To be a professional archaeologist, that is to say, a teacher, a full-time cultural resource management archaeologist, or an archaeologist attached to a museum or historical society, you need an advanced degree, an MA or PhD. Committing to archaeology as a career is undoubtedly one of the most difficult decisions anyone can make; but the process of getting into a graduate school seems daunting. Because this process seemed inordinately messy and confusing to incoming students, Lesley Nicholls, former graduate secretary at the University of Calgary's Department of Archaeology, put together a guide to the application process in archaeology, called So You Want to Apply to Graduate School?. Based on years of workshops sponsored by Calgary at the Canadian Archaeological Association and used by generations of graduate students, So You Want contains a blow-by-blow description of how the process works and what you can expect, as well as tips on what can improve your chances of getting a place at the graduate department of your choice.

Detailed, chatty and full of great advice, So You Want to Apply to Graduate School? is an enormously useful tool for those who are considering making the big leap, and those who are in the midst of that leap, whether in archaeology, anthropology, sociology, or any other social science.

Table of Contents

• Introduction, Table of Contents, and Credits
• What is a Graduate School Application?
• Who Decides Who Gets in and What Do They Base it On?
• The Application Process – From the University’s End
• The Application Process – From the Student’s End
• Timing and Deadlines!!
• Preliminary Enquiry
• The Application Package
• The Application Form
• Letters of Reference
• Letter of Intent
• Writing Samples
• Curriculum Vitae
• Transcripts
• Submitting Your Application
• The Waiting Game
• You’re Accepted – Now What?
• An Unsuccessful Application?
• Scholarship Applications
• Before Your First Day as a Graduate Student
• Finale

More Resources for the Graduate Student

• Careers in Archaeology, includes Career Paths, descriptions of careers in archaeology
• Getting into Graduate School, some help making that decision
• Graduate School Admissions, more general advice from About's guide to Graduate Schools, Tara Kuther (and a wellspring of excellent materials)