Human Biology

Human Biology explores humans and humanity from a variety of perspectives. Be at the forefront of fields from anthropology to public health, bringing an interdisciplinary approach wherever your career takes you.

Students at work in a molecular biology lab at the Nucleus

About Our Human Biology Program

  • Learn how to use the tools of biology and the social sciences to explore questions about humans and humanity. 
  • Choose one of two tracks, focusing either on the social sciences (anthropology, sociology, and psychology) or the ways different cultures understand and apply health and healing. 
  • Human Biology gives you the skills to succeed in your post-Pitzer career. Bring your Pitzer perspective to the table and emerge as a leader in fields such as public health, medical anthropology, and, with additional courses, medicine.
  • Take classes through the intercollegiate Department of Natural Sciences, working with world-class faculty from Pitzer and Scripps Colleges. 
  • Make use of labs, classrooms, offices, and even a community greenhouse in the 151,000 square-foot Nucleus, our brand-new science building.

Please note that this major does not include all of the courses required by medical schools or other pre-health programs. Students interested in pre-health programs should consult their advisor and the Department of Natural Sciences pre-health advisor early in their college career to formulate a coherent four-year plan that meets their needs.

At a Glance

Degree Awarded

  • Bachelor of Arts

Field Group

Biology (Department of Natural Sciences)

Program Type

Area of Study

This program is offered through the Department of Natural Sciences. This is a Pitzer major; Scripps students may choose this as an off-campus major.

Human Biology & Our Values

Pitzer’s Core Values are woven throughout all of our academic programs. Learn how our human biology program specifically addresses interdisciplinary learning and social responsibility.

Interdisciplinary Learning

As a human biology major, you won’t just learn the science — you’ll take anthropology, sociology, and psychology as you work to understand humanity from a variety of perspectives.

7+ Fields

In addition to the core fields of biology and chemistry, human biology majors take courses in social scientific fields from anthropology to political studies.

Social Responsibility

“It is my deep belief that education has the power to cultivate and empower this generation of informed citizens and leaders … whether it be through understanding and appreciating our histories or through understanding oneself as an integral determinant of our health, the health of our community, and beyond.”

Sanya Dhama '24

she/her

Human Biology major

Read Sanya's Story
$35k+ In Grants for Social Change

Over the past four years, Human Biology students at Pitzer have won more than $35,000 in grants for projects in areas from environmental justice to health access.

Pitzer Voices

Natalie Honan ’17 used her human biology major to travel to Spain on a Fulbright grant, where she taught health education to high schoolers. She’s now a family medicine resident at the University of Wisconsin—Madison.

Pitzer human biology alumna Natalie Honan '17
“I’m really grateful to have attended a college that values the diverse skills and perspectives drawn on in a field like biological science. ... I believe an undergraduate science program that emphasizes the social, emotional, and environmental aspects of health science has given me an advantage in thinking critically about accessible and patient-centered care.”

Natalie Honan '17, MD

she/her

Human Biology major

Get Involved

Outside view of Benson Auditorium

Awards

Angel Sherpa ’21, a human biology major, won a $15,000 Napier Initiative fellowship to create a telemedicine program that connected the remote village of Simigaun, where the closest clinic is almost two hours away, to doctors in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu. 

Pitzer's brand-new science building, Nucleus West

Resources

Pitzer’s human biology program is offered through the Department of Natural Sciences, a joint department that serves students from Pitzer and Scripps College. The department has more than 50 full-time faculty, and places an emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and research.

Human Biology Program Details

View Course Catalog

What you'll learn

Pitzer's Human Biology major is split into two tracks. Each track has different educational objectives, which are outlined below:

Track One: Social Science

  1. How to understand foundational principles and findings in biology and the social sciences
  2. How to develop hypotheses, design experiments to test those hypotheses, and collect and evaluate data.
  3. How to think critically and analytically in interpreting data.
  4. How to read, understand, and critique original research articles in the biological and social sciences.

Track Two: Cross-Cultural Health and Healing

In addition to the requirements in Track One, you’ll also learn:

  1. How to understand variation in human social organizations and culture.
  2. How to identify and understand health and healing in different cultural, economic, and political contexts.
  3. How to identify issues affecting medical practices in local and global settings.

