Considerations when choosing a major

Biological Anthropology focuses upon the study of the biological bases of human and primate genetic, physical, and behavioral variation. UNM has remarkable concentrations of faculty with research interests related to osteology and evolutionary ecology.
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Biological Anthropology or Human Evolutionary Ecology?

Students who are interested in both Biological Anthropology and Human Evolutionary Ecology (HEE) should look carefully at both programs before applying. The two programs differ in the courses they require students to take. The Biological Anthropology program has a larger number of required courses. The purpose of this curriculum is to insure that students gain broad and detailed training in many aspects of Biological Anthropology. The HEE program has fewer required courses. The HEE program seeks to have its students tailor their graduate training to their interests and begin their research soon after entering the program. The HEE program often results in speedier progress through the program but often with less breadth of training in the subject matter of Biological Anthropology.

Bioarchaeology: Biological Anthropology or Archaeology?

Students who are interested in focusing on Bioarchaeology can enroll in either the Archaeology or the Biological Anthropology program. Bioarchaeology students should look at the requirements of both programs before choosing one or the other. For students who wish to concentrate heavily on Archaeological aspects of Bioarchaeology, the Archaeology program might be better; while students who are primarily interested in osteology or paleopathology might be better served by the Biological Anthropology program.

Currently, the Biological Anthropology program only accepts students who wish to pursue a Ph.D. degree at UNM. A Master’s degree (M.A. or M.S.) is awarded after the student has completed the required course work and passed a Comprehensive Exam. The Comprehensive Exam is generally taken in the Fall before the start of the student’s third year in the program.

Obtaining a M.S. degree requires at least 6 additional graduate hours in sciences such as Chemistry, Biology, Geology, and Mathematics.

Before obtaining a Master’s degree, students in Biological Anthropology must take the following required classes:

• Anthropology 555 – Human Genetics
• Anthropology 654 – Seminar: Evolution of Morphological Divergence
• Anthropology 557 – Paleoanthropology

• Anthropology 651 – Bioarchaeology;
• Anthropology 554 – Human Paleopathology;

or

• Anthropology 599 – Advanced Osteology.

• Anthropology 560 – Advanced Topics in Human Evolutionary Ecology;

or

• Anthropology 563 – Primate Social Behavior.

Comprehensive Exams

The Comprehensive Examination serves as a Master's exam and as a PhD qualifying exam. It is taken before the start of Fall semester of the third year and consists of a one-day, six-hour written exam, followed approximately one week later by a one-hour oral follow-up exam with all of the Biological Anthropology faculty present.

The exam consists of six essay questions (with choices for each question), covering the areas of: evolutionary theory; morphology and evolution; paleoanthropology; behavioral biology and primate biogeography, human biology, quantitative analysis. A student may fail or pass at the Master's level. In the first situation, the student can retake the exam within one year, when it is next offered by the Biological Anthropology faculty.

For more information on the Graduate Biological Anthropology Comprehensive Exam, please refer to the graduate handbook p. 17.
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Ph.D. requirements

Once the Comprehensive Examination has been passed, students in Biological Anthropology begin to work on a Proposal for Ph.D. research in consultation with their Advisor. The formal defense of the Ph.D. proposal is called the ‘Specials Examination.’

The dissertation proposal should typically be of the quality and style found in proposals submitted to major funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation. The Ph.D. proposal is a written document outlining a research problem, theory and method relative to that problem, kinds of data to be collected, and the samples to be utilized in conducting the research. After submitting the final version of the proposal, and having it approved by the Committee on Studies, the student must present a one-hour public talk outlining the proposed research, as well as successfully defend the proposal to the Committee on Studies. If the performance on the defense is adequate, the student then advances to candidacy. If the performance is inadequate, the student must consult with the Committee on Studies, resubmit a modified proposal, and repeat the oral defense with the Committee on Studies.

For more information on the Doctoral Biological Anthropology Specials Exam, please refer to the graduate handbook p. 22.
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Additional Coursework for the Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology

Before defending their proposal for Ph.D. research, students in Biological Anthropology must take two additional courses and complete coursework for two “skills.”

The required courses in Anthropology are:

One of the following two courses on research design:

• Anthropology 551 – Research Design in Biological Anthropology;

or

• Anthropology 675 – Archaeological Research Proposals.

One of the following two courses on quantitative methods:

• Anthropology 552 – Quantitative Methods in Biological Anthropology ;

or

• Anthropology 664 – Human Evolutionary Ecology Data Analysis.

Students concentrating in Anthropological Genetics may petition to take an equivalent graduate course in quantitative genetic methods in the Biology or Cell Biology departments for this requirement.

Completion of two “Skills”

Students in Biological Anthropology must complete courses for two “skills” before defending their proposal for Ph.D. research. Each “skill” consists of a cluster of 2 graduate-level courses or four undergraduate (foreign language) classes that are taken outside of Anthropology. Generally, students take a foreign language and Statistics, but this requirement is designed to be flexible in order to best prepare each student for his or her research.

All other course work consists of electives defined by the student after consultation with the Biological Graduate Advisor.

Full details regarding the Biological Anthropology curriculum are presented in the graduate handbook p.16. Access the Graduate Handbook >>

PhD. Concentrations

Upon successful completion of the Comprehensive examination, students in Biological Anthropology may elect to enter a “Concentration” that is designed to provide the student with additional, specialized training. Students do not have to enter one of these concentrations, but each student should consult about these with his or her Advisor. Currently there are two Concentrations:

Concentration in Forensic Anthropology

Requirements:

• Anthropology 651 – Bioarchaeology
• Anthropology 554 – Human Paleopathology
• Anthropology 563 – Advanced Forensic Anthropology
• Anthropology 599 – Advanced Osteology
• Physical Therapy 521L – Human Anatomy (or equivalent)

Completion of one of the following three requirements prior to earning the Ph.D.:

1. A summer or remester field school in archaeological methods;
2. A one-year internship at the Office of the Medical Examiner or equaivalent;
3. Participate in a one-month deployment to a mass disaster or post-conflict region with an organization such as (but not limited to): DMORT, CILHI, the United Nations, or relevant NGO.

Skills: in consultation with their Advisor, students in the Forensics Concentration are encouraged to complete a skill in law, pathology, radiology, or criminology.

Requirements:

• Anthropology 574: History & Theory of Archaeology

One of the following:

• Anthropology 570 – Advanced Topics in Archaeology

or

• Anthropology 579 – Current Debates in Archaeology
• Anthropology 651 – Bioarchaeology
• Anthropology 554 – Human Paleopathology
• Anthropology 556 – Inferring Behavior and Activity from the Skeleton
• Anthropology 599 – Advanced Osteology
• Physical Therapy 521L – Human Anatomy (or equivalent)

One of the following:

• Anthropology 563 – Advanced Forensic Anthropology
• Anthropology 553 – Ritual, Symbols, and Behavior

or

• Anthropology 578 – Archaeology of Death

Prior to initiating major research for the dissertation, the student must demonstrate proficiency in at least two foreign languages or other skills as determined by the student’s Advisor. Examples of alternate skills acceptable to the bioarchaeology program would be completed 500-level or higher coursework in ceramic analysis, lithic analysis, geoarchaeology, pathology or radiology.

Prior to completion of the program, the student must have completed a summer or semester field school in archaeological methods.

Curriculum according to Subfield
Archaeology Curriculum
Biological Anthropology Curriculum
Ethnology / Linguistics Curriculum
Human Evolutionary Ecology Curriculum

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Graduate Curriculum/Concentration Information
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Anthropology Graduate Student Union