Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Anthropology

Anthropology studies human biological and cultural diversity through time and space. It encompasses all of humanity as well as our closest primate relatives, from the earliest prehistoric human ancestors to the varied societies inhabiting the world today. The Anthropology Program at MSU Denver is committed to enhancing student knowledge and appreciation of human beings as both a biological and a cultural species. Emphasizing a holistic approach, the program offers courses in each of the four traditional subfields of anthropology (cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, archaeology, and linguistic anthropology) and provides students with proven conceptual and methodological tools for observing and studying humans, both ancient and modern. Faculty and students apply anthropological concepts and perspectives to pressing social issues and problems through laboratory and field courses, internships, and community outreach programs. Overall, the program aims to foster appreciation of human similarities and differences, past and present, as well as attune students to the relationship between daily individual realities and larger social institutions at the local, national, and global levels. Given this foundation, the overarching goal of MSU Denver’s Anthropology Program is to prepare students for future life experiences, whether personal, professional, or educational, in increasingly diverse and multicultural social environments, thereby enabling them to participate more fully in the global economy of the 21st century.

Sociology

Sociology studies all of its aspects, from individuals to large organizations. The sociology major emphasizes understanding human behavior as situated in cultural values, norms, and social structures as well as various social, religious, political and economic institutions. . Required courses provide practice in applying the sociological theories and research methods sociologists use to analyze issues and address problems in the everyday social world. This focus enables sociology majors to apply these skills in a variety of work-related settings, or as a solid foundation for graduate school. Contact the Department of Sociology and Anthropology for additional information.

A major in sociology requires that students take and pass 39 credits in sociology, with a minimum of a “C” in all sociology courses taken. The student majoring in sociology will take 21 required credits and 18 elective credits, for a total of 39 credits in the discipline. At least 12 upper-division semester hours in sociology must be completed at MSU Denver by students majoring in sociology.