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Forensic Anthropology Program at MU

Are you interested in studying forensic anthropology? Choosing the right school to attend is extremely important. Students must consider factors such as geographical location, cost, faculty, funding opportunities, courses offered, resources available, and many others. Answers to the following questions will provide you with information about forensic anthropology and some of the advantages and disadvantages of studying it at the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU). This information should allow you to make an informed decision.

What is forensic anthropology?
Forensic anthropology is an applied branch of biological anthropology. Specifically, it is the application of knowledge about human and nonhuman skeletal biology, human variation, skeletal pathology, archaeological field techniques, and cultural diversity to a medicolegal context. Forensic anthropologists are generally concerned with the identification of skeletonized or severely damaged human bodies. Biological anthropologists that specialize in forensics are often called upon by medical examiners and law enforcement agencies to estimate sex, age, population affinity, and stature of unidentified remains. Furthermore, forensic anthropologists are frequently asked to assist in the recovery of human remains at the crime scene, analyze trauma, and estimate how much time has elapsed since death.

What kind of job can I get with a background in forensic anthropology?
Few jobs are available in forensic anthropology because there are simply few cases. This is a good thing if you want to live in a safe country but a bad thing if you want to be a busy forensic anthropologist. Major universities, museums, and research laboratories traditionally employ most forensic anthropologists. However, a growing number of individuals with training in forensic anthropology are finding employment with the government and forensic crime laboratories as medical investigators or administrators. In addition, human rights organizations often employ forensic anthropologists to recover and identify victims of wars and other atrocities.

What kind of course work and training do I need?
Employment as a college professor, museum curator, or government forensic anthropologist usually requires a PhD in anthropology with an emphasis on osteology and skeletal biology. If what you want is a job as a regular staff member in a local, state, or federal crime laboratory, a BA or MA degree will suffice. Keep in mind that your primary job in these institutes will not be as a forensic anthropologist, but you may get to work a lot of cases.

As you plan your course of study, keep in mind that good forensic anthropologists are good anthropologists first. Forensic anthropology requires specialized training and experience, but most importantly it also requires a solid background in science and the holistic approach used by anthropologists.

Students wanting to specialize in forensic anthropology must gain a strong background in the physical sciences, statistics, human anatomy and physiology, archaeological methods, and skeletal biology. You will need to take courses in human osteology, gross human anatomy, skeletal biology, human biological variation, and, of course, forensic anthropology. While not specifically required, students should also take at least introductory courses in chemistry, cell biology, anatomy and physiology, physics, and statistics. You should also consider taking a course in archaeological field techniques, zooarchaeology, paleoenthnobotany, entomology, and criminology.

While you can obtain much of the training required to focus on forensic anthropology through course work, students should also seek experience by assisting in forensic anthropological casework.

What does the University of Missouri have to offer?
Students interested in forensic anthropology can study at the University of Missouri at the BA and MA levels. Although the department offers a doctoral degree in anthropology, if you want to focus on forensic anthropology for your dissertation, you are advised to choose a school with a larger forensic anthropology faculty and more resources. However, if you are interested in focusing on forensic anthropology at the BA or MA level, then MU has a lot to offer.

The MU Department of Anthropology can offer students a first-rate education in biological anthropology and has the faculty expertise to allow students to focus their research in forensic anthropology. Faculty members specialize in forensic anthropology, bioarchaeology, human evolution, functional morphology, mathematical modeling of infectious diseases, demography, paleoethnobotany, and zooarchaeology. Dr. Danny Wescott is a forensic anthropologist and Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. His research focuses on forensic anthropological methods, skeletal biology, secular change, geometric morphometry, and human growth and development. Dr. Lisa Sattenspiel has specialization in mathematical modeling, human biology, population genetics, and demography. Her research focus is on the spread of disease. The department zooarchaeologist is Dr. Lee Lyman. His research concerns vertebrate taphonomy and archaeological method and theory. Dr. Chris Stacy (at the Medical School) is a forensic pathologist. He is very interested in forensic anthropology and forensic research.

The Department of Anthropology at MU also has a large Human Skeletal Identification Laboratory that is equipped with the necessary instruments and comparative material to conduct most forensic anthropological casework. In addition, the department has a good working relationship with the local medical examiner and local and state law enforcement agencies. As a result, the department is called upon to assist in approximately five medicolegal investigations a year, which provide students with some hands on training. Students may also have additional opportunities to work in the medical examiners office.

The Department of Anthropology at the University of Missouri offers a number of courses that will provide students with the proper training and background to conduct forensic anthropological investigations. Some of the courses offered include:

• Anthropology 2520: Forensic Anthropology
  This course is a general survey of forensic anthropology, focusing on methods and techniques used to establish a biological profile, estimated time-since-death, and reconstruct trauma.
• Anthropology 3540: Human Biology and Life History
  The course is a general survey of human biology, focusing on the development of the individual from infancy to adult.
• Anthropology 4810: Paleoethnobotany
  The application of ethnobotanical approaches in archaeology; techniques to recover and interpret floral remains (macroremains, phytoliths, pollen); research questions in ethnobotany; integration of ethnobiological and archaeological data are emphasized.
• Anthropology 4820: Zooarchaeology
  Specialized techniques for archaeological/faunal analysis, including zooarchaeological sampling, taphonomy, and paleoecology are surveyed.
• Anthropology 4800: Field Methods in Archaeology
  During field school students learn techniques of archaeological excavation; field surveying, recording, care and interpretation of materials.
• Anthropology 4890/7890: Human Skeletal Identification and Analysis Lab
  Students interested in archaeology, physical anthropology, and law enforcement learn human osteological methods of analysis applied to bioarchaeological problems and modern forensic techniques for personal identification.
• Anthropology 4894/7894: Skeletal Biology
  This course is designed to provide students advanced and in-depth training in skeletal biology. Basic bone biology will be studied and advanced methods of skeletal analysis applicable to forensic anthropology and bioarchaeology will be explored.
• Anthropology 4540/7540: Human Biological Variation
  This course focuses on human biological variation both among and within living populations. Evolutionary, genetic, ecological, demographic and especially cultural factors that contribute to biological variation are discussed.

What are some of the disadvantages of studying forensic anthropology at MU?
The disadvanteges to studying forensic anthropology at MU include: 1) the department does not offer a graduate level course specifically in forensic anthropology at this time, 2) the amount of casework students are exposed to varies greatly, and 3) the department has limited in-house skeletal collections for conducting forensic anthropological research. However, students interested in conducting forensic anthropological research can be easily set up with other universities and museums holding contemporary skeletal collections.

What other schools have good forensic anthropology programs?
There are a lot of good anthropology programs around the country that offer the BA, MA, and PhD with an emphasis on forensic anthropology. For a list of universities that offer studies in forensic anthropology go to http://medlib.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/resources/resources.html. This website provides the name of the school, forensic anthropology faculty, resources, and a description of the programs.

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