Forensic and Biological Anthropology

• Master

  Degree

• English

  Language of instructions

• 2 years

  Years of study

• Full-time

  Study mode

• United States, Erie

  Location

The Forensic and Biological Anthropology track in the Master of Science in Anthropology program at Mercyhurst University lies within the Department of Applied Forensic Sciences. This program is the first in the country focused primarily on providing students with a comprehensive basic training regimen in the field. This 38- to 44-credit program is highly selective, welcoming on average a cohort of eight students to campus each fall. The program encompasses a rigorous curriculum that includes a strong grounding in biological/bioarchaeological anthropology, while emphasizing all of the major components of the forensic anthropology discipline, including forensic osteology, forensic archaeology, forensic taphonomy, biostatistics, and skeletal trauma. Our forensic and biological anthropology program is one of the only programs in the country to provide students with hands-on learning and participation in real forensic casework beginning in their first semester. Called upon to assist in more than 100 cases each 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.