The departmental curriculum is designed to provide knowledge, skills and abilities to students who plan to (1) seek employment in business, industry, criminal justice, human service, or related fields, (2) pursue advanced studies in law, public policy, urban planning, or related fields, or (3) engage in graduate work in sociology, anthropology, criminology, criminal justice, or related fields.

The sociology major may specialize in concentrations in Family Studies or Pre-Law. The anthropology major will be exposed to the four fields of anthropology: archaeology, physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, and linguistics. Of particular interest to Criminology and Criminal Justice majors is a unique agreement with the Central Virginia Criminal Justice Academy whereby students can spend one semester of their senior year at the Academy earning academic credit and becoming certified to work as law enforcement officers in the Commonwealth of Virginia upon graduation. A similar agreement with the Richmond Police Academy has recently been added.

Internships or field experiences are required for all three majors offered in the department. In the past, students have interned in a variety of settings including probation and parole offices, community colleges, local government branches, planning and research agencies, physical and mental health care facilities, and museums. A popular offering in the department is the Archaeology Field School, which can be used by anthropology majors to fulfill their internship requirement. In the Field School students learn about historic and prehistoric civilizations through supervised excavations of actual settlements. The Field School is offered in Summer Sessions. For more information, contact Dr. Brian D. Bates.

The objective of the sociology major is to prepare students for occupations in business, industry, government, and human service. The major is appropriate preparation for graduate study in the social sciences and law. The focus of sociology is on social forces, institutions, organizations, and how individuals interface with society. The student’s personal growth can be achieved through understanding of the rich diversity of the modern world. Skills can be developed in oral and written communication, critical thinking, scientific research methods, statistics and computerized data analysis.

Anthropology focuses on the cultural, social, and biological diversity of human groups in the present, historic, and prehistoric past. This great diversity is examined through the study of patterns of culture, social behavior, language structure, archaeological artifacts, and evolution. The objective of the anthropology major is to prepare students for careers in business and industry, government, and human service. Additionally, the major is appropriate preparation for graduate study in anthropology or other social sciences. The objective of the minor in anthropology is to acquaint the student with the discipline and to survey the techniques of research used in physical anthropology, linguistics, archaeology, and social cultural anthropology and enhance career possibilities.