How to Become an Osteologist?

Bones can potentially tell the story of the life they belonged to! A story that an Osteologist are trained to tell. If you are interested in gauging through the fossils and delving deeper into the era they came from? If you feel aligned or are passionate about discovering the whereabouts of fossils found by the archaeologists, you must consider getting a degree in the domain of Osteology. Osteologists are trained professionals who critically analyse the dead remains and evaluate whether the fossils found are of humans or animals by assessing their sex, size and shape. If you find yourself inclined towards this unique field, here is a blog aiming to elucidate various courses, universities, and career prospects in Osteology.

What does an Osteologist do?

Human and animal bones are not just limited to supporting the framework of the bodies through the skeleton rather they, can also help you determine the shape, size, age, sex of the body they belong to. Osteologists are trained to examine the exact details of the specimen through which they can solve mysteries, help the archaeologists, understand the ancient history of the region and the evolution of a particular species of the living being.

Eligibility Criteria

To attain overseas education in Osteology, candidates have to meet certain entry requisites mentioned by the universities. Since there is a wide range of degree courses are offered in this field by numerous universities, the criteria can vary as per the program as well as the institution. Candidates are advised to check the particular requisites on the official website of the university. Take a look at the following eligibility requirements that are generally specified by the university:

• Formal schooling of 10+2 with BiPC Subjects mandatory.
• Bachelor’s degree in the fields like Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, Forensic Anthropology or similar domains.
• Students have to qualify the English language proficiency tests like IELTS, TOEFL etc.
• Work experience in the relevant field for 1-2 years (preferably for a master’s degree).
• It is advised that candidates must have lucrative LORs (Letter of Recommendation) and SOPs (Statement of Purpose).

Courses To Become an Osteologist 

To accommodate students from every arena and skill them into professionals who can deliver the best in their fields, there are an array of courses available in this domain though majorly at the master’s level. Below mentioned are some of the top-notch courses which you can pursue to become an osteologist.

• MSc Human Osteology and Palatheleology
• MSc Human Osteology
• MSc Forensic Osteology and Field Recovery Methods
• MSc Forensic Anthropology
• MSc Forensic Science (Forensic Anthropology)
• MSc Biological Anthropology
• MSc Funerary Anthropology
• MSc Bioarchaeology
• MSc Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology
• MSc Anatomy and Advanced Forensic Anthropology
• MSc Bioarchaeological and Forensic Anthropology
• MSc/PGDip Human Osteology and Palaeopathology

How to Become an Osteologist: Top Universities

One of the most crucial steps in your academic journey is to decide the best university for your dream course and get your career started on the right path. That’s why it becomes essential to select a university with intricate research, as a university provides you with the perfect platform required to begin with achieving your career aspirations. Following are some of the meticulously chosen leading institutions that offer specialised programs in Osteology:

• Flinders University
• University of Bradford
• University of York
• Durham University
• University of Kent
• University of Huddersfield
• University of Dundee
• Liverpool John Moores University 
• University of Reading
• University of Exeter
• The University of Sheffield
• The University of Winchester

How to Become an Osteologist in India?

To pursue Osteology in India, candidates need to pursue bachelors in degrees in Archaeology, Anthropology or another suitable subject ( Forensic Science, Medical Science or BiPC courses). An understanding of Archaeology is a must in some colleges while some colleges require students to have a medical background in order to pursue masters or PhD in the field. Though Indian universities do not offer a BSc or MSc in Human Osteology, there are some colleges in India that offer specialisation in the field of Osteology like MSc Orthopedics, MSc in Anatomy, Physiology and Clinical Microbiology.

• Delhi University
• AlIMS
• University of Calcutta
• Armed Forces Medical College
• Government Medical College
• Government Medical College
• Kasturba Medical College
• Lady Hardinge Medical College
• NIMS University
• Teerthanker Mahaveer University
• University of Pondicherry
• University of Madras

Career Prospects

Once you get equipped with the knowledge of Osteology through the above-mentioned programs, there are varied employment areas you can choose from. Being a distinct domain, proficient Osteologists possessing the passion to create wonders in the field are always in dire demand by the organizations. Thus, after securing a degree in this field, some of the responsibilities you will be handling as an osteologist are:

• Analyse and identify whether the bone is of a human or of an animal
• Determine that the bone is of a four-legged or two-legged animal
• Identifying the various characteristics of the bones like shape, size and density of the bone
• Gauging out the possibilities that the sample bones are of a single person or more than one person
• Based on the growth of teeth, morphology and size of the bones identifying the sex of the human

Salary 

The average salary of an Osteologist in India is ₹7,13,731 (INR)/yr. This is an average estimate and salaries depend upon work experience, educational qualification and employer.

Sectors for Osteologist

• Education
• Research
• Museums & Archaeology
• Forensics
• Medicine & Health

Related Read:

Osteology Books

• Forensic Osteology: Advances in the Identification of Human Remains
• Human Osteology
• Textbook of Human Osteology by Inderbir Singh
• Inderbir Singh’s Textbook of Human Osteology: With Atlas of Muscle Attachments
• Developmental Juvenile Osteology
• Handbook Of General Anatomy by B. D. Chaurasia
• The Human Bone Manual
• Human Osteology by William M. Bass
• Comparative Osteology: A Laboratory and Field Guide of Common North American Animals

FAQs

Thus, we hope that this blog has familiarized you with the key essentials of a career as an Osteologist. Are you clueless about which course to pursue in this field? Take the assistance of Leverage Edu’s AI-based tool which suggests the best course and university combinations as per one’s interests and preferences thus helping you find a suitable program and institution and take an informed step towards your dream career.