Forensic anthropologists apply scientific knowledge of human physical development to assist criminal investigators and other officials. Forensic anthropologists analyze skeletal evidence to identify missing persons, investigate war crimes and recover evidence in natural disasters. Becoming a forensic anthropologist requires years of study, usually leading to a doctoral degree.
Becoming a forensic anthropologist begins with a solid undergraduate education, usually with a major in anthropology. Because forensic anthropology is a specialty within physical anthropology, which emphasizes human evolution and physical development, students interested in this field should major in anthropology with a concentration in physical anthropology, according to the website forensicanthropologist.net. However, students' undergraduate studies should span the broad field of anthropology, including courses in archaeology, cultural anthropology and linguistics, as well as physical anthropology. Students also should take science courses, especially courses in genetics, biology and anatomy, the website advises.
After completing a bachelor's degree in anthropology, which requires about four years of full-time study, students should begin working toward a master's degree or Ph.D. specializing in forensic anthropology. Because this is a specialized field, few universities offer degrees in forensic anthropology. As an alternative, students interested in forensic work should pursue graduate degrees in physical anthropology or osteology, the study of human bones, according to Dr. Arlene Midori Albert, a forensic anthropologist at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She advises students pursuing master's degrees to find an osteologist or skeletal biologist to study under if there is no forensic anthropologist on the faculty at a given university.
Graduate courses to become a forensic anthropologist involve numerous classes in physical anthropology, focusing on various physical aspects of human beings, such as bones, evolution, development, nutrition and disease. Dr. Albert also advises students to develop an in-depth knowledge of human bones through courses in osteology. Much of the work of forensic anthropologists involves the analysis of skeletal evidence. Students also should take courses in statistics, which helps in analyzing bones and other physical evidence.
Becoming a forensic anthropologist is an expensive and time-consuming process. Dr. Albert reports that earning a master's degree requires about two to three years in addition to the bachelor's degree. The time required to complete a Ph.D. varies widely, but usually requires five to eight additional years of study, she estimates. Some students continue their studies in forensic anthropology at the post-doctoral level.
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