College of Arts and Sciences
School of Biomedical Sciences
www.kent.edu/biomedical

About This Program

The Biomedical Sciences - Human Evolutionary Biology Ph.D. program is designed for students who are interested in the study of human evolution, including genetics, anthropology, and archaeology. With a focus on research and advanced coursework, you'll gain the skills needed to tackle complex questions about human evolution and make a significant contribution to the field.Read more...

Contact Information

• Director:John Johnson|BMS@kent.edu| 330-672-3849
• Connect with an Admissions Counselor:U.S. Student|International Student

Program Delivery

• Delivery
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

For more information about graduate admissions, visit thegraduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit theinternational admission website.

Admission Requirements

• Master's degree in anthropology or biological sciences from an accredited college or university¹
• Minimum 3.000 GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcript(s)
• Curriculum vitae/résumé is required starting with the fall 2024 admission term
• GRE scores
• Goal statement (applicants should describe their research experience and interests along with their goals in pursuing an advanced degree)
• Three letters of recommendation
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning one of the following:
  • Minimum 600 TOEFL PBT score
  • Minimum 100 TOEFL IBT score
  • Minimum 85 MELAB score
  • Minimum 7.0 IELTS score
  • Minimum 68 PTE score
  • Minimum 120 Duolingo English score

¹

A student with an outstanding academic record may receive a waiver of the master’s degree requirement upon completion of 20 credit hours of graduate work and be admitted directly to the Ph.D. degree program.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Application deadline: December 1

Applications submitted after this deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

Courses equivalent to those in the core may be substituted with the approval of the program committee.

²

Each doctoral candidate, upon admission to candidacy, must register forBMS 80199for a total of 30 credit hours. It is expected that a doctoral candidate will continuously register forBMS 80199and thereafterBMS 80299, each semester, until all requirements for the degree have been met.

³

May be satisfied by courses taken at NEOMED or any College of Podiatric Medicine. Students should consult with their advisory committee.

⁴

Cognate and elective courses in related departments (e.g., anthropology, biological sciences, chemistry, geology and psychology) will be selected and approved by the student’s advisory committee.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Publish their research in peer-reviewed journals.
2. Demonstrate the ability to teach undergraduate students.
3. Seek employment after graduation in fields that reflect their area of training.

Full Description

The Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Sciences–Human Evolutionary Biology emphasizes a biological approach to research problems focusing on human and non-human anthropology. The program focuses on human anatomy and neuroanatomy, developmental biology, evolutionary genetics, mammalian physiology, paleontology and experimental archaeology. Many graduates use their training and teaching experience to enter anthropology or corporate teaching positions. Most graduates are also prepared to teach both human anatomy and other cognate fields (neuroanatomy, cell biology, physiology, genetics) in demand at most medical schools.

The Ph.D. degree is offered in consortium with Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED). Faculty in the program are drawn from the departments of Anthropology and the Biological Sciences at Kent State and the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at NEOMED. This inter-departmental and inter-institutional structure provides significant resources to the doctoral candidates, including the Hammon-Todd human and primate skeletal collection, state-of-the-art laboratories for neuroanatomy, anatomy, genetics, paleontology, biomechanics and experimental archaeology. Additional resources are available to students through the Cleveland Museum of National History, the Cleveland Metroparks zoo and other local, national and international collaborative relationships.

Candidates for the Ph.D. are expected to engage, to the extent possible, in other activities that benefit their professional development. The teaching of laboratory and lecture course, as a appropriate is considered valuable, and each student should have this experience during their graduate career. This includes those students on non-teaching scholarships or research appointments during their tenure. Students should also seek membership in professional organizations, attend meetings to present research results and maintain currency in the relevant literature.