Science is a process of understanding phenomena through systematic observation, experimentation and verification. There is an empirical approach to gaining information through the use of systematic and explicit techniques. Because physical anthropologists and archaeologists are engaged in scientific pursuits, they adhere to the principles of the scientific method, whereby a research problem is identified and information subsequently gathered to solve it. Consequently, physical anthropology and archaeology students learn that scientific knowledge is based on the scientific method, and that the scientific method leads to knowledge that is not static, but ever-changing. Students are taught that science consists of testable hypotheses and studies that are replicable. From course content, students learn that new paradigms come from challenging traditional paradigms through the collection of new data and the development of new methods and theories. The program requirements of increased upper division hours in physical anthropology and archaeology courses and a science minor will greatly enhance students' science training.

Physical Anthropology
Physical anthropology is the study of human biology within the framework of evolution, with an emphasis on the interaction between biology and culture. Physical anthropology is subdivided into areas of specialty including human biological variation and adaptation, molecular anthropology, primatology, medical primatology, growth and development, functional morphology, osteology, forensic anthropology, and paleoanthropology. The Department offers course work in many of these areas of specialty.

Archaeology
Archaeology is the study of earlier cultures and past human lifeways by anthropologists who specialize in the scientific recovery, analysis, and interpretation of the material remains of past societies. The science of archaeology is much more than digging up artifacts; rather, archaeology is a multidisciplinary approach to the study of human behavior as evidenced by cultural remains. The Department offers course work in archaeology concentrated in the geographic areas of Mesoamerica, South America and North America, as well as the Old World during the Paleolithic period.