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About Us

Sociology, Anthropology, and Human Development & Family Science is a diverse, interdisciplinary department in the College of Liberal Arts offering coursework leading to B.A. and B.S. degrees in three majors. With complimentary bodies of knowledge and applied research methodologies of the social and behavioral sciences, the department offers a wide range of courses that meet the university’s core curriculum requirements.

Our approximately 30 faculty are dedicated to academic excellence and student success for our 300+ majors and thousands of students in other majors. We graduate approximately 90 majors every year from our programs. Each program provides distinct career training, preparation for graduate studies, and greater knowledge of society, culture and family. The department offers a deeper understanding of human challenges and the human condition through education, scholarship and service.

The diversity of the department in both faculty and courses offered affords students a wide variety of opportunities and experiences. Students will gain a wider view of humanity and society, from the minutia of genetic evolution, to the dynamics of families and societies, to the global impacts of man-kind. This is an exciting department with exciting research, teaching, and volunteer opportunities for all students.

Our faculty have achieved international prominence in environmental sociology, criminology, grief studies, gender studies, family life education, counseling, crisis theory, human services, historical archaeology, Southeastern archaeology, forensic anthropology, bioarchaeology, folklore, and linguistics.

Our students have gone on to graduate programs in sociology, anthropology, law, public health, and medicine and entered professions in forensics, archaeology, environmental archaeology, cultural resource management, counseling, gerontology, various types of non-profit organization, and local, state, and federal government.

Each discipline has an active student organization, Sociology Club, Anthropology Society, and student affiliate of the National Council on Family Relations. We also have internship and volunteer opportunities available in all disciplines including at local non-profits organization, in archaeology and forensics, and in various social agencies and community programs.

We understand that a knowledge of people, their institutions, their behavior, cultures and sub-cultures is pre-requisite to functioning effectively in the world, as does our university which is why our courses are required in the curricula of numerous other majors. A degree in sociology, anthropology, or human development and family science prepares students to participate in the global economy and excel in business, government, and in their personal lives today.  If you want to better understand how the world works on the personal, local, national, and international scale come learn with us!