Graduate Program

UCI anthropologist Tom Boellstorff explores how people with disabilities make use
of online environments. [Read Story]

CONSIDERING A GRADUATE DEGREE IN ANTHROPOLOGY? Consider UCI!

UCI’s Department of Anthropology is known for its collegiality, creative teaching and
research, and leading role developing new methods, theory and applications of anthropological
knowledge.

Faculty and graduate students are known for their research in economic anthropology,
the anthropology of law, migration studies, urban and environmental studies, science
and technology studies, security studies, and data studies. UCI anthropology graduate
students move through a carefully designed series of courses that focus in the first
year on the field’s history and theory then in the second year on ethnographic methods
and research design. Graduate students also take a wide array of elective courses,
both in and outside the department. Many pursue concentrations in critical theory,
feminist studies, or medicine, science and technology studies.

QUICK FACTS

LOCATION

Campus is located less than 10 miles from Newport Beach.

FUNDING

Admitted students receive 6-7 years of guaranteed funding.

FOCUS

Research focuses on social and cultural anthropology.

DEGREE

Ph.D.; a master's degree is earned while in pursuit of the Ph.D.

ENROLLMENT

Full-time, on-campus with housing.

FIELDWORK

Fieldwork - oftentimes outside of the U.S. - is a requirement for dissertation research.

RANKINGS

08

best anthropology program in the U.S.- Center for a Public Anthropology

01

university committed to economic diversity and upward mobility- New York Times College Access Index

04

articles published in top three academic journals- Academic Analytics

07

public university in the U.S.- U.S. News & World Report

RECENT PLACEMENTS

Cal State Long Beach

Rice University

Smith College

Swiss Academy of Sciences

Tufts University

UNESCO

UC Riverside

University of Notre Dame

University of Pittsburgh

University of Wisconsin

Wellesley College

RESEARCH SPECIALITIES

Modernity and development

Environmental problems and politics

Politics, law and economy

Ethnographic research methods

Science, technology and medicine

Jennifer Zelnick, UCI anthropology, received a prestigious NSF fellowship to support
her graduate research on Cambodian deportees. [Read Story]

UCI anthropology offers admitted students 6-7 years of guaranteed funding. Faculty and students also have a very strong record earning competitive research
funding from agencies like the National Science Foundation, the Wenner-Gren Foundation
for Anthropological Research, Social Science Research Council, Fulbright Foundation,
and Ford Foundation. This past year, UCI anthropologists brought in $1 million in
external grant funding.

UCI anthropologists publish widely, reaching anthropological, interdisciplinary and
public audiences - through journal articles, books, films, digital exhibits, sound
installations and other media. UCI anthropologists also have diverse career paths
- in academia, business and the public sector.

WHAT MAKES THE PROGRAM UNIQUE?

UCI’s campus community is notably diverse, and is known for supporting first generation
students. In 2015 and 2017, the New York Times ranked UCI as the #1 university doing the most for the American dream. U.S. News & World Report has ranked UCI the #7 public university in the U.S.

UCI’s campus is beautiful, rotating around Aldrich Park, a 19-acre botanical garden.
The campus is also less than 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean and beaches.

"A top 10-ranked program with researchstrengths in theory & methodology"

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT - Why UCI Anthropology?

When Liz Clark was thinking about where she wanted to pursue her graduate degree in
anthropology, UC Irvine was at the top of her list.

"Faculty expertise in my area of study is really strong, both in the department and
the School of Social Sciences," she says. "And the graduate program is very well funded
and offers competitive packages unmatched at other schools."

FURTHER PROGRAM INFORMATION

UCI anthropology is vibrant in many ways! Please contact us if you have questions
about our application process.