Biological anthropology is the study of human biological variation and evolution. Biological anthropologists seek to document and explain the patterning of biological variation among contemporary human populations, trace the evolution of our lineage through time in the fossil record, and provide a comparative perspective on human uniqueness by placing our species in the context of other living primates. Students concentrating in biological anthropology are advised to take a course in statistics, as well as one or more advanced courses in biological sciences.
Under special circumstances, students may petition the Anthropology faculty to substitute a course from another department or program to count for the Anthropology major. The petition should be submitted to the Chair, along with a copy of the syllabus for the substitute course and a list of the student's major courses. The petition must be approved by a vote of the Anthropology Department faculty.