Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Sadhana Bery critical race studies and whiteness; global white diaspora; colonialism, postcolonialism, imperialism; memory and amnesia (forgetting); intersectionality; social theory; critical race theory; black feminist theory; Post-colonial Africa; political sociology

Jane Hilowitz (Emeritus)

Donna Huse (Emeritus)

Andrea C Klimt sociocultural anthropology, ethnicity and nationalism; Europe, contemporary US, & Portuguese diaspora; medical anthropology, transnational migration, history and memory

Lisa Maya Knauer (Chairperson) racial, economic, and cultural dynamics; immigration and diaspora; ethnography

Rachel Kulick visual culture; media democracy; social movements; gender and race, participatory action research methods

Yale R Magrass social theory, historical and political sociology, methodology, social impact of science and technology

Larry M Miller historical sociology, Meso-America, social theory, sociology of art and literature

Thomas K Ranuga (Emeritus) third world studies, social movements, comparative ethnic relations (emeritus)

R Penn Reeve (Emeritus) cultural anthropology, social inequality, race and ethnicity, gay and lesbian studies

Robin A Robinson female deviance, delinquency, and criminality; social policy; restorative justice, psychology of crime and justice, female religiosity

Isabel Fêo Rodrigues ethnicity, race, gender, creolization, nationalism, colonialism; Sub-Saharan Africa, Afro-Atlantic, Luso-African Atlantic, and Brazil

Maria da Glória de Sá Portuguese-speaking diaspora in the United Sates, immigration and ethnicity, ethnic and race relations, the family and stratification

Andriana Foiles Sifuentes (Full Time Lecturer)

Jack Stauder anthropology, marriage and family, social change, morality and human nature, environmental issues, ranching and the American West

About the Department

As an interdisciplinary department, Sociology and Anthropology offers students a unique opportunity to explore the social world through distinct but related branches of knowledge in the social sciences.

The programs in Sociology and Anthropology share the broader goal of understanding society and culture through a comparative and historical perspective. Specifically, the curriculum is designed to foster students’ understanding of the social construction of difference, entrenched systems of inequality and oppression and the dynamics of local and global distributions of power.

Our wide range of courses explore the complex interconnections between race, class, ethnicity, culture, gender and sexuality and focus on understanding contemporary social issues both in the U.S. and around the world. Majors learn how to apply theoretical debates in sociology and anthropology to the investigation of social life, and develop critical insights into possibilities for social change.

The department’s curriculum features multiple opportunities for connecting classroom learning, community engagement, and individual exploration. Students are encouraged to pursue issues of interest to them through community-based research, internships and seminars, as well as in independent study and thesis. A central aim of the department’s curricula is to help students develop the essential skills of critical thinking and clear and persuasive self-expression.

Students may pursue a degree in any of the following areas:

BA in Sociology
BA in Sociology with an option in Anthropology
Minor in Sociology
Minor in Anthropology
BA/MPP Accelerated Program (see below)
BA/MPW Accelerated Program (see below)
3+3 Program with Law School

Beginning with students entering the major in Spring 2015, the options for BA degrees will be:

BA in “Sociology and Anthropology” with concentration in Sociology
BA in “Sociology and Anthropology” with concentration in Anthropology

Students may major and minor within the department (e.g., major in Sociology, minor in Anthropology; or minor in Sociology). It is not possible to double major within the Department. Students majoring in a college other than Arts & Sciences who choose to minor in Sociology or Anthropology do not need to fulfill college distribution requirements.

There are many other fields that complement study in sociology and anthropology. The department encourages students to consider choosing a double major or adding a minor in fields such as history, psychology, political science, women and gender studies, or foreign language. Students should discuss possible options with their advisors.

For more information on courses offered by the Department, see Sociology and Anthropology course listings.

Student Learning Goals

Discipline-specific:

Understanding concepts of culture and society;
Understanding systems of inequality and the dynamics of local and global distributions of power;
Understanding the constructed nature of gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation and culture;
Understanding basic theoretical arguments in sociology/anthropology as appropriate to their major concentration;
Critical understanding of social scientific approaches to research, sound research designs and basic social scientific research methods; and
Ability to apply knowledge from discipline-specific research and theory to issues in their lives and communities.

General skills:

Present organized and coherent arguments both orally and through written essays
Understand and critically evaluate social-scientific work
Ability to assemble relevant published background research, critically evaluate the research, and integrate it into an argument.

Admission into the Departmental Majors

UMass Dartmouth students seeking admission into the Sociology major must have earned a minimum of 30 credits with a minimum overall GPA of 2.50. Transfer students seeking admission into the Sociology major must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.75. Students interested in majoring in Sociology or in Sociology with the Anthropology Option must see the Department Chairperson for permission to enter the program, to discuss the program requirements and to arrange for a permanent advisor.

