Areas of Concentration

Students will be able to choose from courses already available at IUB to complete in-depth study in their chosen Area of Concentration. These courses will be chosen from both the physical/biological and the social science/humanities perspectives.

Click here for the complete list of Area of Concentration Courses

•  Human Health and Disease: This area of specialization concentrates on the biological basis for disease as well as the social and cultural implications of health and society. HHD focuses on health, illness and healing systems from different perspectives in order to understand the complexity of health, the multiple factors that can produce illness and disease and the many systems (lay, informal/alternative, formal) that can address health problems.

Students completing this major could become future health care providers or administrators, professors, research scientists or educators in various settings. Students could choose to work in the life sciences industry, or in the public sector - as public health providers, educators, administrators, or as policymakers for issues such as end-of-life decisions, genetics testing or health insurance.

•  Human Reproduction and Sexuality: This concentration focuses on human reproduction and sexuality both from a biological standpoint and a psychological and social perspective.The fundamental goal of HRS is to provide students with a broad overview of topics related to human reproduction and sexuality by introducing basic concepts from complementary perspectives (such as, evolutionary and ecological, physiological and anatomical, genetic and developmental, biomedical and historical, cultural and societal.

Students completing the major might pursue careers in human medicine by specializing in epidemiology or endocrinology. They might become teachers and serve as reliable sources of information on human sexual health or they could provide genetic and sexual counseling. With this concentration, students might choose to conduct research on sexually transmitted diseases, or pursue a legal education that would allow them to defend clients from discrimination based on sexual orientation. They might become environmental consultants who could assess the safety of the environment for reproductive health.

•  Human Environment and Ecology: This concentration addresses humans as organisms, interfacing with their environment and the resulting effects of this interaction on the human condition. HEE seeks to promote interdisciplinary understanding of the environmental, social and economic dimensions of human-environment interactions. Students in this concentration will develop expertise in three key areas: (1) Human dependence on ecosystems, (2) Humanity's "ecological footprint", (3) The theory and practice of sustainable human-environment interactions. Students in this area of concentration will also gain experience in formulating values and ethical positions and in developing various methodological skills, including methods of scientific research, information literacy, quantitative and qualitative analysis, analysis of rhetoric and public speaking skills. A goal for students of this concentration is the ability to apply information, skills and values to everyday life choices.

This area may attract students who lean toward careers in the sciences (e.g. ecologist, medical professional) versus the humanities (e.g. social worker, conservation NGO), however, we feel that the Human Biology Program seeks to foster future generations of doctors, for example, who understand that disease prevention is as much a matter of intelligent ecosystem stewardship, including environmentally and socially responsible farming systems, as of pharmaceuticals. As another example, the economists, policy makers and social workers of tomorrow ought to understand the role of healthy ecosystems in vital economies and livable, vibrant communities, and to have grappled with such issues as valuation of ecosystem services and environmental externalities.

•  Human Origins and Survival: This area emphasizes the biological basis of human origins, variation, and physiological adaptation through the study of genetics and evolutionary processes, as well as the role of health, disease, and medicine in cultural and evolutionary adaptations. HOS students will understand the origin and complexity of humans and the human condition by examining human anatomy and brain evolution, intelligence and language development, and the consequences of development of civilization and technology on humanity.