in each section
- MELAB: minimum score of 90
Applicants who have completed an academic ESL program through Canadian academic institutions may petition to have this considered in lieu of TOEFL