Program Overview

Forensic Anthropology Concentration

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville offers three main areas of anthropology: Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, and Cultural Anthropology. Forensic Anthropology is offered as a concentration within Biological Anthropology. In accordance with the aims and goals of forensic anthropology, the focus of the Forensic Anthropology Concentration is the application of skeletal biological techniques to the identification of decomposing and skeletal remains for law enforcement and medicolegal agencies and investigations.

Program Structure

Courses specific to the forensic concentration account for 14-15 credit hours of a student’s total degree. The recommended sequence for when students should expect to take concentration-specific classes when following a 4-year degree completion plan is as follows:

First Year

• Anthropology 110 Introduction to Biological Anthropology
• Anthropology 105 Scene of the Crime: Demystifying Forensic Science
• Anthropology 229 Skeletal Processing (can also take in Year 2)

Second Year

• Anthropology 339 Advanced Skeletal Processing
• Anthropology 306 Dental Anthropology
• Anthropology 472 Paleopathology
• Anthropology 495 Hominin Paleobiology

Third Year

• Anthropology 480 Human Osteology (recommended in first semester)
• Anthropology 329 Skeletal Collections and Curation (recommended in second semester)

Fourth Year

• Anthropology 409 Advanced Collections / Curation
• Anthropology 429 Anthropological Field Recovery
• Anthropology 439 Variable Topics in Forensic Center Experience and Research (select one)
• Anthropology 486 Introduction to Forensic Anthropology
• Any other Anthropology course not yet completed for concentration

Additional Information

Please check with Academic Advising if you are interested in pursuing the Forensic Concentration. The Forensic Anthropology Center is part of the College of Arts and Sciences. The flagship campus of the University of Tennessee System and partner in the Tennessee Transfer Pathway.