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Program Codes:
MSANTHFBA
Master of Science
Availability: campus
Introduction
The Master of Science in Anthropology: Forensic and Biological Anthropology Concentration is one of the only programs in the country to provide students with hands-on learning and participation in real forensic casework in addition to a strong foundation in biological anthropology. The curriculum combines field and laboratory training to produce students with the skills and experience necessary to be competitive candidates for Ph.D. programs in a variety of fields, including biological anthropology, bioarchaeology, and anatomy. Students have also been successful in seeking employment with local, state, federal, or international agencies.
Because the department is called to assist or consult on over 100 forensic cases per year, students in this program have the unique opportunity to conduct forensic archaeological recoveries of human remains and use their knowledge of human and faunal skeletal remains while working on real forensic cases. In addition to our service to the community through forensic casework, our program emphasizes science-based, quantitative research. Through the development of a publishable master’s thesis, students are expected to disseminate research in written and oral formats, particularly at national and regional scientific conferences. This program, while intensive, fosters a strong bond between fellow students as well as with faculty. As such, teamwork ends up being a very strong component over the course of the two years. The curriculum is constructed such that fulltime students must complete seven (7) core courses in their first year and four (4) core courses in the second year. Students in their second year have the option of taking a variety of elective courses. At the end of the first year, students are required to take a comprehensive examination, including a written and practical portion, in order to demonstrate competency to move on to the second year. Most students have their master’s thesis proposals formulated by the end of their first year and will write and defend their thesis by the end of their second year, although some have taken up to three years to finish.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Master of Science in Anthropology: Forensic and Biological Anthropology Concentration is to develop, through hands-on learning, students that are prepared to enter the workforce or pursue advanced study in a variety of areas including forensic science, forensic anthropology, biological anthropology, bioarchaeology, or anatomy. We aim to provide students with a broad understanding and appreciation of human variation in the past and present that will inform their world view. In addition, we strive to provide service to the community through forensic casework and training for law enforcement and medicolegal professionals. Through this service, graduate students have the opportunity to participate and learn from real-world forensic cases. As a department, we actively engage in research that advances justice while contributing to the larger body of scientific knowledge. In this pursuit, we aim to foster a positive faculty-student bond by providing student opportunities for collaborative research with an emphasis on scientific writing, communication, and quantitative data analysis.
Admission Requirements
Applications for the Forensic and Biological Anthropology Master’s program will be evaluated based on range and performance on undergraduate coursework, Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, experiences connected to forensic anthropology, biological anthropology or related STEM fields, the personal statement, and professional references.
Ideal candidates have a strong undergraduate record in the natural sciences, as well as foundation courses in physical/biological anthropology. Because of the extremely collaborative nature of the program among both the students and the faculty, strong applications have also demonstrated that they work well with others and are able to function as a member of a team. Once applications are reviewed, a video, phone, and in-person interviews are used to select the final individuals for acceptance into the program.
To apply, students much meet the following minimum requirements and submit the following items:
Upon completion of the Forensic and Biological Anthropology Concentration curriculum in the Master of Science in Anthropology program, students will be able to:
Comprehensive Exam
All students in the Master’s program are required to take a comprehensive exam in the spring of their first year. The three-day exam consists of written and practical portions that cover the full range of topics covered during the first year. An 80% or above must be obtained on each section to progress to the second year of the program. At the discretion of the faculty, students may be given a single opportunity to repeat one or both sections of a similar exam. At the discretion of the Department Chair, students who have completed satisfactory coursework, but fail to pass the comprehensive exam may earn a Graduate Certificate before exiting the program.
Thesis
The required master’s thesis in the Forensic and Biological Anthropology master’s program must be high-quality, scientifically oriented publishable document that is based on unique research that addresses a specific issue in the fields of forensic anthropology, physical anthropology, forensic archaeology, human skeletal biology, growth and development, human variation, forensic taphonomy, and/or skeletal trauma analysis. Prior to the second year of the program, the student should select a primary thesis advisor. Final approval of the thesis topic and research design must be obtained by at least three graduate faculty members. A 25-minute public presentation of the final thesis is required. At least three members of the faculty must approve the final submitted thesis. Presentation at a national meeting, as well as publication of the research in a scientific periodical or book, is strongly recommended but is not required. A non-thesis option is not available.
