Offered By	ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
Academic Contact	Dr Marc Oxenham

Forensic anthropology is rapidly developing a high profile both internationally and domestically. Much of this interest has been catalysed by way of media coverage of investigations into crimes against humanity and unsolved murders. Australians have been involved in such work recently with respect to East Timor and the Solomon Islands in particular.

Forensic anthropology, as a discipline, is primarily concerned with developing and applying a range of anthropological and archaeological skills to questions of medico-legal importance. Traditionally the subject is broken down into three main sub-fields: (1) forensic osteology; (2) forensic archaeology; and (3) forensic taphonomy. Forensic osteology uses methods and procedures developed in physical anthropology and focuses on human identification by way of the analysis of physical remains (skeletal and dental material in general). Forensic archaeology is concerned with managing and often excavating crime scenes that contain human remains (including mass graves in war-crimes situations). Forensic taphonomy is the examination and analysis of the various biological (e.g., decomposition), environmental (climate, soil acidity, temperature etc), and cultural (e.g., evidence for trauma) changes that can impact on human remains both at the time of death and after death.

This major will give students a grounding in and appreciation of the realities and practicalities of anthropological and archaeological articulations with medico-legal issues in the forensic arena both internationally and domestically. While the emphasis is on the anthropological and archaeological contributions to forensic investigations, students are provided with a range of relevant electives in other disciplines (law, politics, sociology and psychology) to generate greater intellectual and applied breadth and also to situate forensic anthropology in a broader disciplinary context.

Requirements

A major in Forensic Anthropology consists of a minimum of 42 units. These are to be selected as follows (note, some of these courses have prerequisites and/or particular entry requirements and you will need to check these, particularly for those outside the School of Archaeology and Anthropology):

• A maximum of 12 units of first year courses chosen from the following: ARCH1111, ARCH1112, ANTH1002, ANTH1003, BIOL1003, BIOL1008 (students should choose appropriate first year courses depending on the prerequisites required for their later year course choices).
• A minimum of 30 units of later year courses consisting of:

(a) 12 units of Core courses: BIAN2128 Forensic Anthropology & Archaeology and ARCH2035 Decay and Disturbance: Archaeological Formation Processes.

(b) 18 units of additional courses of which 12 units must be from List 1 (note: either ARCH2017 or ARCH3004A and ARCH3004B may count toward the major, but not both). The remaining six units may be from either List 1 or List 2.

 

Warning: Students should note that although courses from other Faculties are included in this major, they are not classified as "Arts" courses and you may not be able to include them in your degree. 

For students enrolled in a single BA the Program Rules allow for a maximum of 48 units (8 courses) out-of-faculty. 

For BA students enrolled in a combined degree, enrolment is restricted to Arts courses only, therefore you may not include out-of-faculty courses. 

For a list of courses that are approved to count as "Arts" courses in the BA please see the Bachelor of Arts Course Listing at the end of the College of Arts & Social Sciences entry in the Undergraduate Handbook or see the Undergraduate Courses offered by the ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences. 

The information published on the Study at ANU 2009 website applies to the 2009 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2008 website.