Stephany J asks: “What exactly are job options for osteologists and what kind of education do you need to become one? What kind of activities do they do in your museum?”
Career options for human osteologists (scientists who study human skeletons) vary depending on your other areas of experience and specialization. Regardless of your background, a master’s degree is the first step; having a doctoral degree opens more doors. The majority of osteologists go into academic positions, either teaching or research in anthropology, forensic sciences, and/or anatomy/biology departments. For those who choose non-academic routes, many osteologists work in museums, medical examiners offices, and state or federal archaeology or forensic institutions. Having a degree in human osteology is surprising versatile because osteology overlaps with so many disciplines. However, jobs within the field are scarce and often dependent on grants and funding.
At the Laboratory of Human Osteology at the UNM Maxwell Museum, of Anthropology we provide support and resources for staff, students, and researchers conducting osteological research. Additionally, we support training workshops for Pathology Fellows from the Office of the Medical Investigator, as well as K-12 workshops covering osteology, forensic anthropology, and human evolution. As is the case with many museum collections, osteology collection staff are constantly managing inventory information, fielding research requests from UNM and visiting researchers, as well as processing skeletal donors, and preparing for repatriation of Native remains through NAGPRA (Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act).
-Alex Denning
Senior Collection Manager, Laboratory of Osteology
