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Anthropology and Sociology BA

College of Liberal Arts / Social Science
Undergraduate major / Bachelor of Arts

About The Program

Why Anthropology and Sociology?

The Anthropology and Sociology Major is an ideal course of study for students interested in:

  • The great diversity and equality of human cultures and societies   
  • Understanding how and why differences of culture, race, class, gender, and sexual orientation shape societies
  • Applying anthropological and sociological approaches to solving social problems
  • Analyzing how culture and society shape our lives, often in invisible ways
  • Developing career skills in sociocultural analysis, data literacy, research translation, systems thinking, communication and dialogue skills, project design, and more

The Anthropology and Sociology major focuses on the analysis of society and culture, while promoting social justice and cultural respect.

What will I do in the major?

Courses in the Anthropology and Sociology major fall into the following areas of study:

  • Foundational concepts in anthropology and sociology, the study of what people have, do, think, and feel within cultures and societies
  • The origins and development of human cultures and societies
  • Social dynamics of gender, race, class, religion, sexual orientation, inequality, and more
  • Applying anthropology and sociology to careers and solving social problems

Students in the Anthropology and Sociology major learn fundamental skills in anthropological and sociological analysis and research and conduct their own research to complete their degrees.

What can I do with the degree?

The Anthropology and Sociology major offers graduates valuable training for professional or graduate work in several fields:

  • Local, State and Federal Governments 
  • Local and International Development and Aid Organizations 
  • Consumer and User Experience (UX) Research 
  • Nonprofit and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
  • Community Advocacy
  • Public Health
  • Social Services and Counseling
  • Universities and Research Institutions
  • Graduate School in Anthropology, Sociology, and Related Fields

More information on careers in sociology is on the American Sociological Association website, this brochure from the American Sociological Association, on the American Anthropological Association website, and from the Anthropology Career Readiness Network.

Student outcomes

The learning outcomes for this major provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities to enter the 21st-century workplace to:

  • Know and understand essential concepts and approaches in anthropology and sociology
  • Develop critical thinking skills by analyzing and evaluating research and scholarly work in anthropology and sociology
  • Develop skills conducting social research
  • Write effectively in a style that is informed and well-reasoned
  • Analyze social differences and inequalities regarding domains such as globalization; sex, gender and sexual orientation; race and ethnicity; religion; and social class
  • Connect lived experiences to broader sociocultural forces
  • Apply cultural relativism toward understanding diverse peoples, beliefs, and practices

Related minors

How to enroll

Current students: Declare this program

Once you’re admitted as an undergraduate student and have met any further admission requirements your chosen program may have, you may declare a major or declare an optional minor.

Future students: Apply now

Apply to Metropolitan State: Start the journey toward your Anthropology and Sociology BA now. Learn about the steps to enroll or, if you have questions about what Metropolitan State can offer you, request information, visit campus or chat with an admissions counselor.

Get started on your Anthropology and Sociology BA

Program eligibility requirements

Only non social-science majors may do this minor.

Courses and Requirements

SKIP TO COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Summary (40 credits)

At least half of the credits required for the major must be completed at Metropolitan State University. Students must earn a grade of C- or above in all major courses. Student should select lower division electives and upper division electives in consultation with an advisor. Transfer courses may be applicable to major requirements. The university's degree audit will specify transfer courses that are directly equivalent to major requirements. Other transfer courses must be approved by a faculty advisor in the department.

+ Lower Division Electives (up to 10 credits)

Students may select lower division courses in anthropology and sociology. Students may also select SSCI 100: Introduction to Social Science

+ Core Courses (17 credits)

All social science majors must complete all four core courses (SSCI 300, SSCI 311, SSCI 411, and SSCI 451/452). Sequencing: SSCI 300, SSCI 311, SSCI 411, and SSCI 451 or SSCI 452. Social science majors may take one core course at a time. Alternatively, majors may take SSCI 300 and SSCI 311 concurrently, or they may take SSCI 311 and SSCI 411 concurrently. SSCI 300, 311, and 411 must be completed before beginning a capstone class (SSCI 451 or 452).

FIRST:

Most of us are only dimly aware of how politics, culture, and society influence, and often coerce, our daily lives. The calling of a social scientist is to help us make these invisible social structures visible. In this course, students develop the skills and tools to discover, analyze, and interpret these obscure social processes. Ideally, this knowledge will have a liberating effect on their individual lives. Students will also perceive how their civic and ethical participation can change politics, culture, and society, as well as themselves.

Full course description for Seeing Like a Social Scientist

THEN:

This course provides an introduction to the basic concepts of social science research. Students learn and implement a variety of research methods, and critically reflect on the relationship of these methods to philosophical traditions within social science. The courses examines two approaches to social science research, quantitative and qualitative, and the unique contribution of each approach for understanding social life. Experiential activities enhance classroom learning.

Full course description for Research Methods in Social Science

THEN:

Social scientists study the world so that we may take informed action to solve social problems. In this class, students explore how theory contributes to solving social problems. Students will learn how theorists identify and analyze social problems, as well as offer potential solutions. Special emphasis will be placed on some of the most contested and controversial social problems of our time, such as neoliberalism and its role in deepening economic inequality, climate collapse, and the erosion of democracy globally. Students will also explore issues such as identity politics and oppression based on identity categories, which may include race, gender, sexuality, ability, and nationality. Students will consider how theory helps us to envision and pursue a more just, humane, and sustainable world.

Full course description for Theory and Social Problems

THEN:

Social scientists investigate the patterns of human interactions and then seek to interpret, explain and communicate human behavior. This seminar is designed to provide a final, integrating experience for students with a social science major. Seminar participants complete a senior project that demonstrates an ability to design a study, collect new or existing data, analyze those findings and communicate the results.

Full course description for Empirical Research Capstone

OR:

The social sciences have been shaping our understanding of the human condition for 175 years. Students will be comparing and evaluating ideas that continue to engage and perplex thoughtful public intellectuals. The capstone project involves researching an idea that remains disputable. The goal of a student's thesis is an independent interpretation of a specific concept.

Full course description for Conceptual Research Capstone

+ Upper division electives (to reach 40 credits)

Students may select any 300-level courses in anthropology and sociology. Students may also take SSCI 401 (Social Science Seminar: Contending Perspectives), which is offered only in the summer.