Courses

• GMS FA 740: Seminar in Forensic Anthropology
  Prereq: FA 705, FA 710 and consent of instructors. This course will provide students with an extensive knowledge of past and current research within the field of forensic anthropology. In addition, this course will foster critical thinking skills for students and include discussions of ethics and professional standards. Prince Zinni. 2 cr, Spring sem.
• GMS FA 750: Adv Fpath
  
• GMS FA 755: Directed Studies in Forensic Anthropology
  Students will have the opportunity to develop a directed study in a specialized area of forensic anthropology or archaeology that is of particular interest. 4 cr, all sem.
• GMS FA 760: Research in Forensic Anthropology
  This course is designed to facilitate the students' thesis research. Var cr, Fall sem.
• GMS FA 761: Research in Forensic Anthropology
  This course is designed to facilitate the students' thesis research. Var cr, Spring sem.
• GMS FA 790: History, Method, and Theory in Biological Anthropology
  This course will cover the theoretical and methodological principles of the major areas of biological anthropology. Initially focusing on the history of biological anthropology and evolutionary theory, the course will expand to cover skeletal biology, forensic anthropology, and contemporary human variation. The last section will address the philosophy of science and anthropology and practical issues such as presenting and publishing papers and preparing grant proposals. It is intended that this course provide students with a thorough understanding of the correlation between the developments of the discipline of biological anthropology, evolutionary theory, and the practice of forensic anthropology in the United States. 3 cr, Fall sem.
• GMS FA 800: Field Methods in Forensic Anthropology
  This course will provide students with a sound basis for archaeological methods applied to a variety of forensic settings. Students will learn core concepts from academic archaeology and how forensic archaeology differs from traditional methods. 3 cr
• GMS FA 802: Applied Forensic Anthropology
  Students will gain extensive experience in forensic anthropological casework, to include experience in generating analytical notes and report preparation. Students will be exposed to a variety of casework situations that forensic anthropologists encounter in medical examiner offices, international realms, government laboratories and field situations. 3 cr
• GMS FA 804: Experimental Design and Statistics for Forensic Anthropologists
  The goal of this course is to provide a working understanding of experimental design and statistical analyses that are appropriate for various types of anthropological based experiments and for the analysis of skeletal remains for unknown individuals. Significant emphasis will be placed on discussions of Bayes Theorem and the use of factor analysis in the development and use of the FORE Disc database used extensively by forensic anthropologists to determine sex, age, stature and ancestry of unidentified skeletal remains. 3 cr
• GMS FA 805: Advanced Crime Scene Investigation
  This hands-on and lecture-based course will provide students with methods and underlying theories related to specialized aspects of crime scene processing. Topics will include techniques and principles utilized in search and recovery of human remains. Forensic entomology, mechanisms of human decomposition, use of ground penetrating radar, soil composition, excavation, telltale disturbances in flora and the presence of animal activity will be examined. A semester-long practical exercise will include the search and recovery of mock remains and the reconstruction of events. 2 cr
• GMS FA 806: Advanced Human Osteology
  This course builds on the topics covered in GMS FA 712 Human Osteology by exploring human osteology in greater depth and will include lectures and extensive experience with radiographical material. 4 cr
• GMS FA 807: Taphonomy
  This course will provide students with an advanced basis for vertebrate taphonomy, both with specific focus upon forensic settings but also with a broader understanding of taphonomic processes covering archaeology, paleoecology, and zooarchaeology. 3 cr, Fall & Spring sem.
• GMS FA 810: Mortuary Archaeology
  This course will provide students with an advanced theoretical basis for cross-cultural comparison of mortuary behavior and its archaeological interpretation. The topics will cover the history of archaeological though in this topics, processual and post-processual theoretical frameworks, the prehistory of burial, regional archaeological studies, modern Western burial practices and symbolism, gender and class difference, trophy taking, cannibalism, beliefs in undead and how they affect mortuary practices, military memorialization and warfare, ethical issues involved in the analysis of cemeteries and human remains, repatriation, and modern homicide investigation of serial killings and body movement. 3 cr, Fall & Spring sem.
• GMS FA 812: Forensic Entomology
