Mission Statement:

The basic aims and goals of the Forensic Anthropology Center are summed up in the following definition of forensic anthropology, as defined by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology:

"Forensic anthropology is the application of the science of physical anthropology to the legal process. The identification of skeletal, badly decomposed, or otherwise unidentified human remains is important for both legal and humanitarian reasons. Forensic anthropologists apply standard scientific techniques developed in physical anthropology to identify human remains, and to assist in the detection of crime. Forensic anthropologists frequently work in conjunction with forensic pathologists, odontologists, and homicide investigators to identify a decedent, discover evidence of foul play, and/or the postmortem interval. In addition to assisting in locating and recovering suspicious remains, forensic anthropologists work to suggest the age, sex, ancestry, stature, and unique features of a decedent from the skeleton."

Forensic Center Overview:

The program began with the arrival of Dr. William M. Bass in 1971 to The University of Tennessee Knoxville. He oversaw the development of the discipline at UTK, which culminated with the creation of the Forensic Anthropology Center within the Department of Anthropology, and many resources for students, researchers, and law enforcement agencies.

Human identification services have now been provided through the State Medical Examiner System for the District Attorney General's Office, arson investigators, and various state, local, and national law enforcement agencies and county medical examiners for almost thirty years.

Admission Information for Prospective Students:

The University of Tennessee Knoxville offers three main areas of concentration within anthropology: Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, and Cultural Anthropology. Forensic Anthropology is offered as a specialization within Biological Anthropology. In accordance with the aims and goals of forensic anthropology, the focus of our program is the application of skeletal biological techniques to the identification of decomposing and skeletal remains for law enforcement and medicolegal agencies and investigations.

Students entering our graduate program in biological anthropology should possess varied backgrounds and are encouraged to build upon those strengths. Anthropology encompasses many ancillary fields of science, and students are expected to develop other areas of expertise (i.e. microscopy, chemistry, anatomy).

Students are required to demonstrate proficiency in statistics and related areas of anthropology. Our program is highly research-oriented and our students are expected to initiate and conduct research for presentation and publication.

For an overview of our departmental requirements, as well as information on The University of Tennessee's application process, please visit the Anthropology Department's admission page where you will find all this information online. If you've decided to apply to The University of Tennessee Knoxville, visit the Anthropology Department's graduate page which contains all the information you need to get started.

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