Program Design

An interdisciplinary major

The Human Biology Program is designed around a core sequence of two interdisciplinary 4-credit courses and a 3-credit senior capstone course. Students also take required courses in a variety of disciplines to gain expertise in the diverse aspects of human biology, and they select courses in a single area of concentration that allow for more in-depth study in a chosen area of interest. Each area of concentration includes courses from both the life science perspective and the historical, social, arts, and humanities perspectives.

My advice to current HUBI majors who aren't sure if a career in health care is right for them: human biology is about so much more than medicine. If you are like me, someone who enjoys delving into the more unexplored corners of the Human Biology major, I encourage you to do so—you will find great rewards there!
Signe White, B.S. Human Biology, B.A. Anthropology 2012

Human Biology Learning Goals

Coursework in the Human Biology program is designed to meet the following seven learning goals:

Scientific reasoning

Use the scientific method to answer a question related to human biology.
Evaluate others’ research and interpretation of results.
Connect scientific findings to relevant public issues or problems.

Knowledge of human biological processes

Demonstrate knowledge of basic human anatomy and physiological
Demonstrate knowledge of evolutionary theory.
Provide examples of how evolutionary processes have contributed to human biology and human biological variation.

Interdisciplinarity + Synthesis

Show how the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities identify, define and address problems related to human biology differently.
Demonstrate an ability to combine different modes of inquiry.
Evaluate the benefits and limitations of different disciplinary approaches to knowledge.

Collaborative problem solving

Work together with others to form a strategy to address a human biological problem or research a question in human biology.
Give useful feedback to others.

Communication + Writing

Demonstrate knowledge of a topic in human biology within the context of what is already known.
Present evidence and arguments from the scientific literature and articulate research clearly in written and oral form to a non-specialist audience.

Ethical reasoning

Identify what ethical issues are raised by a particular problem.
Identify the implications of the ethical positions you take.
Use evidence-based arguments to advocate for particular positions.

Civic engagement

Identify the role of science in public discourse and policy.
Exhibit social responsibility and active citizenship by using knowledge and skills to direct scientific inquiry towards the public good.

Reason

Solve

Program Design

An interdisciplinary major

Human Biology Learning Goals

The College of Arts & Sciences