Who Makes the Decision and What Do They Base it On?

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What is a Graduate Student Application? < | Who Decides Who Gets in and What Do They Base it On? | > The Application Process – From the University’s End}

Who Decides Who Gets In?

Throughout your graduate career your programme will be supervised by the anthropology or archaeology department to which you are admitted. However, it is important to remember that the departments operate under rules and regulations which are set by graduate faculties (called graduate school in the US) and these regulations take precedence over those of the departments. The departments must adhere to the faculty's regulations in matters of admissibility (minimum grade point averages for example), completeness of applications and so on. Even if a department makes a positive recommendation on a student, the graduate faculty can (and does) overturn this recommendation.

What Do Departments Consider Important in an Application?

Departments take into account a number of factors when considering applications and I can do no better than quote from our one of our previous department heads, Nicholas David, in responding to a questionnaire from the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

How important is grade point average (GPA) as a factor in departmental review of applications for admission and in recommendations for admission?

GPA is indeed an important factor, and especially the GPA over the last two years (or equivalent) of course work. This is because many undergraduate students only discover archaeology well after entering university, and their first and second year results may differ markedly from those of later years. In the case of students applying for entry into the PhD programme, it is their performance in graduate courses on which we focus most. We also pay considerable attention to the mix of courses, and to indications that the candidate can perform well across a broad range of disciplines. The nature of archaeology is such that, while we are looking for evidence of outstanding performance, demonstrated and potential, generalists are preferred to narrow specialists. While prior field experience is not a requirement, we also favour candidates with a variety of practical (and linguistic) skills and evidence of a commitment to the discipline.

Close attention is paid to references, including the applicant's choice of referees, and in particular to referees' comments regarding their intellectual engagement, insight and critical ability. The sample of written work supplied by the candidate and carefully reviewed by members of the department plays an essential role in demonstrating such qualities and the student's craft in managing material in the context of a logically argued presentation. The very choice of written work to submit - indicative of what the student thinks we are likely to be interested in - is itself often revealing, as is the written statement of intent.

It is also important that students admitted match up with appropriate supervisors. Thus, although in the first year it may actually be advantageous for a student to be attached to an interim advisor who will expand the student's horizons but who will not become the supervisor, the Department must already be certain at the time of admission that it has the necessary supervisory capability and capacity to see the student through the programme. (Nicholas David, February 1992)

_{Table of Contents
What is a Graduate Student Application? < | Who Decides Who Gets in and What Do They Base it On? | > The Application Process – From the University’s End}