Curriculum
The Biological and Forensic Anthropology Master’s Program operates on a semester calendar. The student must complete 9 required courses, many with associated labs, and a master’s thesis. Additional elective courses can be completed within the program. Students must start the program during the fall semester and most courses must be completed in a predetermined sequence. Students may transfer up to six graduate credits with a grade of B or better into the program upon approval of the program chair.
The minimum requirements for the award of a Master’s degree are:
This course will cover the basic principles of forensic anthropology including but not limited to its historical background, the role of the forensic anthropologist in a forensic context, expert witness testimony, multidisciplinary interactions with law enforcement and other forensics experts, ethics in forensic science and anthropology, and the new direction of standardization and accreditation in the field. Additionally, students will learn protocols, procedures, and skills specific to forensic casework in the Mercyhurst Forensic Anthropology Laboratory such as forensic imaging and casting of specimens.
This course will provide students with a working knowledge of how to document forensic context from a variety of outdoor forensic scenes. The course will consist of Lecturetures and hands-on activities, supplemented with examples from forensic cases. The goal of the course is to introduce students to basic forensic archaeological recovery principles, methods, and practices. Hands-on activities in site mapping using a variety of instruments, proper excavation methodologies and biological physical evidence colLecturetion will be used.
ANTH-511
ANTH-510
This course provides in-depth training in the field of osteology?the study of human bones and teeth. Students will learn to identify complete and fragmentary elements of the human skeleton by sight, as well as touch. They will learn to recognize key anatomical features and relate these to corresponding soft tissue structures. Introductory Lecturetures will deal with growth and development of osseous and dental structures, human biological variation, and factors that modify the skeleton before and after death, including trauma, pathology, and taphonomy. This course provides a strong foundation for advanced anatomical and anthropological studies in forensic anthropology, bioarchaeology, paleoanthropology and medical fields.
ANTH-521
ANTH-520
This course is a foundational introduction to the theory and methods of the human skeletal biological profile. Lecturetures include a survey of the history, key theoretical issues, and primary methods used for the estimation of age, sex, ancestry, and stature. Labs will provide basic training in the tools, methods, and software used by forensic anthropologists to perform skeletal analyses. Students will learn to apply traditional metric and non-metric methods, as well as be introduced to newly developed methods and current research trends. Throughout the course, students will be asked to critically review primary research articles. Analysis of a mock case throughout the term will evaluate each student?s proficiency with various techniques, their ability to work in a team, and their written and oral communication skills. This course provides a strong foundation for advanced study and practice of methods for analysis of the skeletal biological profile.
ANTH 520
ANTH-531
ANTH 521
ANTH-530
The goal of this course is providing the student with an in depth understanding of formal hypothesis testing and the general principles underlying parametric statistical methods. The student will not only learn the practical applications of the methods discussed in class but will also learn to interpret and evaluate the result of hypothesis tests carried out with any other method. The course will also serve as an introduction to experimental design. The skills obtained from this course will form the basis to learn more advances statistical methods and research techniques in the natural sciences.
This course guides students through the research design process in preparation for completion of a master?s thesis. Topics include choosing a research topic, conducting a literature search, generating hypotheses, formulating practical research designs to investigate or test those research questions, interpreting and reporting results, scientific writing, and research presentations. In addition, discussions will be held on research ethics, publishing, and obtaining grant funding. By the end of the course, students are expected to submit a thesis proposal for a project that can be feasibly completed in approximately six months. Each student will be required to present proposed research in a manor suitable for both academic and public audiences.
This course represents the third course in the human skeletal biology sequence (ANTH 520, 530, 540). Topics to be covered include in-depth analysis of skeletal pathology, taphonomic factors, and interpretation of skeletal trauma. Examination of actual cases will be emphasized with microscopic examination and digital photographic documentation required by all participants.
ANTH 530, ANTH 531
ANTH-541
ANTH-540
The main goal of this course is to provide anthropology students with in-depthtraining in human gross anatomy. During laboratory sessions students will beresponsible for conducting a full cadaveric dissection and are expected to be ableto identify all anatomical features and gain familiarity with human anatomicalvariation. Lecture material will cover the basics of human gross anatomy, as well asits functional, forensic, and evolutionary importance in anthropological contexts.
