|
|
Fall 2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Human Evolutionary Biology, BS
|
|
 Return to: Majors
Departments of Anthropology and Ecology and Evolution, College of Arts and Sciences
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science in Human Evolutionary Biology
Phone: (631) 632-8604
Department Website
Minors of particular interest to students majoring in Human Evolutionary Biology: China Studies (CNS), Ecosystems and Human Impact (EHI), Environmental Studies (ENS), Health Medicine & Society (MHS), History (HIS), Japanese Studies (JNS), Korean Studies (KOR), Middle Eastern Studies (MES), Sustainability Studies (SUS)
The major in Human Evolutionary Biology is offered jointly by the Departments of Anthropology and of Ecology and Evolution. It provides interdisciplinary training in the natural sciences and anthropology to examine how evolutionary forces shaped the human condition. Core courses provide a strong background in the natural sciences, mathematics, and statistics and an introduction to each of three subfields, which include human evolution and morphology, human and non-human primate genetics and genomics, and the evolutionary basis of behavior.
The subfield of human evolution and morphology aims at an understanding of the evolution of the human lineage and its precursors exploring the paleontological, morphological, and cultural transitions in our human ancestors. The emphasis of the human and non-human primate genetics and genomics track is to develop an understanding of the evolution of human variation exploring human genetic diversity and its underlying causes, as well as the phylogenetic relationships of human populations and primate relatives. This includes the basic genetics of humans, human population structure, prehistoric migration and genetic adaptation, and the comparative molecular evolution of the human genome and other primate genomes. The subfield of the evolutionary basis of behavior aims at an understanding of extant human and nonhuman primate behavior and psychology based on the principles of evolutionary theory. The field explores the variation in social systems and life histories and its underlying physiological mechanisms, ecological contexts, and evolutionary bases.
Majors are strongly encouraged to explore research opportunities, either in faculty laboratories or in field projects such as the Turkana Basin or Madagascar Field Schools. The major is suitable for students planning careers in the fields of medicine, dentistry, public health, allied health, biotechnology, and related academic fields such as biological anthropology, bioarchaeology, and evolutionary biology. Interested students should contact the director of the program for details.
|
Degree Requirements
The major in Human Evolutionary Biology leads to the Bachelor of Science degree. Completion of the major requires a minimum of 59 credits. At least 21 credits must be upper division courses (300 level or higher). Students must complete a minimum of 31-32 credits in the Core Requirements (I., A-C) and a minimum of 28-29 credits in the Subfield Courses (II., A-C). Students can either sample broadly across all areas or focus on one of the three subfields. No more than 6-7 credits in the Subfields can be substituted from the area of Related Courses (II., D). All major courses (including transfer credits) must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher. Courses with S/U grading and courses taken under the Pass/ No Credit option may not be used to satisfy major requirements. EBH 475 , EBH 476 , EBH 488 , EBH 495 , and EBH 496 do not count toward the major requirements. Core Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 31 credits from three areas including Biology (A), Related Fields (B), and Major Subfields (C). Biology and Scientific Skills (11-12 credits)
Courses Required in Related Fields (11 credits)
Notes:
Some or all of this requirement may be fulfilled by an appropriate score on the Mathematics Placement Exam, by AP credit, or by comparable means. If students do not place into MAT 125 or higher on the basis of the math placement examination, MAT 123 is a required course for the major. Courses Required from Major Subfields (9 credits)
Subfield Courses
Students must complete a minimum of 28 credits in the Subfield Courses. Students may sample broadly across all subfields, taking classes from Sections A, B and C, or choose to specialize in only one of the three areas. BIO 205 (or BIO 207 ), EBH 391 , EBH 401 , EBH 447 (max. 2 credits), and EBH 487 (max. 3 credits) are not specific to one of the Subfields, but can be applied towards the major. Courses in the Subfields may be supplemented by courses listed in section D (Related Courses), although only a maximum of 7 of these credits can be applied towards the major. One of the classes in the Subfields must be a 400-level seminar chosen from ANT 408 , ANT 404 , ANP 405 , ANT 406 , ANT 407 , ANT 411 , ANT 418, ANT 419, EBH 401 , EBH 404 , or EBH 405 . All advanced Biology courses have one or more 200 level courses as a prerequisite. A grade of C or higher is required in each 200 level prerequisite in order to enroll in any 300 level Biology course. Some of the courses in the Subfields may require additional prerequisites. Human evolution and morphology
Courses in subfield A: Human genetics and genomics
Courses in subfield B: Evolutionary bases of behavior
Courses in subfield C: Double major in Biology and Human Evolutionary Biology
For students electing a double major in Biology and Human Evolutionary Biology 12 credits (4 subfield courses) must be non-overlapping with Biology and chosen from subfields A and C: Upper-Division Writing Requirement
Human Evolutionary Biology students are required to either take one of the elective courses of the major satisfying the WRTD requirement or register for the 0-credit EBH 459 Write Effectively in Human Evolutionary Biology. EBH 459 has to be taken in conjunction with an upper-division elective course in the major (including Reading or Research courses). Students must inform the instructor of the course in advance of their plan to co-register for EBH 459 to satisfy the WRTD requirement. Students must earn a grade of ‘S’ in EBH 459 to satisfy the WRTD requirement. EBH 459 also satisfies the Stony Brook Curriculum learning objective WRTD. Students completing the DEC requirements may choose to submit a paper written for a 300-level or higher course (including Reading or Research courses) without registering for EBH 459 . The paper must be of appropriate length and format and must have been deemed satisfactory by the instructor (graded C or higher). Students who wish to use a paper should present the necessary form to the course instructor and obtain signatures on the form and the paper. The form and the original paper must then be submitted to the director of the program. Students who wish to use this option must consult with the director of the program to ensure that their plan for completing the Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent with university graduation requirements for General Education. Students should consult with the department advisor to ensure that their plan for completing the Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent with university graduation requirements for General Education. Students completing the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) must complete a course that satisfies the “Write Effectively within One’s Discipline” (WRTD) learning objective to graduate. The Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent in most cases with the SBC learning outcomes for WRTD. Human Evolutionary Biology Honors Program
Graduation with honors in Human Evolutionary Biology requires both of the following: - A cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher in all courses for the major.
