Sociology & Anthropology
Sociology and Anthropology are the broadest of the social sciences. Sociology is the scientific study of human relationships. Sociologists seek to understand the ways that often unseen social forces shape our lives. Anthropology is the holistic study of human biology and culture across time and place. Anthropologists typically work within one of four sub-disciplines: archaeology, biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and socio-cultural anthropology.
These disciplines are particularly useful to graduates entering the 21st century labor force. Our rapidly changing and increasingly diverse world offers both opportunities and monumental challenges. Sociology and Anthropology give students the analytical skills to understand such challenges and the tools to improve our society at all levels – from the neighborhood to the world community.
Other Information
All coursework taken for the Sociology major, minor, and Anthropology minor must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
Up to six ANTH credits may be double counted toward the minor in anthropology and the major in sociology.
UNO Sociology Club – open to all students interested in discussing all things sociological!
UNO Student Anthropology Society – bring yourself, your lunch, and your interest in Anthropology!
Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD) – the Alpha Chapter of Nebraska of the International Sociological Honor Society for students who meet certain academic requirements.
For more information visit our Student Organizations page.
Option for Degree Completion
Fast Track Program
The Department of Sociology & Anthropology has developed a Fast Track program for highly qualified and motivated students providing the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in an accelerated time frame. With Fast Track, students may count up to 9 graduate hours toward the completion of their undergraduate program as well as the graduate degree program.
Program Specifics:
- This program is available for undergraduate students pursuing a Sociology BA/BS major who desire to pursue a Sociology MA degree.
- Students must have completed no less than 60 undergraduate hours.
- Students must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 and a GPA of 3.3 in SOC and ANTH courses.
- Students must complete the Fast Track Approval form, obtain all signatures, and submit to the Office of Graduate Studies prior to first enrollment in a graduate course.
- Students will work with their undergraduate advisor to register for the graduate courses.
- ANTH 1050, SOC 1010, SOC 2120, SOC 2130, SOC 2134 should be completed before enrolling in the first graduate course.
- SOC 3510 and SOC 3514 should be taken before or concurrently with enrollment in the first graduate course.
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduate coursework to remain in good standing.
- Students remain undergraduates until they meet all the requirements for the undergraduate degree and are eligible for all rights and privileges granted undergraduate status, including financial aid.
- Near the end of the undergraduate program, formal application to the graduate program is required. The application fee will be waived; the applicant will need to contact the Office of Graduate Studies for a fee waiver code.
- Admission to Fast Track does NOT guarantee admission to the graduate program.
- The admit term must be after the completion term of the undergraduate degree.
Contact
383 Arts and Sciences Hall
402.554.2626
Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) in Sociology
Students are required to complete 33 hours of coursework for the Sociology BA or BS degree: 21 hours of core required courses and 12 hours of additional sociology or anthropology courses. The department offers five optional concentrations that fulfill the 12 hours of additional coursework: anthropology, families and inequality, health and society, inequality and social justice, and work and organizations.
Students in the BA degree program are required to complete foreign language through the intermediate level.
Students in the BS degree program are required to complete 15 hours of cognate coursework, a field of specialization outside of sociology based on their interests and/or career aspirations. Cognates are designed by the student in consultation with the undergraduate adviser.
Online option
The Sociology BA/BS is available on campus or entirely online. Earning a concentration is not required, but online majors do have the option to select the health and society or work and society concentration.
Minors Offered
Both the sociology and anthropology minors are available on campus or entirely online.
Sociology is the scientific study of social life that reveals the ways that often unseen social forces shape our lives. Anthropology is the holistic study of human biology and culture across time and place. At a fundamental level, both sociology and anthropology invite us to break through our common sense ideas about the world, allowing us to better understand and potentially improve society. Students who study sociology and anthropology will gain a distinct perspective on social inequality, patterns of behavior, forces for social change and resistance, and how social systems work.
Sociology majors learn the analytical skills needed to understand the challenges of a rapidly changing and increasingly diverse world. And they graduate with the tools to improve our societies at all levels – from the neighborhood to the global community. That’s because a degree in sociology provides students with a well-rounded liberal arts education that emphasizes critical thinking, decision-making skills, and the ability to make connections across disciplines, leading to potential careers in:
• Family and Social Services Program Support
• Business Management and Leadership
• Marketing Analysis and Research
• Survey Research
• Health and Human Services
• Health Care Administration
• Nonprofit Organizational Administration
• Criminal Justice