  This course is designed to provide the student with an in-depth examination of the basic principles, theories and practices of forensic entomology. Emphasis will be on the methods and techniques used by forensic entomologists in the investigation of homicides, suspicious and sudden deaths and in developing an estimate of time since death. At the completion of this course the student will have an advanced understanding of insect structure and function and a hands-on experience with identification, collection, preservation and analysis of the various insects found on deceased remains and the practice of estimating time since death using entomological evidence. Material will be presented in lecture sessions and then the techniques and practices of forensic entomology will be demonstrated and practiced on porcine remains at the Forensic Anthropology Research Facility in Holliston, MA. 3cr, Summer II sem
• GMS FA 814: Directed Studies in Forensic Entomology
  Students will have the opportunity to develop a directed study in a specialized area of forensic entomology that is of particular interest. Var cr, all sem.
• GMS FA 816: Research in Forensic Entomology
  This course is designed to facilitate the students' thesis research in forensic entomology. Var cr, all sem.
• GMS FC 701: Foundations in Biomedical Sciences I: Protein Structure, Catalysis and Interaction
  The first module of the Foundations in Biomedical Science course "Protein structure, catalysis and interactions" will provide students with a quantitative understanding of protein structure, function, posttranslational modification and the turnover of proteins in the cell. In addition, students will gain facility with thermodynamics, catalysis, kinetics and binding equilibria as they apply to proteins and also to other molecules in biological systems (e.g. nucleic acids, lipids, vitamins, etc.). This course is part of a series of four core integrated courses and additional elective courses aimed towards first year Ph.D. students in the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences. The four cores will be integrated in content and structure, and therefore are intended to be taken as a complete, progressive sequence. 2 cr, Fall sem.
• GMS FC 702: Foundations in Biomedical Sciences II: Structure and Function of the Genome
  The second module of the Foundations in Biomedical Sciences course will focus on the mechanisms of biological processes that influence the inheritance, regulation, and utilization of genes. Genetic and genomic, molecular, cell biological, and biochemical experimental approaches to understanding these processes will be explored. In addition, we will discuss the possibilities of utilizing these technologies in medical treatments. This course is part of a series of four core integrated courses and additional elective courses aimed towards first year Ph.D. students in the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences. The four cores will be integrated in content and structure, and therefore are intended to be taken as a complete, progressive sequence. 2 cr, Fall sem.
• GMS FC 703: Foundations in Biomedical Sciences III: Architecture and Dynamics of the Cell
  The third module of the Foundations in Biomedical Sciences course will focus on the movement of proteins and membranes with the cell, the secretory process, the cytoskeletal framework of the cell and the resulting cell-cell interaction and communication with the matrix. Molecular, cell biological, and biochemical experimental approaches to understanding these processes will be explored. In addition, we will discuss the possibilities of utilizing these technologies in medical treatments. This course is part of a series of four core integrated courses and additional elective courses aimed to-wards first year Ph.D. students in the Division of Graduate Medical Science. The four cores will be integrated in content and structure, and therefore are intended to be taken as a complete, progressive sequence. 2 cr, Fall sem.
• GMS FC 704: Foundations in Biomedical Sciences IV: Mechanisms of Cell Communication
  The fourth module of the Foundations in Biomedical Sciences course will focus on the mechanisms of cell communication. This module will begin by discussing overarching concepts before examining the specific types of molecules that initiate and transduce signals. Examples of cell signaling and subsequent cellular responses will then be considered in different contexts to provide a framework on which future learning can be applied. As the module progresses, the complexity of the systems explored will increase from individual cells to multicellular environments such as tissues, organs, and organisms. In addition, normal processes as well as the dysregulation of cell-cell communication is disease will be studied. This course is part of a series of four core integrated courses and additional elective courses aimed towards first year Ph.D. students in the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences. The four cores will be integrated in content and structure, and therefore are intended to be taken as a complete progressive sequence. 2 cr, Spring sem.

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