Undergraduate Programs
PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
GENERAL INFORMATION / MAJOR REQUIREMENTS / MINOR REQUIREMENTS
GENERAL INFORMATION
The undergraduate major in physical anthropology deals with the biological nature of humans past and present, looking beyond purely biological phenomena to understand the interactions between biology, behavior, and environment.
The subdiscipline of paleoanthropology documents the biological history of humans and analyzes those relationships for past humans in conjunction with archaeology. The subdiscipline of human biology studies physiology, genetics, nutrition, and epidemiology in modern human populations throughout the world in order to understand the relationships between biology, behavior, and environment.
This concentration provides students with the background and skills for further graduate study in anthropology and for professional study in the medical sciences. It also provides students with many other transferable skills including a biocultural perspective on human biology and culture, and the ability to analyze data, interpret findings, and communicate them effectively. Undergraduate students have the opportunity to conduct independent projects at other institutions including the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
| COURSE | COURSE DESCRIPTION |
| ANTH 102 | Being Human: Intro to Social & Cultural Anthropology |
| ANTH 103 | Introduction to Human Evolution |
| ANTH 319 | Intro to Statistical Analysis in Social Sciences/ or equivalent |
At least one course dealing with a geographic area, such as
| COURSE | COURSE DESCRIPTION |
| ANTH 349 | Cultures of Latin America |
| ANTH 352 | Japanese Culture and Society |
| ANTH 353 | Chinese Culture and Society |
At least three courses dealing with physical anthropology, such as
| COURSE | COURSE DESCRIPTION |
| ANTH 301 | Biological Aging in Humans |
| ANTH 302 | Darwinian Medicine |
| ANTH 369 | The Anthropology of Nutrition |
| ANTH 375 | Human Evolution: The Fossil Evidence |
| ANTH 377 | Human Osteology |
| ANTH 378 | Reproductive Health |
| ANTH 383 | Evolutionary Anatomy |
| ANTH 393 | Human Ecology: Biology of Human Adaptability |
| ANTH 397 | Epidemiology and the Evolution of Human Diseases |
| Approved anthropology electives: 9 semester hours | |
MINOR REQUIREMENTS
| COURSE | COURSE DESCRIPTION |
| ANTH 102 | Being Human: Intro to Social & Cultural Anthropology |
| ANTH 103 | Introduction to Human Evolution |
| At least one geographic area course | |
| At least two approved physical anthropology electives | |
Click here for a PDF version of Physical Anthropology course requirements