The main goal of this course is to provide anthropology students with in-depthtraining in human gross anatomy. During laboratory sessions students will beresponsible for conducting a full cadaveric dissection and are expected to be ableto identify all anatomical features and gain familiarity with human anatomicalvariation. Lecture material will cover the basics of human gross anatomy, as well asits functional, forensic, and evolutionary importance in anthropological contexts.
This course is to be taken when the student is completing the Master's Thesis.
ANTH-524
Course Code : ANTH 526
Course Description :
This course provides an overview of the political, social, and economic aspectsof death from a multi-cultural perspective across both temporal and spatialdimensions. Students will read and engage with a variety of materials fromnumerous academic disciplines as they explore the role of forensic and biologicalanthropologists as key players in the interpretation of circumstances surroundingthe death of an individual. This course will focus heavily on war crimes and theatrocities of conflict, but there will also be a significant portion of the class devotedto understanding the anthropological theories underpinning how forensic andbiological anthropologists address such events
Short Title : Evidence Law Exprt Witness
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 551
Course Description : Course will focus on the proper collection and documentation of physical evidence according to the current laws and court proceedings. Discussion will also include new court rulings regarding evidence and expert witness activities.
Course Code : ANTH 575
Course Description :
Through this course, students will analyze biological data from human populationswith regard to natural selection, human adaptation, growth and development,and population genetics. The course also includes an overview of morphologicaland genetic analytical methods of evaluating variation in and among modernhuman groups.
Course Code : ANTH 611
Course Description :
This course covers the phenomenon of human growth, how growth anddevelopment can be measured, the molecular basis of growth, secularchanges, genetic and environmental effects on growth, and applications to ageestimation in subadults.
Short Title : Readings Forens & Bio Anth
Active Term : Fall / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 635
Course Description : This course is designed as a graduate seminar course, in which students will critically review and discuss current research articles in the field of biological anthropology. The goal of the course is to broaden student knowledge and awareness beyond their particular area study, keep them up to date on recent studies in the field, and provide them with the background necessary to have professional discussions both inside and outside the classroom on a variety of topics. General discussion topics may include geometric morphometrics, modularity, heterochrony, plasticity, secular trends, morphological integration, developmental biology or recent finds in the field of paleoanthropology.
Prerequisites : ANTH-570
Short Title : Sem Sci Data Presentation
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 650
Course Code : ANTH 655
Course Description :
This course provides an overview of the synergistic interactions of humans, theirdiets, and disease from prehistoric through contemporary populations. We willexplore the causes and consequences of major social transformations, includingthe shift from nomadic to sedentary life, animal and plant domestication,urbanism, and globalism through historical, bioarchaeological, epidemiologicaland anthropological lenses. We will learn the methods by which researchersreconstruct patterns of diet, disease and residential mobility in ancientpopulations, and how these ancient patterns compare and contrast to those inmodern contexts.
Short Title : Paleoanthropology I
Active Term : Fall / All
Course Code : FRSC 535
Course Description :
This two-course sequence (ANTH 535/ANTH 536) follows the development of the human species from our remote primate forbearers through the appearance of fully modern Homo sapiens. The student is familiarized with the methods and the data of human paleontology and comparative primatology and is shown the complex relationships, which exist between biological and cultural evolution. Part focuses on primate evolution and the evolutionary history of Australopithecines.
Short Title : Paleoanthropology Ii
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 536
Course Description :
Part II will deal with the biological and cultural history of the genus Homo from its roots in the Plio-Pleistocene through the Holocene until the Neolithic.
Prerequisites :
ANTH 535ANTH
Short Title : Basic Stat Meth For Resrch
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 546
Course Description :
The goal of this course is providing the student with an in depth understanding of formal hypothesis testing and the general principles underlying parametric statistical methods. The student will not only learn the practical applications of the methods discussed in class but will also learn to interpret and evaluate the result of hypothesis tests carried out with any other method. The course will also serve as an introduction to experimental design. The skills obtained from this course will form the basis to learn more advances statistical methods and research techniques in the natural sciences.
