Program Requirements for the Master of Science in Human Biology

A minimum of 36 graduate hours must be completed. Up to 8 of these 36 may be taken outside of the Biology or Anthropology Departments as applicable and if approved by the student's advisor and the Program Director. An applicable 400-level undergraduate course taught at the University of Indianapolis may be allowed to count towards the graduate degree if a similar course is not available at the graduate level and if it has not already been applied to an undergraduate degree.

All students must demonstrate proficiency, either through graduate coursework or other experiences, in each of three "core areas" within human biology: anatomy & physiology, human variation, and evolutionary science. Proficiencies will be assessed for each student by their academic advisor and the Program Director. Appropriate courses in each category include:

Anatomy & Physiology:

Human Gross Anatomy
Human Physiology
Neuroscience
Special Topics courses (as relevant)

Human Variation:

Advanced Genetics
Advanced Human Biological Variation
Skeletal Biology
Advanced Dental Science
Special Topics courses (as relevant)

Evolutionary Science:

Evolutionary Theory
Human Evolution
Advanced Human Evolution
Special Topics Courses (as relevant)

Students pursuing study in skeletal biology (including forensic anthropology & bioarcheology) must demonstrate proficiency in biostatistics. Proficiency can be established by passing a graduate-level statistics course with a minimum grade of B and by demonstrating, through research and writing, that the student can apply basic statistical principles to biological and anthropological issues. Proficiency in biostatistics is strongly recommended for all other students in the program.

Students pursuing study in skeletal biology must demonstrate proficiency in archeological field methods. Proficiency can be fulfilled by completing a total of 4 weeks of full-time (40 hours/week) archeological fieldwork, including survey and excavation, under the supervision of qualified personnel. A lab-based analysis component may be included but the overall emphasis must be on field methods. The excavation of skeletons is not required. Fieldwork may be completed prior to admission or during the graduate program. Up to 4 credit hours may be applied to the 36 hours required for graduation, although the student is not required to take the field school for college credit as long as his or her participation can be formally verified through other means.

After the completion of the first year of coursework (18 credit hours minimum), the student's professional progress, performance, and fit with the program will be assessed by the graduate faculty. The student's advisor will conduct the assessment and will solicit contributions from the Program Director and other relevant faculty. If the student's record is deemed deficient, he or she may be asked to (a) complete additional work to remove the deficiency, or (b) take a temporary leave of absence, or (c) leave the program. In these cases the Dean of the Graduate School will be asked to contribute to the process.

If approved to continue in the program, the student must then solicit a Human Biology faculty member to serve as Chair of the student's Thesis Committee and another to serve as Reader. Additional Readers from other departments or universities may be added as appropriate. The Thesis Chair will frequently be, but does not have to be, the student's academic advisor. Adjuncts, Research Associates, and Associate Faculty may also serve on committees if appropriate, but the Chair must be a full-time Human Biology faculty member.

A written Thesis/Project Proposal must be completed prior to conducting formal data collection or field work and prior to submitting drafts of a thesis. The Thesis Proposal must include a comprehensive bibliography on the chosen topic and must be approved by all members of the student's Thesis Committee. During the second year of full-time study, the student must register for BIOL 589 Thesis/Project Proposal (3 hours), with the Thesis Chair as the instructor. Upon acceptance of the proposal by the Thesis Committee, the Chair will submit a satisfactory grade for the course; no grade will be submitted until the proposal has been completed and accepted. Final copies of the proposal must be filed with the Program Director and the Graduate School.

The student is formally admitted to degree candidacy when she or he has (a) received a satisfactory grade for BIOL 589, (b) completed at least 18 additional hours of graduate coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.0, and (c) resolved all other outstanding deficiencies.

Most students are expected to complete a thesis or other project on a topic of relevance to Human Biology. After the student has been admitted to candidacy, he or she must register for BIOL 590 Thesis/Project (3 hours), with the Thesis Chair as the instructor. Upon acceptance of the thesis by all members of the Thesis Committee, the Chair will submit a satisfactory grade for the course; no grade will be submitted until the thesis has been completed and accepted. The thesis must be constructed according to program guidelines, which will be provided by the Program Director. Final copies of the thesis must be filed with the Program Director and the Graduate School.

The thesis or project must be defended. A Thesis Defense is coordinated by the Chair of the Thesis Committee and the Program Director and must occur during regular business hours of the University. It is comprised of (a) a public presentation of findings, to be followed immediately by (b) a closed oral defense with the Human Biology faculty. The Human Biology faculty members present may then vote to award the Master of Science degree or may require additional work by the candidate. When all requirements have been met, the Program Director will make a recommendation to the Dean that the degree be conferred.

With the approval of the student's advisor and the Program Director, the student may choose to write and submit a scientific paper to a scholarly journal instead of preparing a thesis. The student must solicit a Research Chair and a Reader for a Research Committee and prepare a written Research Proposal following the same guidelines as for the Thesis Proposal. The student must take BIOL 589 with the Research Chair as the instructor. When BIOL 589 has been completed, the student must register for BIOL 590. These courses shall be administered in the same fashion as for a student taking a thesis option. The student will conduct a Research Defense and must show proof of having submitted the paper to an appropriate journal prior to receiving credit for BIOL 590. Members of the Reseach Committee may be included as coauthors on the scientific paper as appropriate. Acceptance of the paper for publication is not required for conferral of the degree. Final copies of the scientific paper as submitted to the journal must be filed with the Program Director and the Graduate School.

If it becomes apparent that the student is unable to complete a thesis or a scientific paper, or if these options are not appropriate for the student's stated career goals, the student may choose a non-thesis option after obtaining the approval of his or her advisor and the Program Director. The requirements of the non-thesis option are the same as those stated for the other options, and credit received for BIOL 589 may count towards the degree. The non-thesis option is not considered appropriate for students who intend to pursue a research-based doctoral program.

All students must register for course credit each semester (exclusive of summer sessions) or else must formally petition the Program Director for a temporary leave of absence. A student who has completed 30 hours may register for Thesis Extension (BIOL 598, 0.5 hrs). Thesis Extension hours do not count towards the 36 hours needed for graduation.

Additional policies applicable to all graduate students can be found in the Graduate Arts & Sciences catalog.