Applying for the Ecological Anthropology Program
at
the University of Hawai`i and other alternatives
Because I receive inquiries almost every week from prospective applicants for graduate study who are interested in the optional specialization in ecological anthropology I have prepared the following general statement. I will also be happy to try to answer by email any specific questions from individuals.
The Ecological Anthropology Program (EAP), and within it, the Spiritual Ecology Concentration and the Environmental Anthropology and Conflict Resolution Concentration, are all personal specializations that a student can elect to pursue in consultation with me and/or another advisor. They do not involve any certificate, diploma, or degree. They are simply an individual emphasis in course work as part of a degree in Anthropology or another field. In a cover letter and application for grants, jobs, and the like, the individual can identify this specialization. Likewise, I can do so in a letter of recommendation. The EAP is widely recognized and respected nationally and internationally.
There are no funding resources available specifically for the EAP, but information on such financial matters in general can be found on the web site of the Department of Anthropology and other units at UH.
http://www.anthropology.hawaii.edu
By far the best prospect for funding is the Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowship for learning a field language such as Thai (e.g., see below the web site of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies):
Another possibility is the East-West Center:
A wealth of information about the EAP and related matters is readily available on my own homepage under various headings, especially the “Ecological Anthropology Program.” There you can find a PowerPoint presentation on the EAP and related matters. There you can also find out where EAP alumni have found employment and some of their professional accomplishments and homepages. On my homepage under “Courses” are my syllabi, bibliographies, notes, and other materials. Also explore under “Ecology” in this homepage.
The Admissions Committee of the Department of Anthropology receives well over a hundred applicants for graduate study each year and can only admit a couple of dozen or so. In other words, admission is highly competitive. The Department simply does not have the capacity to accept all of the qualified applicants. Besides high GPA and GRE, it is important to have excellent recommendations from former professors and a superb essay.
Your application essay should indicate as clearly, concisely, and convincingly as possible the origins of your interest in anthropology and in ecological anthropology in particular; your academic background and any relevant job or other experience; your subfield, topical, regional and/or country specializations; the names of individual faculty members in anthropology and beyond who share some of your interests and who you would like to consider as candidates for your graduate committee; and your future career plans and goals. The essay should be aimed at convincing the Admissions Committee that you are a promising student who is both qualified and focused as well as relevant for the Department. (I would be happy to provide some feedback by email on a draft of your essay).
When you apply to the Graduate Division at UH you can list two departments ranking them as first and second preference. Thus, in addition to Anthropology you might identify Asian Studies, Geography, Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Pacific Islands Studies, Religion, Urban and Regional Planning, or another unit as one of your two choices. This will increase your chances of being admitted to the UH. You might be able to change departments later if you feel it is desirable. Moreover, for the M.A., Anthropology at UH has a set of requirements which are unusually and unnecessarily rigid and burdensome in my opinion. This seriously constrains possibilities for specialization in ecological anthropology and other topics. Thus, you might consider an M.A. in one of the other units mentioned above which are more flexible and allow more time for specialization. An M..A. in another field before going on for a Ph.D. in Anthropology elsewhere might be to your advantage for doctoral studies, an eventual job, and career development and advancement. However, if you go for the Ph.D. in Anthropology at UH you will have to have an M.A. in Anthropology from UH or from a recognized program at another university. Other institutions, such as Cornell University, allow more academic freedom and specialization for individual graduate students than does Anthropology at UH. Furthermore, unlike state universities, so-called ivy league and other prestigious universities have more financial support for graduate students. For example, Cornell University funds 100% of its graduate students.
Another option for some individuals, especially residents of Hawai`i, would be to apply to UH as an unclassified graduate student. If admitted, then take courses in anthropology to establish an academic record with high grades and get acquainted with the anthropology faculty at UH. Then apply for admission to the Department of Anthropology with the benefit of recommendations from some of your instructors. However, there is no guarantee of admission.
For detailed information on Anthropology at UH, funding sources, living on Oahu, and other matters, see the Department web site listed above. There you can also find contact information for the current Graduate Chair and the Graduate Specialist in Anthropology who are paid to answer inquiries about the Department in general.
Beyond UH, you should apply to four to five other universities. Ideally you should visit them in person to talk to the individual faculty members who are closest to your interests and check out the living conditions and environment. You should also speak to current students who will provide another perspective. On my homepage under the “Ecological Anthropology Program” you can find a survey I conducted of programs in ecological and environmental anthropology at other universities. However, you should check the current web sites of the universities and faculty members of special interest to you for the most current information.
In exploring and weighing your options for graduate study, the following resources are especially helpful:
Robert L. Peters, 1997, Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student’s Guide to Earning a Master’s or Ph.D., New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Riall W. Nolan, 2003, Anthropology in Practice: Building a Career Outside the Academy, Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Both of these inexpensive paperback books are a treasure of practical information and advice, and are well worth the price as well as the time to carefully read and consider them. Also, they are useful reference books to consult during your graduate studies and beyond.
In addition, see this special free online source for some very thoughtful and useful reflections, information, and advice:
“Interview with David Casagrande: Professional and Academic Perspectives of Ecological Anthropology” at:
http://www.enviroeducation.com/interviews/david-casagrande/
This reference book may also be helpful:
The Student Conservation Association, 1997, The Guide to Graduate Environmental Programs, Washington, D.C.: Island Press.
Graduate study involves a very substantial investment of time and money, and besides positive challenges, it can also involve considerable stress. But the rewards can be great and last a lifetime. Accordingly, it is wise to weigh carefully the possibilities and limitations of any university, program, and major professor. In general, it is desirable to successively study at more than one university. I advise and encourage my M.A. students to consider pursuing a doctorate at another institution weighing that against continuing at UH.
You have my sincere best wishes in finding appropriate universities and programs for your graduate studies. If you are admitted to UH and decide to accept the invitation, then I will do my best to help you. If you go elsewhere at any stage, then I will still help in any way I can to advance your studies and career and thereby ecological anthropology as well.
Dr. Leslie E. Sponsel, Professor
Director, Ecological Anthropology Program
University of Hawai`i at Manoa
2424 Maile Way - Saunders Hall 317
Honolulu, HI 96822-2223 U.S.A.
Email: sponsel@hawaii.edu
Phone: (808) 956-8507
Fax: (808) 956-489
Homepage: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/Sponsel/