Short Title : Indoor Crime Scene Recovry
Active Term : Fall / All
Course Code : FRSC 548
Course Description :
The course will provide an overview of forensic investigative techniques used toprocess various types of indoor crime scenes. Evidence identification, collection,preservation and submission protocols, proper use of standards, chain of custodyissues, and crime scene reconstruction techniques will be discussed in the course.In addition, the role of the crime scene technician as an expert witness will beexplored.
Short Title : Death Investigatn&Recovry
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 552
Course Description :
This course examines the forensic application of death investigations, utilizingtechniques and methodologies introduced in prior Forensic Science courses. Thefocus of the course will be on examining important similarities and distinctionsamong homicide investigations and various other manners of death: suicide, natural, accidental and equivocal deaths. The course will concentrate on the sceneexamination, documentation of the death scene, exploring the various analyses oftime since death, and when appropriate, postmortem interval and investigativeprotocols and procedures.
Short Title : Zooarchaeology
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 565
Course Description :
This course discusses all aspects of zooarchaeology and provides a foundation incomparative osteology and the evolutionary perspectives of zoology. Students willlearn to conduct faunal analyses, and how faunal remains can be used to interpretdiet, seasonality, and socioeconomic factors of past societies. Students will alsolearn how knowledge of faunal remains aids in making the distinction betweenhuman and non-human skeletal remains in a forensic context.
Corequisites :
ANTH-566
Short Title : Zooarchaeology Lab
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 566
Corequisites :
ANTH-565
Short Title : Human Skeletal Growth/Dev
Active Term : Spring / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 610
Course Description :
This course covers the phenomenon of human growth, how growth anddevelopment can be measured, the molecular basis of growth, secularchanges, genetic and environmental effects on growth, and applications to ageestimation in subadults.
Prerequisites :
ANTH-500, ANTH-510, ANTH-570
Short Title : Case Report Writing
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 612
Course Description :
In this course, the student will assess the critical components of each sectionof a forensic anthropological case report and learn how to write reportssuitable for presentation in professional settings. As part of this course,the student will be responsible for writing report sections of active forensiccases, as well as critically evaluating reports from previous cases. Oldcases reports will be reviewed for fixed components, as well as variationsmade over time. Recommendations will be made for improvements to theexisting case report template. Discussions will be held regarding care reportformat recommendations by the American Academy of Forensic Sciencesand American Board of Forensic Anthropologists. At the completion of thecourse, the student is required to submit an independently written full casereport and a folder containing all bench notes and related documentationthat contributed to the report, similar to what is required for ABFA boardcertification.
Short Title : Case Processing
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 614
Short Title : Path Cond Human Skeleton
Active Term : Spring / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 620
Course Description :
Students will be presented with details of pathological conditions that affectthe human skeleton. Discussion will begin with the basics of alteration of boneresulting from osteoblastic or osteoclastic activity and end with discussion ofspecific bone diseases, analyzed and described from gross, histological andradiographic perspectives.
Prerequisites :
ANTH 520/521ANTH
Corequisites :
ANTH-621
Short Title : Path Cond Human Skelet Lab
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 621
Corequisites :
ANTH-620
Short Title : Skeletal Trauma Analysis
Active Term : Fall / All
Course Code : FRSC 630
Course Description :
This course examines, in detail, the skeletal manifestations of injuries occurring near or at the time of death. Topics to be discussed include: blunt force trauma, gunshot/ballistic trauma, sharp force trauma, burned bone trauma, and bone fracture healing. An emphasis will be placed on bone biomechanics.
Corequisites :
ANTH-631
Short Title : Skeletal Trauma Analy Lab
Active Term : Fall / All
Course Code : FRSC 631
Corequisites :
ANTH-630
Short Title : Forensic Taphonomy
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 640
Course Description :
The goal of the course is to provide students with details of the field of forensic taphonomy as currently configured. As there is a dearth of good forensic taphonomic research, this course will provide students with an opportunity to explore their particular interests in forensic taphonomy by conducting extensive literature reviews of the topics of their choice during each week?s focus. Those students interested in conducting research through a Master?s thesis in a forensic taphonomy will be given wide latitude to explore the topic and create an extensive bibliography. The final product for those students will be a literature review, final research design, and data colLecturetion.
