Anthropology

Anthropology is an integral scientific discipline, the Science of Man, studying mankind from its origins until the present. In contrast to scientific disciplines which specially focus on a detailed study of particular areas of human life, anthropology concentrates primarily on the usually ignored connections between biological, social and cultural aspects of human nature. Anthropology regards these bio-socio-cultural interactions as the core for the unique human evolution, as the substance of groundbreaking turns in history and also as a chance for our kind to survive in the future. Anthropology studies the origins and mechanisms of the variations of human biological, social and cultural forms and their relationships in the process of adaptation of Man to the changing environment. The mission of the study program of Anthropology is to prepare highly qualified specialists in the field of integral anthropology, adhering to the above stated concepts.

The study program is suitable for students driven to searching for the essence of Man; students with a wide perspective, with versatile abilities and dedication to intensive study. During the three-year Bachelor's program students are educated in the main anthropological concepts, they acquaint themselves in great detail with the structure and functions of the human body and obtain insight and understanding of the mankind’s socio-cultural evolution from the prehistory until the modern era. Students also gain proficiency in standard methods in the sub-fields of biological anthropology and archeology and in basic procedures of elaboration and presentation of results. Anthropology is a global discipline, therefore one of the goals of the study program is to make the students acquainted with English terminology basics. Some lectures in selected courses are presented in English. Practical training forms an integral part of the studies allowing students to acquire experience in realistic work-duty conditions at potential employers’ facilities. Students apply the acquired theoretical and practical skills in the preparation of their Bachelor's theses to wrap up their studies.

Students of this program should gain orientation in the topics of anthropology, acquire extensive systematic knowledge of human biology, society and culture and learn to apply it to completing anthropological assignments. Theoretical and practical knowledge obtained within the Bachelor's study program represents the foundation for the follow-up in the Master's degree program in Anthropology.

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• differentiate between the basic areas of anthropology, define their strengths and weaknesses and especially assess the importance of bio-socio-cultural interactions from the viewpoint of the specific characteristics of mankind;
• describe in detail the biology of the human body, gross anatomy and histological structure, functions of organs and organ systems, their mutual relationships; and basic principles of heredity;
• define the main phases of prehistorical and historical evolution of Man and human culture (both in the global and local contexts) and explain the main trends in the evolution of Man and the human culture from the Paleolithic until today;
• apply the basic biological anthropology methods to evaluate body type, build, structure and functions of the living human;
• apply basic methods of skeletal anthropology to assess the properties of the deceased (sex, age at death, body height, ethnic affinity) based on the skeletal remains uncovered during archeological excavations;
• perform practical duties of an anthropologist on an archeological on-site burial excavations, particularly uncovering, documentation and exhumation of human skeletal remains;
• design and carry out a methodologically sound small scale anthropological research, statistically evaluate the results and interpret them in the context of applied anthropological theory.

The graduates of Anthropology Bachelor's study program at the Faculty of Science can find employment as staff with expertise in anatomy, human biology and anthropology, especially at biology- and medicine-centered academic institutions, in museums and archeological institutions. Graduates can offer their potential future employers the following: detailed and extensive knowledge of the human body structures and their complex organization, a vast socio-cultural perspective and experience with experimental data evaluation. The educational process at the Faculty of Science MU in the Anthropology program introduces a vast range of situations and prepares students to face the possibility of uncommon tasks, which require searching for new solutions. The major part of graduates is expected to follow their studies in the Master's study program where they will extend their knowledge in synthesizing courses and expand their practical skills by gaining proficiency in additional special methods.

Practical training is an obligatory part of the curriculum in the extent of six weeks during this Bachelor's study program - commonly two weeks per academic year. After completing (and/or being in the process of completing) their practical training assignments, students enroll in a mandatory course Bi6502 On-site Training during the spring semester in the 3rd year of their studies for which they receive credits.

Practical training tuition is centered on archeological excavations of skeletal burial grounds provided by the Department of Anthropology. There, under expert supervision, students acquire hands-on experience of the entire scientific research procedure – a preliminary prospection and localization of the site, excavations of skeletal remains and artifacts, their written, measured and photographic documentations, reconstruction and analysis of the uncovered remnants, interpretation of results and finally formulation of conclusions in the final report. The final stages of the procedure are performed in the laboratory. The Bachelor's program students are primarily trained in basic on-site techniques of burial site (grave) preparation and schematic drawing documentation. At least one week of this on-site training is obligatory during their Bachelor's studies. The remaining practical training can be carried out at other selected workplaces (archeological institutions, scientific departments, museums, hospitals, Police of the Czech Republic departments, etc.) where anthropology-oriented activities take place. Such practical training allows students to establish professional contacts with potential employers. The relevance of the practical training to student's study program is assessed by a guarantor. The certification of completion for the practical training (Bi6502 On-site Training) with a credit value is based on the consensus of the subject teacher and the head of the research (and/or of the organization where the practical training took place).

The Bachelor's thesis has to be submitted in the extent of minimum 30 text pages. The topic of the thesis must be authorized by the Head of the Department of Anthropology. Students usually enroll for the appropriate topic in the 4th semester of their studies. Formal rules for the Bachelor's thesis follow the Dean’s Statement nr. 5/2014 (http://www.sci.muni.cz/NW/predpisy/od/OD-2014-05.pdf).

The thesis is supervised by a member of the academic staff of the Department of Anthropology. External experts come from different associated institutions, such as universities, museums, and the Czech Academy of Sciences. Bachelor theses can take a form either of an expert review of an agreed topic of interest or a form of particular empirical scientific research project.

In the theoretical part, students should demonstrate their ability to examine scientific literature with regard to their thesis topic – to search, analyze and interpret relevant information. In the practical part, students should be able to demonstrate their proficiency in basic methods of anthropology and apply them to the assigned topic. The Bachelor’s thesis defense takes place at the end of the 6th semester in the form of debate between an applicant and a board of examiners; applicants present the theses of their work, introduce the topic focal points and main results. The board evaluates the ability of students to propose and carry out solutions to the assigned tasks, their ability to assess results, interpret and present them in a logical way and use relevant arguments in their defense.

After completing the Bachelor’s study program, students can follow their studies in any Master’s study program (the students must comply with admission criteria of the particular program). There is a direct follow-up Master’s study program in Anthropology.