Sociology and Anthropology Concentrations

Concentration in Applied Sociology Track I: This is an applied program that prepares students to work in a broad range of employment settings. Admission requirements for the concentration are the same as the major. The Concentration in Applied Sociology is designed to give students instruction in the foundation of sociology as well as training in specific skills needed for employment. In addition to the foundations courses in theory, research methods and statistics, all students in the sociology concentration are required to take courses in applied sociology, institutions, inequality, self and society, and issues in sociological practice. Students are also required to compete an internship in their area of interest. The internship is designed to integrate classroom learning with a sociological practice experience. Upon graduation, students pursue employment in areas such as human services, human resources, community organization, program development and organizational management. Some students will pursue graduate work in sociology, law, public administration, counseling and social work.

Concentration  in  Applied  Sociology  Track  II:  Qualified majors may elect to pursue the Accelerated Undergraduate to Graduate Track (4+1) within the Concentration in Applied Sociology to get a jump start on obtaining their MS Sociology degree at Valdosta State University. This track integrates graduate SOCI classes with undergraduate SOCI and ANTH classes to allow students to meet their undergraduate BA in Sociology and Anthropology degree requirements while taking up to 9 semester hours of graduate level course work that will count towards both the undergraduate and graduate degree. Students interested in the Accelerated Undergraduate to Graduate Track need to have completed 60 credit hours, hold a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and submit a completed application to the Undergraduate Sociology Coordinator. Upon completion of their degree, students will need to apply to the MS Sociology program, meeting all requirements but will not be required to take graduate admission tests. Students who hoave completed the Accelerated Track will be able to count the 9 graduate hours already taken as undergraduates towrd their 30 hour graduate degree requirements.¹

                 ^{1 Students in either concentration who excel academically have the option of joining Alpha Kappa Delta, the National Sociology Honor Society.}

Concentration in Anthropology: Anthropology is the holistic study of contemporary humans as well as their immediate ancestors. Anthropologists employ a cross- cultural, comparative approach to understanding what peoples around the world believe and how they live their lives. While anthropology is considered a social science, anthropologists work with scholars of other academic disciplines to understand the human condition. VSU’s anthropology program offers courses in:

Cultural Anthropology: the study of past and present belief systems and the social patterns they generate. Such information enables us to understand the differences between societies and why people behave the way they do. How, for example, they make their living; what they expect from their children; and how fair or unfair their societies are.

Linguistic Anthropology: the study of the way different speech communities employ language to communicate meaning. This includes the study of unspoken communication in addition to written and verbal language practices.

 For interest in Sociology contact: Dr. Anne Price, Ph.D., 229-333-5943 (annprice@valdosta.edu)

For interest in Anthropology contact: Dr. Shelly Yankovskyy, Ph.D., 229-253-2867 (sayankovskyy@valdosta.edu)