Corequisites :
ANTH-641
Short Title : Adv Stat Meth Frs&Bio Anth
Active Term : Fall / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 645
Course Description :
In this course the student is expected to master multivariate statistical techniquesemployed in biological and forensic anthropology. The course covers moreextensive evaluation of principal components analysis, and explores furthermethods of statistical classification, cluster analysis, logistic regression, transitionanalysis, and resampling.
Prerequisites :
ANTH-550
ANTH-524
Course Code : ANTH 526
Course Description :
This course provides an overview of the political, social, and economic aspectsof death from a multi-cultural perspective across both temporal and spatialdimensions. Students will read and engage with a variety of materials fromnumerous academic disciplines as they explore the role of forensic and biologicalanthropologists as key players in the interpretation of circumstances surroundingthe death of an individual. This course will focus heavily on war crimes and theatrocities of conflict, but there will also be a significant portion of the class devotedto understanding the anthropological theories underpinning how forensic andbiological anthropologists address such events
Short Title : Evidence Law Exprt Witness
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 551
Course Description : Course will focus on the proper collection and documentation of physical evidence according to the current laws and court proceedings. Discussion will also include new court rulings regarding evidence and expert witness activities.
Course Code : ANTH 575
Course Description :
Through this course, students will analyze biological data from human populationswith regard to natural selection, human adaptation, growth and development,and population genetics. The course also includes an overview of morphologicaland genetic analytical methods of evaluating variation in and among modernhuman groups.
Course Code : ANTH 611
Course Description :
This course covers the phenomenon of human growth, how growth anddevelopment can be measured, the molecular basis of growth, secularchanges, genetic and environmental effects on growth, and applications to ageestimation in subadults.
Short Title : Readings Forens & Bio Anth
Active Term : Fall / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 635
Course Description : This course is designed as a graduate seminar course, in which students will critically review and discuss current research articles in the field of biological anthropology. The goal of the course is to broaden student knowledge and awareness beyond their particular area study, keep them up to date on recent studies in the field, and provide them with the background necessary to have professional discussions both inside and outside the classroom on a variety of topics. General discussion topics may include geometric morphometrics, modularity, heterochrony, plasticity, secular trends, morphological integration, developmental biology or recent finds in the field of paleoanthropology.
Prerequisites : ANTH-570
Short Title : Sem Sci Data Presentation
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 650
Course Code : ANTH 655
Course Description :
This course provides an overview of the synergistic interactions of humans, theirdiets, and disease from prehistoric through contemporary populations. We willexplore the causes and consequences of major social transformations, includingthe shift from nomadic to sedentary life, animal and plant domestication,urbanism, and globalism through historical, bioarchaeological, epidemiologicaland anthropological lenses. We will learn the methods by which researchersreconstruct patterns of diet, disease and residential mobility in ancientpopulations, and how these ancient patterns compare and contrast to those inmodern contexts.
Short Title : Paleoanthropology I
Active Term : Fall / All
Course Code : FRSC 535
Course Description :
This two-course sequence (ANTH 535/ANTH 536) follows the development of the human species from our remote primate forbearers through the appearance of fully modern Homo sapiens. The student is familiarized with the methods and the data of human paleontology and comparative primatology and is shown the complex relationships, which exist between biological and cultural evolution. Part focuses on primate evolution and the evolutionary history of Australopithecines.
Short Title : Paleoanthropology Ii
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 536
Course Description :
Part II will deal with the biological and cultural history of the genus Homo from its roots in the Plio-Pleistocene through the Holocene until the Neolithic.
Prerequisites :
ANTH 535ANTH
Short Title : Basic Stat Meth For Resrch
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 546
Course Description :
The goal of this course is providing the student with an in depth understanding of formal hypothesis testing and the general principles underlying parametric statistical methods. The student will not only learn the practical applications of the methods discussed in class but will also learn to interpret and evaluate the result of hypothesis tests carried out with any other method. The course will also serve as an introduction to experimental design. The skills obtained from this course will form the basis to learn more advances statistical methods and research techniques in the natural sciences.
Short Title : Indoor Crime Scene Recovry
Active Term : Fall / All
Course Code : FRSC 548
Course Description :
The course will provide an overview of forensic investigative techniques used toprocess various types of indoor crime scenes. Evidence identification, collection,preservation and submission protocols, proper use of standards, chain of custodyissues, and crime scene reconstruction techniques will be discussed in the course.In addition, the role of the crime scene technician as an expert witness will beexplored.