Core Courses

  • Introductory Biology: Take one of the following course combinations (in either order).
    • BIOL 043L KS - Introductory Biology (Fall) and BIOL 044L KS - Introductory Biology (Spring)
    • BIOL 042L KS - Integrated Biology and Chemistry and BIOL 044L KS - Introductory Biology (Spring)
  • Introductory Chemistry: Take one of the following course sequences (in order). Students may also test to place into CHEM 029L KS - Accelerated General Chemistry if it is being offered.
    • CHEM 014L KS - Basic Principles of Chemistry (Fall) and CHEM 015L KS - Basic Principles of Chemistry (Spring)
    • CHEM 029L KS - Accelerated General Chemistry
    • CHEM 042L KS - Integrated Biology and Chemistry
  • Biology Upper-Division Courses: Take four upper-division courses in biology (courses numbered over 100), with at least two including a lab component (indicated by an L next to the course number)
    • Appropriate courses include, but are not limited to: Genetics, Evolution, Biostatistics, Animal Behavior, Neuroscience 2: Systems, Cell Cycle Diseases and Aging, Biology of Cancer, Genomics and Bioinformatics, Vertebrate Physiology, Vertebrate Anatomy, Disease Ecology and Evolution, Microbiology, Virology, Nutritional Biology, Human Anatomy, Population Genomics

Social Science Option Requirements

  • Introductory Courses: Take all of the following
    • ANTH 001 PZ - Introduction to Archaeology and Biological Anthropology
    • PSYC 010 PZ - Introduction to Psychology (or equivalent)
    • SOC 001 PZ - Introduction to Sociology (or equivalent)
  • Upper-Division Courses: Take four upper division courses in your area of concentration (Anthropology, Psychology, or Sociology)

We strongly recommend taking a course in statistics, which may or may not count toward an upper-division major requirement. For example:

  • BIOL 175 KS - Applied Biostatistics fulfills an upper-division biology credit
  • PSYC 091 PZ - Psychological Statistics does not fulfill an upper-division psychology credit
  • SOC 101 PZ - Quantitative Research Methods fulfills an upper-division sociology credit

Senior Thesis

All Human Biology majors are required to complete a one- or two-semester senior thesis in biology in conjunction with two faculty advisors. The thesis requirement can be fulfilled in the following ways:

  • One-Semester Thesis: BIOL 191 KS - One-Semester Thesis in Biology
  • Two-Semester Thesis: BIOL 188L KS - Senior Thesis Research Project in Biology (First Semester) and BIOL 190L KS - Senior Thesis Research Project in Biology (Second Semester)
  • Two-Semester Thesis with Summer Research: BIOL 189L KS - Senior Thesis Summer Research Project and BIOL 190L KS - Senior Thesis Research Project in Biology (Second Semester)

Human Biology theses are often interdisciplinary. One thesis reader must be a Biology (or Neuroscience) faculty member, and the other may be a reader from a relevant social science field. Your thesis topic should dictate which faculty member is the primary ("first reader") and secondary thesis advisor. 

Learn More

For more information on Human Biology major requirements, view the Pitzer Course Catalog.

View the Catalog

The Cross-Cultural Health and Healing track is highly flexible, and you should work closely with your faculty advisor to choose the courses that best meet your academic goals.

Core Courses

  • Introductory Biology: Take one of the following course combinations (in either order).
    • BIOL 043L KS - Introductory Biology (Fall) and BIOL 044L KS - Introductory Biology (Spring)
    • BIOL 042L KS - Integrated Biology and Chemistry and BIOL 044L KS - Introductory Biology (Spring)
  • Introductory Chemistry: Take one of the following course sequences (in order). Students may also test to place into CHEM 029L KS - Accelerated General Chemistry if it is being offered.
    • CHEM 014L KS - Basic Principles of Chemistry (Fall) and CHEM 015L KS - Basic Principles of Chemistry (Spring)
    • CHEM 029L KS - Accelerated General Chemistry
    • CHEM 042L KS - Integrated Biology and Chemistry
  • Biology Upper-Division Courses: Take four upper-division courses in biology (courses numbered over 100), with at least two including a lab component (indicated by an L next to the course number)
    • Appropriate courses include, but are not limited to: Genetics, Evolution, Biostatistics, Animal Behavior, Neuroscience 2: Systems, Cell Cycle Diseases and Aging, Biology of Cancer, Genomics and Bioinformatics, Vertebrate Physiology, Vertebrate Anatomy, Disease Ecology and Evolution, Microbiology, Virology, Nutritional Biology, Human Anatomy, Population Genomics

