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.

Human Biology Program Faculty

No profile image for Jennifer Armstrong

Jennifer Armstrong

  • Professor of Biology
portrait of alicia Bonaparte

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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