There are a variety of ways we can support you as you work on your degree, whether by helping place you in work-study jobs, Teaching Assistantships, or internships.
CU Denver is a member of a regional consortium that automatically offers in-state tuition for students from 16 participating states even as they maintain their residency in their home state. This means that out-of-state students from participating states receive a ¾ discount, with a value of between $11,000 and $20,000 a year, on their tuition. Students with residency in the following states are eligible: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. To benefit from this discount, graduate students should indicate in your application packet that you wish to take advantage of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) program. Undergraduates who indicate that their permanent address is within a WICHE state will automatically qualify for discounted tuition under the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program.
The department has working relationships with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Evaluation Center in CU Denver’s School of Education and Human Design, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, the National Park Services, US Fish and Wildlife, and other agencies to create paid Internships/Research Assistant positions, according to agency need and funding.
The Department selects four promising graduate students each year to serve as Teaching Assistants (TAs) in introductory classes in Archaeology and Biological Anthropology. The faculty makes TA assignments each spring based on the requirements and procedures outlined below. We try to balance support for incoming students with support for existing students.
Minimum Requirements
- BA in Anthropology or related field
- Demonstrated academic achievement in student’s BA program and/or maintenance of satisfactory progress toward completion of the degree, including receiving an A or A- in all CU Denver Anthropology classes
- Excellent performance in Archaeology or Biological Anthropology classes, either within the MA program or in the student’s BA program.
Application Procedures
Applicants: Applicants should indicate their interest and qualifications for teaching assistantships in their application essay.
First Year Students: We will solicit applications for TAships each February, with decisions made by May
Work-study is a financial aid award that allows undergraduate and graduate students to work part-time to earn money to pay for educational expenses. The program encourages work related to the recipient's course of study. The department often has work-study positions open. If you are eligible for financial aid and would like to have a work-study job, we encourage you to speak to the chair, Dr. Sarah Horton (sarah.horton@ucdenver.edu). In order to be awarded work study, students must submit a Work Study Request form and a Letter of Intent to hire. Students may also search open positions on the Handshake Job Board. Funding may be limited. You can find more information here.
Students are eligible for funds to defray the expenses of travel to conferences from three different sources: the department, the College, and Graduate Education. Undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for small research grants from the department.
The department has a fixed amount of funds it may distribute to students each year. Students who present papers at out-of-state conferences are eligible for department travel funds each academic year, subject to the availability of funds. The department also offers funds to help offset students’ research expenses for theses or student projects. The department has a set amount of funds it can spend on students over their time in the program, and funds are only available each year until they run out. To apply, send an abstract of your presentation/thesis and a budget to the Graduate Program Director (Jamie Hodgkins).
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) also provides funds to further defray the cost of travel for students to present at conferences. Please fill out the form here and email it to Faculty-Student-grants@ucdenver.edu. CLAS requires that students apply for funds from the Graduate Education first, and that they present a letter of acceptance of their abstract. To apply from Graduate Education, please use this form and return to GraduateEducation@ucdenver.edu.
Between these three funding sources, it is imperative that you work with the Anthropology Department's Business Operations Coordinator (Sulastri Carr sulastri.carr@ucdenver.edu) to help you utilize these funding sources to travel and present with minimal stress.
Each year, the Anthropology Department can provide an award of roughly $1000 each to three deserving students, thanks to the generous support of alumnus Paul Minnis and his wife, Patricia Gilman. These awards can go to an undergraduate or graduate student, and may be used for tuition, research, or travel.
The Lambda Alpha National Anthropology Honor Society offers a competitive grant opportunity for up to $2000 available for one graduate student in each subdiscipline to spend on thesis expenses. To qualify, graduate students must have been enrolled in the MA program for at least a year, have selected their thesis advisor and formed their thesis topic, and be members of Lambda Alpha. The department will nominate graduate students for this award; the deadline is March 15 of each year.
Find more external funding opportunities from Scholarship Universe or through CU Anchutz.