Cross-Cultural Health and Healing Option Requirements

Course requirements for this option are flexible, allowing you to select seven courses related to health and/or healing that form a cohesive, interdisciplinary theme of interest to you. You must consult with a Human Biology faculty advisor before selecting these courses.

  • Lower-Division Courses: Take up to three lower-division courses that are either:
    • Related to health or healing; or
    • Necessary prerequisites for upper-division courses related to health or healing
  • Upper-Division Courses: At least three upper-division courses related to health or healing
  • Practicum Course: One upper-division practicum or internship course related to health or healing. You might fulfill this requirement by
    • Taking Courses with CASA Pitzer: CASA Pitzer brings together students, staff, faculty, and community partners to conduct collaborative projects and community-based research in the Inland Empire. CASA Pitzer offers a two-course program — CASA 101 PZ - Critical Community Studies and CASA 105 PZ - Research Methods for Community Change — that fulfills the practicum requirement for this major.
    • Studying Abroad: Pitzer offers a number of study abroad programs that offer courses that fulfill this requirement. The Costa Rica Summer Health program, for example, combines an intensive Spanish program with a sociology course that explores epidemiology, public health, and intercultural learning.

We strongly recommend taking a course in statistics, which may or may not count toward an upper-division major requirement. For example:

  • BIOL 175 KS - Applied Biostatistics fulfills an upper-division biology credit
  • PSYC 091 PZ - Psychological Statistics fulfills an upper-division psychology credit
  • SOC 101 PZ - Quantitative Research Methods fulfills an upper-division sociology credit

Senior Thesis

All Human Biology majors are required to complete a one- or two-semester senior thesis in biology in conjunction with two faculty advisors. The thesis requirement can be fulfilled in the following ways:

  • One-Semester Thesis: BIOL 191 KS - One-Semester Thesis in Biology
  • Two-Semester Thesis: BIOL 188L KS - Senior Thesis Research Project in Biology (First Semester) and BIOL 190L KS - Senior Thesis Research Project in Biology (Second Semester)
  • Two-Semester Thesis with Summer Research: BIOL 189L KS - Senior Thesis Summer Research Project and BIOL 190L KS - Senior Thesis Research Project in Biology (Second Semester)

Human Biology theses are often interdisciplinary. One thesis reader must be a Biology (or Neuroscience) faculty member, and the other may be a reader from a relevant social science field. Your thesis topic should dictate which faculty member is the primary ("first reader") and secondary thesis advisor. 

As an interdisciplinary major, human biology does not offer courses on its own. Instead, courses from a wide range of fields, from biology to psychology, count toward the requirements for this major.

View the Course Catalog

For a full list of courses that count toward the human biology major, see the Pitzer Course Catalog.

View the Course Catalog

Human Biology Program Faculty

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Jennifer Armstrong

  • Professor of Biology
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Alicia Bonaparte

  • Professor of Sociology
  • Sociology Field Group
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Sarah Budischak

  • Assistant Professor of Biology
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Pete Chandrangsu

  • Assistant Professor of Biology
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Elise Ferree

  • Professorial Lecturer in Biology
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Patrick Ferree

  • Professor of Biology
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Findley Finseth

  • Associate Professor of Biology
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Steffanie Guillermo

  • Associate Professor of Psychology
  • Psychology Field Group
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Ashley Heers

  • Assistant Professor of Biology
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Sheryl Miller

  • Professor of Anthropology
  • Distinguished Teaching Chair in Archaeology and Biological Anthropology
  • Anthropology Field Group
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Jenna Monroy

  • Associate Professor of Biology
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Marion Preest

  • Professor of Biology
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Urmi Willoughby

  • Associate Professor of History
  • History Field Group

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