- Completion of an honors thesis based on a one-year independent research project (EBH 495 and EBH 496 ) under the direction of a faculty member written in the form of a scientific report (20 pages or more). The completed thesis must be approved by a thesis committee.
A student interested in becoming a candidate for honors should, after asking a faculty member to be a sponsor, submit a proposal indicating the topic and procedure of the planned research to the director of the program. The submission should include a supporting statement by the supervising faculty member and the names and approval of two faculty committee members, one of them from a department different from that of the research sponsor. This must ordinarily be done several weeks prior to the beginning of the student’s senior year. The student must present a copy of the finished thesis to each member of the thesis committee for their approval at least 14 days before the date of graduation. SBC Courses
This table illustrates major courses that can also be used to fulfill SBC requirements. (See Note 1 & Note 2) | SBC Category | Required Major Courses | Optional Major Courses (see Note 3) | | ARTS | | ANT 277 | | GLO | | ANP 310 | | HUM | | | | LANG (see Note 4) | | | | QPS | EBH 230 | MAT 123, MAT 125, MAT 131 | | SBS | | ANT 104 | | SNW | ANP 201, BIO 201 | ANP 101, ANP 304, ANP 305, ANP 307, ANP 310, ANP 250, ANT 268, ANT 273, ANT 377, CHE 129, CHE 131, POL 375 | | TECH | | ANT 418, BIO 312 | | USA | | | | WRT | | | | STAS | | ANP 202, ANP 220, ANP 401, ANP 406, ANT 215, ANT 290, BIO 208 | | EXP+ | | EBH 487 | | HFA+ | | | | SBS+ | EBH 200 | ANT 307, ANT 321, ANT 357, ANT 410, ANT 419, POL 375 | | STEM+ | BIO 202 | ANP 300, ANP 306, ANP 308, ANP 321, ANP 326, ANP 404, ANP 407, ANP 410, BIO 203, BIO 351, EBH 316, EBH 325, EBH 331, EBH 359, EBH 362, EBH 405 | | CER | | | | DIV (see Note 5) | | | | ESI | | ANP 404, ANP 401, ANP 410, ANT 357, ANT 377, ANT 418, BIO 312, BIO 352, EBH 204 | | SPK | | ANP 407, ANT 418, EBH 204, EBH 325 | | WRTD | | EBH 459 | Note 1: Some course information may be subject to change. Please contact your major advisor for additional consultation. Note 2: For majors that require study in a related area or completion of a minor, visit the respective program’s “Major SBC Courses” page to view expanded SBC options. Note 3: Denotes any course in which students can choose from more than one option. These may include, but are not limited to, major electives, concentration/track/specialization courses, or calculus/physics/chemistry sequences. Note 4: CEAS majors, the Athletic Training major, the Respiratory Care major, and the Clinical Laboratory Sciences major are exempt from the LANG learning objective. Students enrolled in the major in Social Work are exempt from the LANG learning objective, but are required to enroll in and pass with a letter grade of C or higher the first semester of an elementary foreign language course numbered 111, or satisfy through alternate methods. Note 5: Students are responsible for completing the general education requirements published in the Bulletin that was current as of the first semester of matriculation (or rematriculation). The following student groups must satisfy the DIV learning objective as part of their degree requirements: - Freshmen who matriculate in the Fall of 2019 or later
- Transfer students who matriculate in the Spring of 2020 or later
- Students who rematriculate in the Fall of 2019 or later
|
Return to: Majors
|
|