students examining a skeleton in forensic anthropology class
  1. Academics
  2. Majors, Minors, and Programs
  3. Anthropology / Sociology

Anthropology / Sociology

Anthropology asks, what shapes us as humans? Sociology asks, how does social structure shape culture? Both disciplines ask what it means to be human.

Overview

Anthropology and sociology bridge the gap between life sciences and humanities, revealing the biocultural and sociocultural nature of so much of the human experience. The program encourages students to examine their physical, cultural, and social worlds more critically, and offers students theoretical and methodological tools for examining our world providing a framework for understanding the totality of the human condition and our responsibility for service in a global society. 

Your Major Took You Where?

Anthropology/Sociology majors have gone on to a variety of graduate programs and careers.

Employers

  • Charleston Parks and Conservation
  • Food Recovery Network
  • Japan Exchange & Teaching (JET) Programme
  • IQTalents, LLC
  • AmeriCorps Vista
  • Deloitte

Postgraduate Study

  • University of Chicago
  • Cleveland Marshall School of Law
  • Columbia University
  • Duke University
  • University of Kentucky
  • University of Washington

98%

Employed or in grad-school one year after graduation

Curriculum

The program includes a set of core courses in anthropological and sociological research methods and theoretical perspectives, culminating in an advanced seminar. In addition, majors are able to design the primary portion of their major according to their specific interests, with possibilities including concentrations in archaeology, sociology of health and illness, ecological anthropology, cultural anthropology, social stratification, sociology of family, sociology of religion, and sustainable communities. We also offer individualized minors in anthropology and sociology.

Major Requirements

Anthropology Minor Requirements

Sociology Minor Requirements

“The ANT/SOC program provided me with a multitude of opportunities to think through the complexities of everyday life, encouraging meaningful interactions with the community to apply concepts learned in the classroom. The program equipped me with the tools I need to empower others and create change in the world.”

LIZ CHAVEZ

Major + year

Anthropology/Sociology class of 2019

Hometown

Dallas, TX

Centre alum Liz Chavez

Experiential Learning

Students engage in hands-on learning experiences and reflection to develop skills and increase knowledge retention.

Students have completed collaborative research with faculty in a variety of settings. The sites and subjects have included the Yucatán peninsula and the Chiapan highlands of Mexico, the Louisville Zoo primate center, archaeological digs in Peru and Israel, rural and urban sites in Cuba, Ecuador, Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, as well as studies in the United States of social class in family life. Many of the faculty-student collaborations have resulted in major research papers leading to national and regional presentations and publications.

Internships

We're committed to helping students find quality internship experiences in the career area of their choice.

Student internships have included Boyle County Family Court, International Paper, Sunrise Children’s Home, underwater archeology at the Naval History and Heritage Command, a forensic anthropology office, and the Shepherd Consortium for Poverty Studies at sites all over the U.S. Our internship program in Mérida, Mexico has offered students opportunities ranging from museum work to market research and advertising.

Careers

Our extraordinary liberal arts and sciences education prepares students for meaningful lives and careers.

Anthropology/Sociology majors have found success in social work, fine arts, university teaching, computer services, the Peace Corps, secondary and elementary school teaching, museum work, law, medicine, market research, counseling psychology, dentistry, advertising, and both local and federal government agencies—including the F.B.I.

Anthropology/Sociology Faculty

All Faculty & Staff
Andrea Abrams

Andrea Abrams

  • Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion • Associate Professor of Anthropology
Kaelyn Wiles headshot

Kaelyn Wiles

  • Associate Professor of Sociology
  • Chair, Anthropology/Sociology
Drivers for the Elite Cab Company pose in front of the Doric Lodge and Singleton’s Market, first floor. The two-story Elite Pool Hall (formerly Green Pastures Restaurant), and Elite Cab Company in more prosperous days, was owned by Leon and Orestes “Tiny” Richardson. The drivers, l-r, include George Lee Harlan, William “Buster” Letcher, Calvin Bedinger, and David Robinson. Photo courtesy of the DBCAAHS. Includes graphic of the exhibit title "We Were Here. The African American Experience in Boyle County."
Anthropology/Sociology Events

We Were Here Exhibition

This historical storytelling project celebrates our area’s rich African American heritage and acknowledges the societal and cultural erasure endured by the Danville and Boyle County African American...

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The Norton Center for the Arts

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