Short Title : Death Investigatn&Recovry
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 552
Course Description :
This course examines the forensic application of death investigations, utilizingtechniques and methodologies introduced in prior Forensic Science courses. Thefocus of the course will be on examining important similarities and distinctionsamong homicide investigations and various other manners of death: suicide, natural, accidental and equivocal deaths. The course will concentrate on the sceneexamination, documentation of the death scene, exploring the various analyses oftime since death, and when appropriate, postmortem interval and investigativeprotocols and procedures.
Short Title : Zooarchaeology
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 565
Course Description :
This course discusses all aspects of zooarchaeology and provides a foundation incomparative osteology and the evolutionary perspectives of zoology. Students willlearn to conduct faunal analyses, and how faunal remains can be used to interpretdiet, seasonality, and socioeconomic factors of past societies. Students will alsolearn how knowledge of faunal remains aids in making the distinction betweenhuman and non-human skeletal remains in a forensic context.
Corequisites :
ANTH-566
Short Title : Zooarchaeology Lab
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 566
Corequisites :
ANTH-565
Short Title : Human Skeletal Growth/Dev
Active Term : Spring / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 610
Course Description :
This course covers the phenomenon of human growth, how growth anddevelopment can be measured, the molecular basis of growth, secularchanges, genetic and environmental effects on growth, and applications to ageestimation in subadults.
Prerequisites :
ANTH-500, ANTH-510, ANTH-570
Short Title : Case Report Writing
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 612
Course Description :
In this course, the student will assess the critical components of each sectionof a forensic anthropological case report and learn how to write reportssuitable for presentation in professional settings. As part of this course,the student will be responsible for writing report sections of active forensiccases, as well as critically evaluating reports from previous cases. Oldcases reports will be reviewed for fixed components, as well as variationsmade over time. Recommendations will be made for improvements to theexisting case report template. Discussions will be held regarding care reportformat recommendations by the American Academy of Forensic Sciencesand American Board of Forensic Anthropologists. At the completion of thecourse, the student is required to submit an independently written full casereport and a folder containing all bench notes and related documentationthat contributed to the report, similar to what is required for ABFA boardcertification.
Short Title : Case Processing
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 614
Short Title : Path Cond Human Skeleton
Active Term : Spring / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 620
Course Description :
Students will be presented with details of pathological conditions that affectthe human skeleton. Discussion will begin with the basics of alteration of boneresulting from osteoblastic or osteoclastic activity and end with discussion ofspecific bone diseases, analyzed and described from gross, histological andradiographic perspectives.
Prerequisites :
ANTH 520/521ANTH
Corequisites :
ANTH-621
Short Title : Path Cond Human Skelet Lab
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 621
Corequisites :
ANTH-620
Short Title : Skeletal Trauma Analysis
Active Term : Fall / All
Course Code : FRSC 630
Course Description :
This course examines, in detail, the skeletal manifestations of injuries occurring near or at the time of death. Topics to be discussed include: blunt force trauma, gunshot/ballistic trauma, sharp force trauma, burned bone trauma, and bone fracture healing. An emphasis will be placed on bone biomechanics.
Corequisites :
ANTH-631
Short Title : Skeletal Trauma Analy Lab
Active Term : Fall / All
Course Code : FRSC 631
Corequisites :
ANTH-630
Short Title : Forensic Taphonomy
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 640
Course Description :
The goal of the course is to provide students with details of the field of forensic taphonomy as currently configured. As there is a dearth of good forensic taphonomic research, this course will provide students with an opportunity to explore their particular interests in forensic taphonomy by conducting extensive literature reviews of the topics of their choice during each week?s focus. Those students interested in conducting research through a Master?s thesis in a forensic taphonomy will be given wide latitude to explore the topic and create an extensive bibliography. The final product for those students will be a literature review, final research design, and data colLecturetion.
Corequisites :
ANTH-641
Short Title : Adv Stat Meth Frs&Bio Anth
Active Term : Fall / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 645
Course Description :
In this course the student is expected to master multivariate statistical techniquesemployed in biological and forensic anthropology. The course covers moreextensive evaluation of principal components analysis, and explores furthermethods of statistical classification, cluster analysis, logistic regression, transitionanalysis, and resampling.
