Undergraduates -- BAA

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Programs of Study

Planning your program of study | Primatology program | Graduation with distinction | Teacher certification | Getting advice

Planning your program of study

As an undergraduate at Duke you can choose from a myriad of courses. Yet you will be able to take only a few dozen. In determining whether your experience at Duke will be interesting and rewarding, nothing may be more important than choosing the right courses.

The Introduction to Biological Anthropology (BAA 93/BAA 93D) should, as the name implies, be your introduction to the subject matter of the biological study of human evolution. This course forms the foundation for the rest of the courses in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy, and is the prerequisite to most of our uppper level courses.

As the biological study of humans and our closest relatives, biological anthropology encompasses a broad spectrum of research areas, from the evolution of the earliest primates to the biological bases of human behavior. This diversity is reflected in diversity of interests of our majors. Although everyone is urged to take courses in each of the different fields, B.A.A. majors commonly focus their coursework on areas of special interest to them or courses that may be especially helpful in preparing for a specific career path. The constellation of courses taken by a student interested in going to medical school versus those taken by a student planning on pursuing graduate training in primatology, for example, are likely to be very different. Your academic advisor in B.A.A. will work with you to help you select the mix of courses most appropriate to your interests and future plans.

The list below organizes B.A.A. courses by research area (since there is often overlap, some courses may be listed under multiple research areas), and is intended to be a guide to help students identify courses in their areas of interest. The courses within each area are listed in order of increasing specialization. The level at which courses are taught varies greatly and does not always bear close correspondence to the system of course numbering. It may be useful to get an idea of the level of the course before actually taking it. Prerequisites may provide useful hints. Others who took courses before you, for instance other majors, may also provide useful information, but always try to separate the information from the gossip that concerns style rather than substance. To help you in your choice of courses, brief descriptions of courses are available under Biological Anthropology and Anatomy at http://www.aas.duke.edu/reg/synopsis.

Human Evolution and Adaptation:

Human and Comparative Anatomy:

BAA 133L: The Human Body
BAA 134L: Anthropology of the Skeleton
BAA 135: Human Functional Anatomy
BAA147: Bodies of Evidence
BAA 151: Anatomy of the Lower Extremities
BAA 172L: Primate Anatomy
BAA 234L: Advanced Human Osteology
BAA 238S: Functional and Evolutionary Morphology of Primates
BAA 239L: Radiology and Pathophysiology of Sports Related Injury
BAA 289L: Comparative Mammalian Anatomy

Primate Evolution and Adaptation:

BAA 171: Primate Sexuality
BAA 172L: Primate Anatomy
BAA 173L: The Primate Skeleton
BAA 238S: Functional and Evolutionary Morphology of Primates
BAA 246: Primate Fossil Record

Primate Ecology:

BAA 143: Primate Ecology
BAA 184S: Primate Conservation
BAA 185: Current Issues in Primatology
BAA 243S: Comparative Primate Ecology
BAA 244L: Methods in Primate Field Ecology

Primate Social Behavior:

BAA 143: Primate Ecology
BAA 144L: Primate Field Biology
BAA 146: Sociobiology
BAA 171: Primate Sexuality
BAA 183S: Primate Social Complexity and the Evolution of Intelligence
BAA 185: Current Issues in Primatology
BAA 243S: Comparative Primate Ecology
BAA 245S: Primate Social Evolution

General Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology:

BAA 101L: Quaternary Prehistory of Southern Africa (taught in S. Africa)
BAA 102L: Paleoanthropological Field Methods (taught in S. Africa)
BAA 248S: Evolution of Mammals
BAA 287S: Macroevolution
BAA 290: Pattern and Process in Vertebrate Development
BAA 292S: Topics in Morphology and Evolution
BAA 293/294: Evolutionary Theory

Graduation with distinction

To be eligible for graduation with distinction, students must have a 3.0 overall GPA and 3.5 GPA within BAA at the time of application. If eligible, students can participate in a substantive research project, mentored by a BAA faculty member, that will result in an undergraduate thesis. Research projects typically require 150+ hours per semester and the final thesis is defended in front of a three-member faculty committee. Students normally conduct their research and prepare their papers during independant studies (BAA 193) over the course of the senior year, working in close collaboration with their committees. New for Fall 2006 -- We're offering a new course aimed specifically at students accepted into the Graduation with Distinction Program: BAA 293: Advanced Research in BAA. The course combines the usual independent study work involved in BAA 193 with a one-hour weekly seminar discussing various aspects of the research process.

A list of current undergraduate research opportunities may be found here.

Students must submit a form that includes 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 DUS secretary 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 B.A.A.

Students working towards a Certificate in Primatology whose GPAs qualify them for graduation with distinction may receive both. In order to do so, the research project completed during PRI 186S and PRI 187S must be presented to the student's committee. Students pursuing both a Certificate in Primatology and graduation with distinction are advised to work closely with their honors committee during the design and implementation of their certificate research.

Teacher certification

A science major who is interested in teaching in secondary schools is encouraged to earn a Comprehensive Science teaching certificate in addition to his or her bachelor's degree. The teaching certificate, which is earned by fulfilling the requirements prescribed by the State of North Carolina, is generally accepted in most of the 50 states by reciprocal agreement. Schools tend to prefer hiring candidates with this educational training.

In addition to completing the B.S. major in BAA, requirements for the Comprehensive Science teaching certificate include a variety of courses in education and one in psychology, as well as other courses in the sciences.
The last semester of the senior year is devoted to the student-teaching block, including two special, accelerated courses and 10 weeks of full-time teaching and observation in schools working with a certified teacher and with Duke faculty. Because of the time constraints this may impose on the planning of courses, students considering secondary school science teaching should confer with the staff in the Program of Education (919-660-3075) early in their Duke career, ideally prior to the preparation of a long-range plan.

Getting advice

The BAA faculty members available for advising undergraduates are: Steven Churchill, Leslie Digby, Christine Drea, Kenneth E. Glander, Brian Hare, Daniel Schmitt and Chris Wall. . You will note that only certain faculty can serve as major advisors. This implies that it may be difficult to assign an advisor whose research interests coincide exactly with yours. However, we will try our best to make the match as close as possible.

The advising system is flexible, and it is possible to change advisors if it is found another would more closely match your needs. You should coordinate a change through the undergraduate office. The office may also need to change your advisor because of sabbatical leaves or special demands on faculty time.

At least two scheduled meetings per year with your advisor are required to obtain his or her approval for preregistration. Your advisor must also approve your course selections each semester and the course pairs that you consider related under the general education requirements. However, it may also be useful to consult your advisor at other times on matters of curriculum planning. Other than the two preregistration meetings, advisors keep their own schedules and can be contacted directly to set up a meeting time.