BS Human Evolutionary Biology

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Stony Brook University SUNY

Program Overview

The B.S. in Human Evolutionary Biology at Stony Brook University is an interdisciplinary program jointly offered by the Departments of Anthropology and Ecology and Evolution, combining natural sciences, mathematics, statistics and anthropology to explore how evolutionary forces have shaped humans. It is well suited to students interested in medicine, dentistry, public health, biotechnology, biological anthropology or evolutionary research, with opportunities to focus on Human Evolution and Morphology, Human Genetics and Genomics, or Evolutionary Basis of Behavior.

Curriculum Structure

First Year: Students establish their scientific foundation through BIO 201: Fundamentals of Biology: Organisms to Ecosystems, BIO 202: Fundamentals of Biology: Molecular and Cellular Biology, and CHE 131: General Chemistry IB, alongside mathematics and writing courses. ANP 201: Human Evolution introduces students to the anthropological perspective on human evolution.

Second Year: Students begin the major-specific sequence with EBH 200: Evolution of Human Behavior, EBH 230: Computer-Based Biostatistics, and EBH 302: Human Genetics. EBH 204: Research Skills or BIO 204: Fundamentals of Scientific Inquiry in the Biological Sciences I adds preparation in scientific research and inquiry.

Third Year: Students deepen their understanding of evolutionary biology through BIO 354: Evolution and advanced courses selected from the three Human Evolutionary Biology subfields. Options include subjects examining human morphology, genetics and genomics, or evolutionary behavior, allowing students to develop a more specialized academic direction.

Fourth Year: The final year emphasizes upper-division study and specialization, including a required 400-level seminar from approved courses such as ANP 404: Human Osteology, ANP 410: Comparative Primate Anatomy, EBH 404: Evolution of Parenting, or EBH 405: Life History and Development. Students complete additional subfield and elective coursework while strengthening their preparation for professional or graduate study.

Focus Areas: Human Evolution and Morphology, Human Genetics and Genomics, Evolutionary Basis of Behavior.

Learning outcomes: Students develop knowledge of evolutionary theory, human and primate biology, genetics, behavior, scientific methods, critical thinking, scientific literacy, problem solving and hypothesis testing; the program also develops quantitative skills through mathematics, statistics and computer-based biostatistics.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation) : No specific professional or programmatic accreditation is stated on Stony Brook University's official Human Evolutionary Biology program pages; therefore, no separate accreditation should be assumed. The program does, however, provide coursework relevant to medical, dental, public-health, allied-health, biotechnology and graduate-school pathways.

Reputation (Employability Rankings): Stony Brook University reports a #59 national-university ranking and #26 public-university ranking in the U.S. in the 2026 U.S. News Best Colleges, while its official rankings page reports #468 globally in the 2026 QS World University Rankings. These are university-level rankings rather than rankings specifically for the B.S. in Human Evolutionary Biology.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in Stony Brook University’s B.S. in Human Evolutionary Biology gain practical scientific skills through laboratory research, biological anthropology training, human anatomy resources, fossil and primate collections, and international field research. The program is taught jointly by Anthropology and Ecology & Evolution, and students can work with faculty conducting research in human evolution, morphology, genetics, genomics, and primate behavior, giving them opportunities to apply scientific methods beyond classroom study.

Hands-on opportunities include:

