Congratulations to our Faculty Research Award recipients:

Dr. Aliza Richman - Community Engagement AWA (CE-AWA)
Dr. Jackie Zalewski - Research AWA (RAWA)
Dr. Heather Wholey - Research in Mathematics and Science (RIMS)


 
Anthropology and Sociology are social sciences oriented toward the systematic study of diverse peoples and groups, both sharing the desire to better understand society and culture.

The Mission of the Department of Anthropology and Sociology is to provide broad access to the skills and special knowledge inherent in our disciplines, to nurture an awareness of and appreciation for diversity, to promote a sense of civic responsibility, global awareness, and cultural competency in our students, and to support original and collaborative scholarship by faculty and students. It will meet this mission by offering courses leading to bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and sociology and minor programs in anthropology, sociology, and museum studies; a broad range of courses permitting students to satisfy the university’s general education requirements; and internships, field experiences, service learning, and international study opportunities.

Department faculty study a wide range of topics, including globalization; inequalities experienced due to gender, race, ethnicity, and social class; the social determinants of health; biocultural perspectives on food and nutrition; social movements (protests, uprisings and the like); religion in cultural and social contexts; the digital social realm; environmental sustainability and sustainable food systems; ancient societies and cultures; and heritage and preservation.

The Department of Anthropology and Sociology offers the following degrees and programs of study:

  • Anthropology, B.A.
  • Sociology, B.A.
  • Anthropology minor
  • Sociology minor
  • Museum Studies minor
  • Ethnic Studies minor

The WCU Institute for Race and Ethnic Studies has joined the Department of Anthropology and Sociology.
For more information about our degrees and programs, please, email us at ANTSOC@wcupa.edu.

 

 

Upcoming Courses: SPRING 2026

Anthropology Courses

  • ANT 101 – Introduction to Biological Anthropology
  • ANT 102 – Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
  • ANT 103 – Introduction to Archaeology
  • ANT 224 – Native People of South America
  • ANT 230 – Introduction to Primatology
  • ANT 314 – Biocultural Food and Nutrition
  • ANT 330 – Professionalism in Anthropology
  • ANT 348 – Dimensions of Ethnographic Film/Video 
  • ANT 355 – Anthropology of Tourism
  • MST 366 – Archaeological Lab Methods
  • MST  350-- Collections Care and  Management
  • MST 358 -- Museum Exhibit Curation 

Learn more about Anthropology at WCU

Sociology Courses

  • SOC 100 – Introduction to Sociology
  • SOC 225 -- Digital Social Research
  • SOC 240 – Sociology of the Family
  • SOC 245 – Environmental Sociology 
  • SOC 309 – Sustainable WCU & Beyond
  • SOC 321 – Statistics of Sociological Research
  • SOC 340 – Sociology of Work
  • SOC 341 – Social Stratification
  • SOC 361 – Sociology of Medicine
  • SOC 369 -- Social Movements
  • SOC 491 -- Graphic Society: Topical Seminar (CRN 14048)

Learn more about Sociology at WCU