Approaching the study of culture and society from a critical perspective, students are encouraged to examine the multifaceted relations between anthropology and its subjects. Many courses concentrate on the radical impact of global transformations in the past and in the contemporary world.
The Department of Anthropology stands at the forefront of The New School’s commitment to critical social inquiry. Since its inception in 1971, the department has fostered cutting-edge empirical, historical, and ethnographic scholarship. Long committed to the interdisciplinary breadth necessary for innovative research, the department builds on its close relations with the faculty of The New School for Social Research and of the campus as a whole.
Emerging as one of the leading anthropology departments for graduate studies in the United States, we emphasize critical reflection at all levels of inquiry. A small, lively group of active scholars and students, we thrive in a dynamic intellectual environment that fosters inventive scholarship characterized by careful ethnography, innovative research methodologies, and a sustained commitment to history.
Students are encouraged to explore analytic and social issues through ethnographic fieldwork, archival research, and theoretical reflection. They participate in courses and projects developed by our faculty both individually and in collaboration with a range of programs at The New School, in particular with the Graduate Program in International Affairs, Parsons The New School for Design, and the India-China Institute. They also often take advantage of our close ties to the Janey Program in Latin American Studies and the Transregional Center for Democratic Studies. In addition, students take courses across the citywide Inter-University Consortium.
All Anthropology students at The New School enter the MA program. After completing 30 credits and successfully passing the MA exam, they may petition for admission into the doctoral program.