UMF Catalog On-Line

Degree Earned
Bachelor of Arts: Interdisciplinary Studies - Sociology/Anthropology

Interdisciplinary Studies recognizes that academic disciplines do not exist in a vacuum, that to fully understand a subject one must move beyond the silos of the individual disciplines and integrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are to be found in related, complementary academic subjects. Thus the student will study at least two different subjects in the Interdisciplinary program, looking for connections between them.

The current mission of the Sociology/Anthropology faculty at UMF is to provide students with a strong foundation in both sociology and anthropology, preparing them for a lifetime of learning about people, cultures and societies. We are dedicated to utilizing diverse, multicultural and global perspectives in our courses while also working for positive social change.

Within this mission, our overarching vision centers on a commitment to excellence in education, encouraging students to reach their full potential on personal and academic levels. We utilize a range of techniques offering students the opportunity to learn from a variety of perspectives, enhancing their ability to think critically and understand their relationship to society. We provide opportunities to develop essential skills and tools that will prepare students for success in graduate school, employment in positions related to sociology and anthropology as well as the ability to translate these skills into successful employment in any field they choose.

Learning Goals:

Successful students will:

Develop a mastery of the foundational concepts, theories and research techniques used in both Anthropology and Sociology.
Expand her/his understanding of culture and society around the globe.
Apply sociological and anthropological concepts to real world issues
Increase reading, writing, communication and critical thinking skills that can be translated into the job market and graduate school.

Assessment Criteria:

Students are expected to successfully integrate sociological and anthropological concepts and theories into class discussion, exercises and various assignments.
Students develop an understanding of the disciplines through learning how to read, understand and critique original Anthropological and Sociological studies as well as conduct micro and macro-level analyses.
Each student is evaluated on her/his ability to correctly use course materials in written work including weekly short papers, section papers, presentations, projects, quizzes and in class and take-home exams. Students are expected to progress / improve these skills as they get closer to graduating. Each student creates a senior level research project, which is developed through the combination of our research methods and capstone courses.

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

The requirements for a major in Sociology/Anthropology are 44 credit hours. Students shall take 24 hours of required courses and an additional 20 hours of elective courses in either sociology or anthropology. Majors are also required to take an introductory level statistics course from the mathematics department which counts toward the mathematics requirement. We highly recommend that students become proficient in another language, particularly if they are going to pursue an advanced degree in anthropology.

Required Courses (24 credits)

ANT 101S	Introduction to Cultural Anthropology	4
ANT 103S	Human Origins and Cultural Development	4
SOC 101S	Introduction to Sociology	4
SOC 340	Theoretical Foundations in Sociology/Anthropology	4
SOC 360	Social Science Research Methods	4
ANT 480	Senior Seminar/Capstone in Anthropology
or
SOC 480	Senior Seminar/Capstone in Sociology	4

Elective Courses (20 credits)

Five additional courses chosen from Anthropology and Sociology

Total Credits for the Major: 44

Students shall earn a C or higher in all courses within the Sociology and Anthropology Major in order to successfully complete the major. Students may take a maximum of eight credits in elective courses as pass/fail; all other courses within the major must (as above) receive a letter grade of C or higher

OTHER REQUIREMENTS (4 credits)
MAT 120M Introductory Statistics (or a more advanced course in statistics).

FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
One year of one foreign language at the college level or two years of one foreign language at the high school level.

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
For specific information about general education requirements and expectations, see the General Education Requirements in the Academic Programs section of this catalog.

MINIMUM TOTAL CREDITS FOR THE DEGREE: 128