For general information, contact the department at 508-999-8401.

BA/MPP Accelerated Program

Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Department of Public Policy

Program Description

The BA/MPP accelerated program offers exceptional undergraduate students in Sociology and Anthropology the opportunity to complete both a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Master of Public Policy (MPP) in an accelerated 5-year program.

Normally, students who meet eligibility criteria apply to the program after achieving 45 credits. Successful applicants are provisionally accepted into the program, allowing them to take POL 500 in the first semester of their junior year. Students who successfully achieve a 3.0 (B) or higher in POL500 and maintain a minimum overall gpa of 3.2 are fully matriculated into the BA/MPP accelerated program. Students who fail to achieve a 3.0 or higher in POL 500 and do not maintain an overall 3.2 gpa are generally not matriculated into the accelerated program.

In addition to courses prescribed for their specific undergraduate program, matriculated students complete a sequence of MPP courses in their junior and senior years. Students receive credit for the POL courses in both the undergraduate (BA) and graduate (MPP) programs. Upon successful completion of undergraduate requirements, students receive an undergraduate degree. If they have followed the prescribed schedule of courses, they will have only one additional year of full-time study in the MPP program to complete the additional requirements and receive a Master in Public Policy. This program allows students to complete their undergraduate and MPP degrees in 5 years of full-time study, rather than the normal 6.

Admissions Criteria

Applicants must meet the following admission criteria to apply to the program:

Have completed a minimum of 45 credits towards their undergraduate degree prior to the semester in which they plan to apply to the accelerated program. Students should normally be in their second semester of their sophomore year of full-time study when applying to the program.
Have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 in the credits being used to meet the 45-credit minimum described above.
Have a letter of support from a sponsoring faculty member in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology detailing the student’s aptitude for the program and recommending them.
Have a personal statement outlining the reason(s) why the student is applying to the program, stating their career goals, and explaining how the Master of Public Policy degree with specified concentration (education, environment, public management) can help to achieve their objectives.

Application Process/Timeline

Students who meet the above admissions criteria apply to the program directly through the Graduate Admissions Office (GAO). The deadline for submitting complete applications is March 1^st of each calendar year.
The GAO will assemble all admissions information and forward complete applications to the Department of Public Policy for review. Applicants will be notified of their status no later than April 1^st of each calendar year.
Successful applicants will be invited to take POL 500 the following fall semester. Applicants receiving a minimum of 3.0 or higher in POL 500 and maintaining a minimum 3.2 overall gpa will receive full admission to the BA/MPP Accelerated Program and will begin taking courses in the MPP program in spring of the following semester. Students admitted into the program are guaranteed a space in MPP designated courses in subsequent semesters.

Note on Minimum Grade Requirements for MPP Courses

Students who take POL designated MPP courses must achieve a minimum grade of 3.0 or higher in each course in order for for it to be counted toward the MPP degree. POL courses with a 1.7 (C-) or higher will be acceptable if those courses are counted towards the undergraduate degree requirements. Students should speak with advisors to understand the impact of grades in individual courses in the accelerated program.

BA/MPW Accelerated Program

Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Department of English

Program Description

The BA/MPW accelerated program offers exceptional undergraduate students in Sociology and Anthropology the opportunity to complete both a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Master of Professional Writing (MPW) in an accelerated 5-year program.

Graduate students in the Professional Writing Program join a writing community where they engage in extensive writing and editing practice and receive a solid background in rhetoric and communications. Our goal is to prepare students for the realities and challenges of writing professions, whether they seek new professional opportunities or publication. Our students focus in their main areas of interest while developing a broader range of communications practices in order to become more professionally versatile. The acquisition of an MPW along with an undergraduate degree in sociology will enhance students’ competitiveness on the job market and give them necessary skills to pursue a range of professional goals.

Students who meet eligibility requirements apply to the program after achieving 45 credits, usually juniors with a minimum of a 3.2 gpa. Selection will be decided by ENL MPW faculty. The timing of admission decisions needs to allow students to register for appropriate courses their senior year. BA/MPW students will have dedicated advisors, one from MPW and one from SOC, who will work together to make sure each student finds an effective way to complete both programs within 5 years.

The sequence of courses will ensure that students will complete their BA in four years – regardless of whether or not they continue to pursue the MPW. Students are encouraged to take two prerequisites their junior year (ENL260 and ENL257) as well as ENL 355, 357 OR 358 and ENL 510 their senior year. Students are encouraged to take their MPW Internship course over the summer after their 4th year – or at least complete the internship over the summer and register for the course in the Fall of their 5th year. Two courses will count for BOTH the MPW and BA degrees: ENL510, Thesis Research; SOC/ANT 420, Senior Capstone.