Past academic performance is perhaps the most important consideration when we are reviewing applicants’ files -- with your transcript(s) and letters of recommendation being the best way of determining that. We of course look at GPA and grades, but we also look at the progression of courses that shows that students have developed and explored an interest in Mediterranean archaeology over time, as well as professors’ comments that students have been particularly engaged in a class or a project. Completing an undergraduate or master’s thesis is by no means required, but it is very common for admitted students to have written theses on topics relevant to our doctoral program’s focus, or even on topics related to our faculty members’ research interests.

The majority of our applicants have completed their undergraduate degrees one to three years prior to applying to our doctoral program, though a significant percentage of applicants are completing their undergraduate or graduate degrees at the time they are applying. Often, applicants have chosen to work for several years following graduation, usually in a field related to their academic interests, such as CRM, museums, K-12 teaching, nonprofits, etc.

Applicants, and accepted students, have attended schools all over the country and around the world. We have admitted students with degrees from community colleges, from state and public universities, and from private universities. 

Is there a minimum GPA or minimum GRE score required for application?

No. 

Transcripts from all previous universities are required, and we look at these very closely. But we look for overall trends in both course selection and grades rather than a specific GPA. Admitted students do tend to have earned mostly A’s in their past schooling, but there are numerous exceptions to this rule -- including most international students, where grading systems are typically much less inflated than grades at US schools.

The Joukowsky Institute no longer accepts GRE scores. Applicants to the doctoral program in Archaeology and the Ancient World are not required or permitted to provide GRE scores, including both official submissions and self-reporting.

All international applicants whose native language is not English must submit an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score. The Brown University Graduate School has set a recommended minimum score 577 on the paper-based TOEFL test and 90 on the Internet-based test. For IELTS, the recommended minimum overall band score is 7. In Archaeology and the Ancient World, we find these minimum scores to be slightly lower than we prefer, based on the need for our admitted students to be truly proficient and comfortable with writing, reading, and speaking English immediately upon beginning the program. We have seen that students who are even slightly less fluent -- or less confident -- in English have struggled to keep up with the demands of the program.

Do you need to have a Master’s degree already?

No. Between a third and two thirds of the students we admit to the program have completed or are working on Master’s degrees at the time of application. Many students have been out of school for one to three years, working at a job that has helped them develop their interests or skills in archaeology. Approximately a third of the students we accept are in the process of completing an undergraduate degree at the time they are applying. 

Do you need to have an undergraduate degree in Archaeology?

No. We realize that many schools do not award degrees specifically in archaeology. Our applicants have a wide range of majors, from Near East Studies, to Art History, to Anthropology, to Classics, and there are many other possibilities. We expect students to be academically prepared for a graduate program in Mediterranean archaeology, but this has many different academic homes in different universities.

Yes. We do expect any student applying to a doctoral program in archaeology to have at least a few weeks of fieldwork experience -- and the majority of accepted students have far more than that. 

Ideally, you'll have been part of a project based in or around the Mediterranean, though projects based in other areas can also be useful experiences. We're particularly impressed when applicants have been able to connect their fieldwork with academic interests, such as participating in projects relevant to thesis projects. But we also recognize that this depth of experience is difficult to gain for students just completing undergraduate degrees, so we review applications bearing this in mind. Access to opportunities is not the same for all students, so we look for students who have been able to make the most of resources they have found.

We know that some students have more knowledgeable advisors than others, and that funding also plays an important role in choosing field projects. For students who are thinking of applying to our doctoral program in the future, we would be pleased to offer advice and recommendations on field projects that could be helpful or especially appropriate for your interests.

In some cases, experience working in museums, labs, or K-12 programs can stand in for fieldwork, particularly if the student is interested in focusing on one of these sectors upon completing their doctoral degree.

Yes, regularly. The Joukowsky Institute and the Graduate School follow Brown's policy on Equal Opportunity, Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action. Even beyond being guided by that formal policy, we have a diverse faculty, and a diverse graduate student community; and we value the many perspectives students may bring to our community. Brown University’s Office of International Students and Scholars (OISSS) will assist with visa arrangements and immigration issues, and advise students on related issues once they arrive.

We do require that students be extremely comfortable with writing, reading, and speaking English, as it is the language of instruction in this program. Also, while we wish it could be otherwise, the governmental restrictions placed on immigration and visas cannot be ignored, which could make matriculation impossible for students based in certain countries (e.g., Iraq). That said, with the assistance of the OISSS, and Brown's Office of Global Engagement, we are committed to doing everything possible to help students from any country attend Brown.

No. Many programs encourage, or even require, applicants to enter the program already having a dissertation project underway, and already planning to work with a specific faculty member as advisor. This is not our approach. Ours is an interdisciplinary and collaborative program, in which students work with all our faculty members and are required to explore a broad range of classes and topics, geographically, temporally, and thematically. Students whose interests are extremely narrow at the time of application will not benefit from this flexibility and broad training.

However, we do expect students to have specific interests and topics they would like to explore in more depth. These interests would typically be visible in all aspects of the application, from your transcript and resume to your fieldwork experience and letters of reference. We fully expect that interests are likely to grow and change over the course of your doctoral studies, but you should already have some particular areas on which you’d like to build.

Our strongest applicants are those with some knowledge of ancient and modern languages, but there are no specific language requirements in place for applicants (other than fluency in English).