Prerequisites :
ANTH-550
ANTH-524
Course Code : ANTH 526
Course Description :
This course provides an overview of the political, social, and economic aspectsof death from a multi-cultural perspective across both temporal and spatialdimensions. Students will read and engage with a variety of materials fromnumerous academic disciplines as they explore the role of forensic and biologicalanthropologists as key players in the interpretation of circumstances surroundingthe death of an individual. This course will focus heavily on war crimes and theatrocities of conflict, but there will also be a significant portion of the class devotedto understanding the anthropological theories underpinning how forensic andbiological anthropologists address such events
Short Title : Evidence Law Exprt Witness
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 551
Course Description : Course will focus on the proper collection and documentation of physical evidence according to the current laws and court proceedings. Discussion will also include new court rulings regarding evidence and expert witness activities.
Course Code : ANTH 575
Course Description :
Through this course, students will analyze biological data from human populationswith regard to natural selection, human adaptation, growth and development,and population genetics. The course also includes an overview of morphologicaland genetic analytical methods of evaluating variation in and among modernhuman groups.
Course Code : ANTH 611
Course Description :
This course covers the phenomenon of human growth, how growth anddevelopment can be measured, the molecular basis of growth, secularchanges, genetic and environmental effects on growth, and applications to ageestimation in subadults.
Short Title : Readings Forens & Bio Anth
Active Term : Fall / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 635
Course Description : This course is designed as a graduate seminar course, in which students will critically review and discuss current research articles in the field of biological anthropology. The goal of the course is to broaden student knowledge and awareness beyond their particular area study, keep them up to date on recent studies in the field, and provide them with the background necessary to have professional discussions both inside and outside the classroom on a variety of topics. General discussion topics may include geometric morphometrics, modularity, heterochrony, plasticity, secular trends, morphological integration, developmental biology or recent finds in the field of paleoanthropology.
Prerequisites : ANTH-570
Short Title : Sem Sci Data Presentation
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 650
Course Code : ANTH 655
Course Description :
This course provides an overview of the synergistic interactions of humans, theirdiets, and disease from prehistoric through contemporary populations. We willexplore the causes and consequences of major social transformations, includingthe shift from nomadic to sedentary life, animal and plant domestication,urbanism, and globalism through historical, bioarchaeological, epidemiologicaland anthropological lenses. We will learn the methods by which researchersreconstruct patterns of diet, disease and residential mobility in ancientpopulations, and how these ancient patterns compare and contrast to those inmodern contexts.
Short Title : Paleoanthropology I
Active Term : Fall / All
Course Code : FRSC 535
Course Description :
This two-course sequence (ANTH 535/ANTH 536) follows the development of the human species from our remote primate forbearers through the appearance of fully modern Homo sapiens. The student is familiarized with the methods and the data of human paleontology and comparative primatology and is shown the complex relationships, which exist between biological and cultural evolution. Part focuses on primate evolution and the evolutionary history of Australopithecines.
Short Title : Paleoanthropology Ii
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 536
Course Description :
Part II will deal with the biological and cultural history of the genus Homo from its roots in the Plio-Pleistocene through the Holocene until the Neolithic.
Prerequisites :
ANTH 535ANTH
Short Title : Basic Stat Meth For Resrch
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 546
Course Description :
The goal of this course is providing the student with an in depth understanding of formal hypothesis testing and the general principles underlying parametric statistical methods. The student will not only learn the practical applications of the methods discussed in class but will also learn to interpret and evaluate the result of hypothesis tests carried out with any other method. The course will also serve as an introduction to experimental design. The skills obtained from this course will form the basis to learn more advances statistical methods and research techniques in the natural sciences.
Short Title : Indoor Crime Scene Recovry
Active Term : Fall / All
Course Code : FRSC 548
Course Description :
The course will provide an overview of forensic investigative techniques used toprocess various types of indoor crime scenes. Evidence identification, collection,preservation and submission protocols, proper use of standards, chain of custodyissues, and crime scene reconstruction techniques will be discussed in the course.In addition, the role of the crime scene technician as an expert witness will beexplored.