Biological Anthropology Laboratory: ANP 121: Biological Anthropology Laboratory gives students hands-on experience with research processes, scientific methods, human and primate variation, inheritance, adaptation, and collaboration in formal scientific inquiry.
Human Evolution Laboratories: Anthropology teaching laboratories are specifically used for Biological Anthropology, Human Evolution, and Human Anatomy, providing program-relevant practical learning environments.
Fossil Collections: Biological anthropology laboratories contain extensive primate and hominin fossil cast collections, allowing students to work with physical materials relevant to human evolutionary research.
3D Scanning & Digitizing: Research laboratories use 3D scanning and digitizing equipment for studying human and primate evolutionary materials, including high-resolution 3D scans used in research on skull development and evolution.
Microscopy & Imaging: Facilities include dissecting microscopes, light microscopes, high-resolution 3D scanning, and computed tomography (CT) analysis, supporting morphological and evolutionary investigations.
Digital Analysis Tools: Department laboratories use customized software for analysis of zooarchaeological data and CT scans, as well as software for analyzing 3D datasets.
Human Anatomy Resources: The human anatomy teaching laboratory contains anatomical models, while students can also access digital images, videos, 3D models, and other anatomy resources through the University Library.
International Field Research: EBH majors can participate in overseas field research and courses through the Turkana Basin Institute in Kenya and Centre ValBio in Ranomafana, Madagascar, providing direct exposure to human evolution and primate research environments.
Faculty Research: Students can conduct laboratory research with faculty working across the program’s three areas, including human evolution and morphology, human and non-human primate genetics and genomics, and evolutionary basis of behavior.
Research in Human Evolution: Current faculty research includes human and primate paleontology in Kenya and South Africa, primate behavioral ecology in East Africa, Asia and Madagascar, and comparative research using histological images and high-resolution 3D scans.
Specialized Research Facilities: Anthropology research facilities provide resources for analyzing primate and human remains, dental structure and microwear, including laboratory space for microdissection, hormone analysis and molecular approaches.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The B.S. in Human Evolutionary Biology prepares graduates for research, laboratory, healthcare, biotechnology, environmental and scientific careers by combining natural sciences with anthropology and evolutionary biology. Stony Brook specifically identifies career pathways such as research assistant, lab technician, conservationist, biomedical researcher and geneticist, while the curriculum also supports preparation for medical, dental, public-health, allied-health and graduate programs.

Career roles: Research Assistant, Lab Technician, Biomedical Researcher, Geneticist.
Career services: Stony Brook's Career Center provides career coaching, employer connections, job and internship fairs, resume and job-search support, and access to Handshake for on-campus and off-campus employment and internships.
Internship opportunities: The University offers more than 2,000 internship opportunities annually through its Career Center, including paid, unpaid, credit-bearing, part-time, full-time, on-site, hybrid and remote options.
Life-science experience: The BIO 488: Internship in Biological Sciences course allows students to earn academic credit for professional experiences such as laboratory assistance, medical assisting, clinical shadowing, scientific writing and environmental research.
Employment outcomes: Stony Brook reports that nearly 95% of its graduates are employed or continue into professional or graduate school; this is a university-wide graduate outcome rather than a Human Evolutionary Biology-specific statistic.
Recent employers: The University lists BASF, Princeton University, USC, University of Kentucky and Brookhaven National Laboratory among recent employers associated with Human Evolutionary Biology graduates.
Salary figures: A program-specific graduate salary figure is not stated on Stony Brook University's official Human Evolutionary Biology pages, so no program-specific salary estimate is provided.
Industry partnerships: Stony Brook's Career Center Partnership Council includes employers such as Brookhaven National Laboratory, Northwell Health, Stony Brook University Hospital, Nestlé Health Science and Henry Schein, providing established employer connections for internships and full-time recruitment.
Research connections: Human Evolutionary Biology students can participate in laboratory research with faculty and overseas field research and courses in the Turkana Basin, Kenya, and Ranomafana, Madagascar, adding research and field experience to the degree.
Accreditation value: A specific professional accreditation for the Human Evolutionary Biology B.S. is not stated on the official program pages; therefore, no additional accreditation claim is made.
Graduation outcomes: Graduates can move directly into research, laboratory, biomedical, conservation and genetics-related roles, while the degree also provides coursework relevant to medical, dental, public-health, allied-health, biotechnology and master's or doctoral pathways.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the B.S., students can continue into master's and doctoral programs in areas such as biological anthropology, evolutionary biology, genetics, genomics, public health and related life-science disciplines. The program also provides preparation for professional education in medicine, dentistry, public health and allied health, with many required courses serving as prerequisites for these pathways.