Evolutionary Anthropology (AB)

Program Code: U-EVANT-AB
Degree Designation: Bachelor of Arts
Department:  Evolutionary Anthropology
Website: evolutionaryanthropology.duke.edu/undergraduate/degree-programs/major

Program Summary

Evolutionary Anthropology is an interdisciplinary department centering on the origin and evolution of human beings and their close biological relatives. The department and its course offerings cover a variety of research areas including primate behavior, ecology, cognition and genetics; primate and human disease ecology; human genetics, energetics, and physiology; paleoanthropology; and functional and comparative anatomy. Opportunities for independent research exist in departmental laboratories, including the Canine Cognition Center and the Primate Locomotion Lab. Additional research opportunities can be found at the Duke Lemur Center and the Lemur Center’s Museum of Natural History.

Go to Programs by Department to view all related programs.

Academic Requirements

At least 11 units total to complete the major. At least 34 units total to earn a degree.

• Corequisite (1 unit)

  • BIOLOGY 202L

  • BIOLOGY 203L

• Introduction to Evolutionary Anthropology (1 unit)

  • EVANTH 101, or EVANTH 101D

• Evanth Elective Courses (5 units)

  • Any 5 EVANTH courses 200-level and above

    • Must include at least 1 Anatomy and Paleoanthropology course

    • Must include at least 1 Behavior, Ecology & Cognition course

    • Must include at least 1 lab/field experience course

    • Must include at least 1 EVANTH capstone course 400-level and above

  • A comprehensive list of elective courses is available to students in the degree audit system.

• Additional Electives (4 units)

  • Any 4 EVANTH courses 200-level and above

  • A list of preapproved electives in related departments is available to students in the degree audit system.

Areas of Concentration

Students may elect to complete courses representing an in-depth study of a given area within Evolutionary Anthropology. There are currently three area concentrations available: 1) anatomy and paleoanthropology; 2) behavior, ecology, and cognition; and 3) human biology. Concentrations require that three of the five courses in Evolutionary Anthropology (as required by the major) be taken in the area of concentration. Preapproved courses for each area can be found in the Handbook for Majors.

Departmental Graduation with Distinction

To qualify for the Graduation with Distinction program, students must have a GPA of 3.0 overall and 3.5 within evolutionary anthropology. To earn distinction, students typically spend one year conducting independent research with a faculty mentor and writing a substantial senior thesis. Students must be enrolled in an independent study course within evolutionary anthropology. Exceptions must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies. Students must submit a brief (one- to two-paragraph) description of the honors project, the names of the faculty comprising the examination committee, and the signature of the student’s faculty mentor to the director of undergraduate studies by the end of the first week of classes of the student’s next-to-last semester (e.g., fall semester for May graduates). The examination committee should consist of three faculty members, at least two of whom are in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology.