- The theories that explain, interpret and critique patterns of social relations.
- The usefulness of viewing oneself and others in the social and historical context of diverse locations and cultures.
- The varied and contested nature of all views of the social world.
- The current techniques used in the study of the social components of such forms as philosophy, science, technology, education, work and media.
- The importance to scientific inquiry of honesty, introspection, logical consistency and openness to refutation.
- Diversity and alternatives in social orientations and practices within and across societies.
- The importance of social science to social policy decisions; political, social and cultural activity and personal growth.
- Understanding of the major strands of sociological thought.
- Ability to place the development and practice of sociology within a social and historical context.
- Understanding of the logic of sociology’s various methodological skills.
- Skills in the application of sociological methods.
- The norms of the scholarly community and a democratic society (openness to testing, reinterpretation and refutation, openness to public scrutiny, collegiality).
- The scholarly traits necessary to practice sociology (objectivity, value clarity, skill development, perceptiveness, creativity, logical consistency, hard work and discipline).
- Receptivity to the emergent qualities produced by creative and spontaneous sociological reflection.
- Criminologist, probation/parole officer, police officer, corrections officer
- Teacher, professor, social worker, researcher, case manager, biostatistician
- Admissions officer, demographer, data analyst, personnel interviewer
- Nursing home director, hospice coordinator, day care provider/director, epidemiologist
- Mediator, congressional aide, writer/author, advocacy worker, job analyst
- Population specialist, management trainee, sociologist, market research analyst
- Secret service agent, customs/immigration officer, labor relations specialist
- Personnel administrator, public relations specialist, public health statistician
- Urban/regional planner, race relations specialist, underwriter, fund raiser
- Education specialist, community services director
- Increased general knowledge.
- Broadened viewpoints informed by sociological perspectives.
- Sensitivity to organizational issues and social change.
- Abilities in critical thinking, analysis, writing and communication, examination of attitudes and values, and enhancement of computer skills.
- Alpha Kappa Delta, the Sociological Honorary Society
- Student Research Symposium
- The Sociology Club
- Students are automatically admitted to the sociology major program if: A) they have an overall GPA of 2.5, or B) they receive at least a “B-” in SOCI 200 and at least a “B-” in one of the following introductory sociology classes: GSOCI 210, GSOCI 240, SOCI 101.
- Transfer students will be admitted to the sociology major after earning at least a “B-” in SOCI 200 and at least a “B-” in one of the following courses taken at JMU: GSOCI 210, GSOCI 240, SOCI 101. If transfer credits have been awarded for the equivalent of GSOCI 210, GSOCI 240 and SOCI 101, transfer students will be admitted after earning at least a “B-” in SOCI 200.
- Students admitted to the major must earn at least a “C-” in all sociology classes or any course that is substituted for a sociology core course credit. If a student earns below a “C-” in a course, he or she can re-take the course once in order to meet the “C-” standard.
- Students with an overall GPA of at least 2.0 may apply for admission to the sociology major for a limited number of spaces through an application process. To download an application, visit the sociology department Web site at http://www.jmu.edu/sociology/.
| Required Courses | Credit Hours |
| General Education1 | 41 |
| Foreign Language classes (intermediate level required)2 |
0-14 |
| Philosophy course (in addition to General Education courses) | 3 |
| University electives | 23-37 |
| Major requirements (listed below) and electives | 40 |
120 |
|
| 1 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.
2 The foreign language requirement may be satisfied by successful completion of the second semester of the intermediate level of the student’s chosen language (typically 232) or by placing out of that language through the Department of Foreign Language’s placement test. |
|
To earn the B.A. degree with a sociology major, students must complete a minimum of 40 credit hours in sociology. Of these credit hours, 19 are required courses; the remaining 21 credit hours are electives chosen from over 30 sociology courses.
| Courses | Credit Hours |
| SOCI 200. Development of Social Thought and Method | 4 |
| SOCI 331. Introduction to Social Statistics1 | 3 |
| SOCI 380. Critical Analysis | 3 |
| SOCI 382. Interpretive Analysis | 3 |
| SOCI 384. Naturalistic Analysis | 3 |
| SOCI 480. Senior Seminar2 | 3 |
| Sociology electives | 21 |
40 |
|
| 1 Students can substitute SOCI 331 with MATH 220, PSYC 210 or COB 191, if SPSS is used in the course, but must take an additional sociology course to complete the required 40 hours of sociology.
2 This course fulfills the College of Arts and Letters writing-intensive requirement for the major. |
|
| Required Courses | Credit Hours |
| General Education1 | 41 |
| Quantitative requirement2 | 3 |
| Scientific Literacy requirement2 | 3-4 |
| University electives | 32-33 |
| Major requirements (listed below) and electives | 40 |
120 |
|
| 1 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.
2 In addition to course work taken to fulfill General Education requirement. |
|
To earn the B.S. degree with a sociology major, students must complete a minimum of 40 credit hours in sociology. Of these credit hours, 19 are required courses; the remaining 21 credit hours are electives chosen from over 30 sociology courses.
| Courses | Credit Hours |
| SOCI 200. Development of Social Thought and Method | 4 |
| SOCI 331. Introduction to Social Statistics1 | 3 |
| SOCI 380. Critical Analysis | 3 |
| SOCI 382. Interpretive Analysis | 3 |
| SOCI 384. Naturalistic Analysis | 3 |
| SOCI 480. Senior Seminar2 | 3 |
| Sociology electives | 21 |
40 |
|
| 1 Students can substitute SOCI 331 with MATH 220, PSYC 210 or COB 191, if SPSS is used in the course, but must take an additional sociology course to complete the required 40 hours of sociology.
2 This course fulfills the College of Arts and Letters writing-intensive requirement for the major. |
|
The following is an example of a four year course of study for a student seeking a degree in sociology:
| First Year | Credit Hours |
| SOCI 101. Introductory Sociology, or GSOCI 210. Social Issues in a Global Context, or GSOCI 240. Individual in Society (prerequisite for SOCI 200) | 3 |
| SOCI 200. Development of Social Thought and Method | 4 |
| Sociology Elective | 3 |
10 |
|
| Second Year | Credit Hours |
| SOCI 331. Social Statistics | 3 |
| SOCI 331. Social Statistics | 6 |
9 |
|
| Third Year | Credit Hours |
| Choose two of the following: | 6 |
| SOCI 380. Critical Analysis | |
| SOCI 382. Interpretive Analysis | |
| SOCI 384. Naturalistic Analysis | |
| Electives | 6 |
12 |
|
| Fourth Year | Credit Hours |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 |
| SOCI 380. Critical Analysis | |
| SOCI 382. Interpretive Analysis | |
| SOCI 384. Naturalistic Analysis | |
| Sociology Elective | 3 |
| SOCI 480. Senior Seminar (majors take this during their final semester at JMU) | 3 |
9 |
|
| Core Requirements | Credit Hours |
| SOCI 200. Development of Social Thought and Method | 4 |
| Sociology electives | 14 |
18 |
|
- To provide students with the fundamentals of evolutionary theory, the fossil and genetic evidence for human evolution and the relevance of human biology for understanding contemporary human populations, biological variation and disease.
- To enhance students’ understanding of culture and different cultural systems, their social organization and the methodological and theoretical basis for interpreting human cultural differences and similarities.
- To develop students’ understanding of the cultural origins and development of humans by analyzing the material remains (artifacts) of prehistoric and historic cultures.
- Anthropologist
- Archaeologist
- Archivist
- Business executive
- City planner
- College librarian
- Cultural affairs director
- Genealogist
- Historical preservationist
- International development consultant
- Lawyer
- Management trainee
- Market researcher
- Museum curator
- News reporter
- Paralegal
- Public affairs director
- Teacher
- Technical writer
- Basic research analytical skills
- Computer skills
- Critical thinking
- Global knowledge
- Rigorous writing
- Lambda Alpha, Anthropology Honors Society
- Student Anthropology Club
| Required Courses | Credit Hours |
| General Education1 | 41 |
| Foreign Language classes (intermediate level required)2 |
0-14 |
| Philosophy course (in addition to General Education courses) | 3 |
| University electives | 23-37 |
| Major requirements (listed below) and electives | 40 |
120 |
|
| 1 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.
2 The foreign language requirement may be satisfied by successful completion of the second semester of the intermediate level of the student’s chosen language (typically 232) or by placing out of that language through the Department of Foreign Language’s placement test. |
|
To earn a B.A. degree in anthropology, students must complete a minimum of 39-40 credit hours in the major. Fifteen of these are the core requirements of the major. In addition, students must select a concentration in one of three sub-disciplines (cultural, biological, archaeology) or the general anthropology option. Concentrations are designed to allow students to design a curriculum most appropriate to their interests, and consist of one sub-disciplinary theory course and four or more elective courses that share a common focus. An upper-division anthropology course from one of the other sub-disciplines is required of all students choosing a concentration. Because of the range of opportunities within each concentration, it is important that students consult with their advisers to choose courses that suit their particular needs and interests. Students who choose the general anthropology option take two upper-division theory courses from two sub-disciplines and spread their elective course work among the sub-disciplines. For all concentrations and the general anthropology option, up to six credit hours of electives from a discipline outside of anthropology (e.g., history, philosophy, sociology, economics, geology, biology, etc.) may be applied to the major. Elective courses from outside disciplines must be 300- or 400-level courses and approved by the student’s adviser. Students must receive at least a “C-” in a class to have it count toward the anthropology major.
| Courses | Credit Hours |
| GANTH 195. Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| GANTH 196. Biological Anthropology or GSCI 116. Human Ecology | 3 |
| ANTH 197. Archaeology | 3 |
| ANTH 375. History of Theory in Sociocultural Anthropology1 | 3 |
| Methods/statistics course approved by adviser (e.g., MATH 220, SOCI 331, ANTH 455) | 3 |
| Cultural Anthropology Concentration | |
| ANTH 435. Ethnographic Genres and Methods | 4 |
| Upper-division course in biological anthropology or archaeology | 3 |
| Electives2 | 18 |
| Archaeology Concentration | |
| ANTH 455. Archaeology: Methods of Analysis3 | 0-3 |
| Upper-division course in biological or cultural anthropology | 3 |
| Electives2 | 18-21 |
| Biological Anthropology Concentration | |
| ANTH 420. Evolution of Human Behavior | 3 |
| Upper-division course in biological or cultural anthropology | 3 |
| Electives3 | 18 |
| General Anthropology | |
| Choose two of the following: | 3 |
| ANTH 420. Evolution of Human Behavior | 3 |
| ANTH 435. Ethnographic Genres and Methods | 4 |
| ANTH 455. Archaeology: Methods of Analysis3 | 3-7 |
| Electives (at least one from each sub-discipline)2 | 18-21 |
39-40 |
|
| 1 This course fulfills the College of Arts and Letters writing-intensive requirement for the major.
2 Up to 6 hours of credit from another discipline can be applied to these credits, with the approval of the adviser. 3 Students who choose ANTH 455 as their methods requirement must take an additional 3 credits of electives. |
|
| Required Courses | Credit Hours |
| General Education1 | 41 |
| Quantitative requirement2 | 3 |
| Scientific Literacy requirement2 | 3-4 |
| University electives | 32-33 |
| Major requirements (listed below) and electives | 40 |
120 |
|
| 1 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.
2 In addition to course work taken to fulfill General Education requirement. |
|
To earn a B.S. degree in anthropology, students must complete a minimum of 39-40 credit hours in the major. Fifteen of these are the core requirements of the major. In addition, students must select a concentration in one of three sub-disciplines (cultural, biological, archaeology) or the general anthropology option. Concentrations are designed to allow students to design a curriculum most appropriate to their interests, and consist of one sub-disciplinary theory course and four or more elective courses that share a common focus. An upper-division anthropology course from one of the other sub-disciplines is required of all students choosing a concentration. Because of the range of opportunities within each concentration, it is important that students consult with their advisers to choose courses that suit their particular needs and interests. Students who choose the general anthropology option take two upper-division theory courses from two sub-disciplines and spread their elective course work among the sub-disciplines. For all concentrations and the general anthropology option, up to six credit hours of electives from a discipline outside of anthropology (e.g., history, philosophy, sociology, economics, geology, biology, etc.) may be applied to the major. Elective courses from outside disciplines must be 300- or 400-level courses and approved by the student’s adviser. Students must receive at least a “C-” in a class to have it count toward the anthropology major.
| Required Core Courses | Credit Hours |
| GANTH 195. Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| GANTH 196. Biological Anthropology or GSCI 116. Human Ecology | 3 |
| ANTH 197. Archaeology | 3 |
| ANTH 375. History of Theory in Sociocultural Anthropology1 | 3 |
| Methods/statistics course approved by adviser (e.g., MATH 220, SOCI 331, ANTH 455) | 3 |
| Cultural Anthropology Concentration | |
| ANTH 435. Ethnographic Genres and Methods | 4 |
| Upper-division course in biological anthropology or archaeology | 3 |
| Electives2 | 18 |
| Archaeology Concentration | |
| ANTH 455. Archaeology: Methods of Analysis3 | 0-3 |
| Upper-division course in biological or cultural anthropology | 3 |
| Electives2,3 | 18-21 |
| Biological Anthropology Concentration | |
| ANTH 420. Evolution of Human Behavior | 3 |
| Upper-division course in biological or cultural anthropology | 3 |
| Electives2 | 18 |
| General Anthropology | |
| Choose two of the following: | 3 |
| ANTH 420. Evolution of Human Behavior | 3 |
| ANTH 435. Ethnographic Genres and Methods | 4 |
| ANTH 455. Archaeology: Methods of Analysis3 | 3-7 |
| Electives (at least one from each sub-discipline)2 | 18-21 |
39-40 |
|
| 1 This course fulfills the College of Arts and Letters writing-intensive requirement for the major.
2 Up to 6 hours of credit from another discipline can be applied to these credits, with the approval of the adviser. 3 Students who choose ANTH 455 as their methods requirement must take an additional 3 credits of electives. |
|