Short Title : Death Investigatn&Recovry
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 552
Course Description :
This course examines the forensic application of death investigations, utilizingtechniques and methodologies introduced in prior Forensic Science courses. Thefocus of the course will be on examining important similarities and distinctionsamong homicide investigations and various other manners of death: suicide, natural, accidental and equivocal deaths. The course will concentrate on the sceneexamination, documentation of the death scene, exploring the various analyses oftime since death, and when appropriate, postmortem interval and investigativeprotocols and procedures.
Short Title : Zooarchaeology
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 565
Course Description :
This course discusses all aspects of zooarchaeology and provides a foundation incomparative osteology and the evolutionary perspectives of zoology. Students willlearn to conduct faunal analyses, and how faunal remains can be used to interpretdiet, seasonality, and socioeconomic factors of past societies. Students will alsolearn how knowledge of faunal remains aids in making the distinction betweenhuman and non-human skeletal remains in a forensic context.
Corequisites :
ANTH-566
Short Title : Zooarchaeology Lab
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 566
Corequisites :
ANTH-565
Short Title : Human Skeletal Growth/Dev
Active Term : Spring / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 610
Course Description :
This course covers the phenomenon of human growth, how growth anddevelopment can be measured, the molecular basis of growth, secularchanges, genetic and environmental effects on growth, and applications to ageestimation in subadults.
Prerequisites :
ANTH-500, ANTH-510, ANTH-570
Short Title : Case Report Writing
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 612
Course Description :
In this course, the student will assess the critical components of each sectionof a forensic anthropological case report and learn how to write reportssuitable for presentation in professional settings. As part of this course,the student will be responsible for writing report sections of active forensiccases, as well as critically evaluating reports from previous cases. Oldcases reports will be reviewed for fixed components, as well as variationsmade over time. Recommendations will be made for improvements to theexisting case report template. Discussions will be held regarding care reportformat recommendations by the American Academy of Forensic Sciencesand American Board of Forensic Anthropologists. At the completion of thecourse, the student is required to submit an independently written full casereport and a folder containing all bench notes and related documentationthat contributed to the report, similar to what is required for ABFA boardcertification.
Short Title : Case Processing
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 614
Short Title : Path Cond Human Skeleton
Active Term : Spring / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 620
Course Description :
Students will be presented with details of pathological conditions that affectthe human skeleton. Discussion will begin with the basics of alteration of boneresulting from osteoblastic or osteoclastic activity and end with discussion ofspecific bone diseases, analyzed and described from gross, histological andradiographic perspectives.
Prerequisites :
ANTH 520/521ANTH
Corequisites :
ANTH-621
Short Title : Path Cond Human Skelet Lab
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 621
Corequisites :
ANTH-620
Short Title : Skeletal Trauma Analysis
Active Term : Fall / All
Course Code : FRSC 630
Course Description :
This course examines, in detail, the skeletal manifestations of injuries occurring near or at the time of death. Topics to be discussed include: blunt force trauma, gunshot/ballistic trauma, sharp force trauma, burned bone trauma, and bone fracture healing. An emphasis will be placed on bone biomechanics.
Corequisites :
ANTH-631
Short Title : Skeletal Trauma Analy Lab
Active Term : Fall / All
Course Code : FRSC 631
Corequisites :
ANTH-630
Short Title : Forensic Taphonomy
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 640
Course Description :
The goal of the course is to provide students with details of the field of forensic taphonomy as currently configured. As there is a dearth of good forensic taphonomic research, this course will provide students with an opportunity to explore their particular interests in forensic taphonomy by conducting extensive literature reviews of the topics of their choice during each week?s focus. Those students interested in conducting research through a Master?s thesis in a forensic taphonomy will be given wide latitude to explore the topic and create an extensive bibliography. The final product for those students will be a literature review, final research design, and data colLecturetion.
Corequisites :
ANTH-641
Short Title : Adv Stat Meth Frs&Bio Anth
Active Term : Fall / Randomly
Course Code : FRSC 645
Course Description :
In this course the student is expected to master multivariate statistical techniquesemployed in biological and forensic anthropology. The course covers moreextensive evaluation of principal components analysis, and explores furthermethods of statistical classification, cluster analysis, logistic regression, transitionanalysis, and resampling.
Prerequisites :
ANTH-550
