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Program Codes:
CGRFBA
Graduate Certificate
Availability: campus
The one-year Graduate Certificate Program in Forensic and Biological Anthropology is available to students wishing to enhance their undergraduate education with courses and hands-on training in preparation for professional careers or graduate school. The certificate program is particularly useful for students interested in acquiring practical experience in the specific methods and theory of forensic anthropology; however, the certificate is also appropriate for applicants interested in careers in medicolegal death investigation, biological anthropology, bioarchaeology, anatomy, or other closely related fields.
Students will work with faculty to construct a personalized curriculum of at least five (5) courses from the current Mercyhurst graduate catalog. To receive a certificate, students must receive a B or above in each the five courses. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in actual forensic cases conducted by the Mercyhurst Forensic Anthropology Laboratory. Students are eligible to work in the field if they are enrolled or have completed Forensic Archaeology/Lab (ANTH 510/511). Students may participate in the laboratory analysis of remains if they are enrolled, or have completed ANTH 510/511 or ANTH 520/521. Rare exceptions to these requirements may be made on a case-by-case basis. The department faculty will also be available to mentor students and assist with developing applications for jobs or graduate school.
The evaluation of applications will be based on undergraduate record, a personal statement, and three professional references. The top candidates based on submitted applications will offered a video, phone, or in-person interview which will contribute to the final admissions decision. Ideal candidates for the certificate program are students with strong academic records and letters of recommendation, who are simply lacking the requisite courses or experience needed for acceptance into the master’s program. The certificate is also useful for students who have had some coursework or experience in the field, but have yet to identify a particular area of interest or research.
Students in the certificate program will be working closely with both the faculty and M.S. students, so strong applications should also show that the candidate will be able to work well with others as a member of a team. Further application instructions can be obtained by visiting the graduate admission webpage or contacting the Mercyhurst Graduate Admissions office.
This course introduces students to concepts in probability and statistics including sampling distributions, normal theory estimation and hypothesis testing, regression and correlation, exploratory data analysis, logistic regression, discriminant analysis, resampling methods and linear model selection. Learning to do statistical analysis on a personal computer is an integral part of the course.
Please note that some courses have a corresponding lab.
Short Title : Hunters & Gatherers
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 501
Course Description : Foraging lifestyles are extensively explored in this course, which seeks to examine the particular manner in which foragers engage with the landscape and local environment. The consequences of this engagement for sociopolitical relations, systems of knowledge, and the production of material culture will be addressed. Case studies of both prehistoric and ethnographic foraging groups will be explored, as well as nearby groups practicing other subsistence practices.
Course Code : ANTH 502
Course Description :
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.
Short Title : Analy Lab Meth Hist Arch
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 505
Course Description :
This course will develop student?s knowledge of the analytical and classification methods used in the treatment and processing of historic materials recovered from archaeological investigations. Emphasis will be placed on colonial and nineteenth century materials of the eastern United States. Students will assist in the analysis of materials from Mercyhurst University field projects or loaned colLecturetions from other institutions and museums.
Short Title : Analy Lab Mth Hist Arc Lab
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 506
Course Description :
This course will develop student’s knowledge of the analytical and classification methods used in the treatment and processing of historic materials recovered from archaeological investigations. Emphasis will be placed on colonial and nineteenth century materials of the eastern United States. Students will assist in the analysis of materials from Mercyhurst University field projects or loaned collections from other institutions and museums.
Short Title : Cultures In Contact
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 514
Short Title : Iroquoian Prehistory
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 515
Short Title : Plants & People
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 516
Course Description : People depend on plants for food, clothing, shelter, medicines, and a host of other daily needs. This course examines the varied and complex interrelationships between plants and people through a focus on domestication processes, the Green Revolution, intentional and unintentional modification of plant communities, and an examination of those plants that provide drugs, food, beverages, and fibers necessary for daily life.
Short Title : Anthropology/Archaeology Field Training
Course Code : ANTH 522
Course Description :
Graduate students will be exposed to the latest methodologies in field archaeology, including geoarchaeology, electronic data recordation, excavation, field photography, photogrammetry, remote sensing, mapping, sampling, and recordation. The course will emphasize research design, reflexive methodologies, interpretation, and the handson managing of data recovery and documentary procedures
Short Title : Anth/Arch Field Trng Prehist
Active Term : Summer / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 522A
Course Description : Graduate students will be exposed to the latest methodologies in field archaeology, including geoarchaeology, eLecturetronic data recordation, excavation, field photography, photogrammetry, remote sensing, mapping, sampling, and recordation. The course will emphasize research design, reflexive methodologies, interpretation, and the hands-on managing of data recovery and documentary procedures.
