Anthropology

Graduate students at The New School for Social Research ask the kind of questions that challenge the status quo across the social sciences and humanities.

Through cutting-edge empirical, historical, and ethnographic scholarship, students and faculty in the Department of Anthropology address the urgent social and political problems of the 21st century. Widely regarded as one of the leading anthropology graduate programs in the US, this lively community of active scholars hosts a dynamic intellectual environment with equal emphasis on fieldwork, archival research, and theoretical reflection.

The department fosters an intimate, dynamic intellectual environment in which students can thrive, emphasizing critical reflection at all levels of inquiry. Students explore analytic and social issues through ethnographic fieldwork, archival research, and theoretical reflection, with work characterized by carefully conducted ethnography, innovative research methodologies, and an awareness of the importance of historical context.

All students enter the Department of Anthropology through the MA program. After completing 30 credits and passing the master's examination, they are eligible to apply for admission to the doctoral program. Spaces in the doctoral program are limited.

Program Highlights

• 30-credit MA, 60-credit PhD.
• Combine basic concepts of anthropology with critical exploration of the nature and role of ethnography in this leading graduate program.
• Recent courses include Anthropology and Time; Epidemiology of Belief, Ethnography, and Writing; and In Search of the Political.

Why the New School?

The New School for Social Research was founded in 1919 as a home for progressive thinkers, and housed the University in Exile in 1933, providing an academic haven for scholars persecuted in Nazi Europe. The school became the foundation for a comprehensive university – The New School – and continues the legacy of critical thought, civic engagement, and academic freedom today.

Visit the Anthropology page on the The New School website for more details!