Short Title : Adv Arch Field Methods
Active Term : Spring / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 524
Course Description :
This course provides training in managing archaeological data recovery and documentary procedures while simultaneously developing student knowledge of the full spectrum of field methods in contemporary anthropological archaeology. The rationale and technical details of a wide array of field methods are reviewed in the context of the location, characterization/evaluation, and data-recovery of archaeological sites.
Corequisites :
ANTH-525
Short Title : Adv Arch Field Methods Lab
Active Term : Spring / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 525
Corequisites :
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 : Adv Prehist Western N Amer
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 527
Course Description : This course provides a thorough grounding in the prehistory of western North America from initial peopling of the continent to the development of settled villages and complex societies. Societal reproduction, subsistence and economic development, changing traditions of knowledge, cultural contact and material culture production and exchange are considered alongside a changing local and regional environmental matrix.
Short Title : Human Skeletal Prof I-Age
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 528
Short Title : Geoarchaeology
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 532
Short Title : Geoarchaeology Lab
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 533
Short Title : Anthropology Of Gender
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 534
Course Description : This course provides an intensive introduction to the identification of animal bones. The course first reviews common anatomical terminology, the basics of bone growth and development, as well as human bone identification, siding, and key anatomical features. The majority of the course is then devoted to intensive, hands-on study of the human skeleton in relation to other species and nonosseous materials. The course will utilize the department's large comparative collection of local mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Emphasis will be placed on species that commonly appear in forensic and archaeological contexts in the American Northeast, particularly those likely to be confused with adult and juvenile human remains.
Short Title : Adv Native Amer Cntemp Soc
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 537
Course Description : This course is intended to introduce students to the diverse lives and livelihoods of Native Americans in Contemporary society with an emphasis on the range of issues facing Native peoples today. The course provides an overview of the salient issues affecting contemporary Native peoples? social, cultural, economic and political activities. Topics include but are not limited to colonial legacies, popular culture and stereotypes, indigenous identities, tribal-federal relationships, sovereignty, cultural survival and revitalization, research issues and ethics.
Short Title : Adv Anth Theory Seminar
Active Term : Spring / Randomly
Course Code : ANTH 538
Course Description : The course examines, at an advanced level, the body of theory that addresses a number of key issues and topics in anthropology. Contrasts and overlaps between various theoretical approaches to these topics will form part of the subject matter of the course. Throughout, the important relationships between history, anthropological and archaeological thought and practice will be addressed. The course will address the following themes/topics through particular questions and readings: Current issues and debates in anthropology and archaeology; culture and humanity- definitions and boundaries; society, practice/praxis, and societal reproduction; knowledge systems and ideologies and their social reproduction; identity, personhood and embodiment; epistemological and ethical questions and debates concerning encounters with humans; human engagements with environment and landscape; material culture and materiality; technology.
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 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 : Basics Of Forensic Anth
Active Term : Fall / All
Course Code : FRSC 500
Course Description :
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.
Short Title : Forensic Archaeology
Active Term : Fall / All
Course Code : FRSC 510
Course Description :
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.
Corequisites :
ANTH-511
Short Title : Forensic Arch Lab
Active Term : Fall / All
Course Code : FRSC 511
Corequisites :
ANTH-510
Short Title : Fragmentry Human Osteology
Active Term : Fall / All
Course Code : FRSC 520
Course Description :
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.
Corequisites :
ANTH-521
Short Title : Fragment Human Osteol Lab
Active Term : Fall / All
Course Code : FRSC 521
Corequisites :
ANTH-520
Short Title : Human Skeletal Profile Ii
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 530
Course Description :
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.
Prerequisites :
ANTH 520
Corequisites :
ANTH-531
Short Title : Human Skeletal Prof Lab Ii
Active Term : Spring / All
Course Code : FRSC 531
Prerequisites :
ANTH 521
Corequisites :
ANTH-530
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
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
