Quick Facts

General Education Requirements: 37 hours

Core Courses: 15 hours

Selectives: 21 hours

Electives: 47 hours

Total: 120 hours

Full Program Requirements

Study Anthropology and Sociology Near Chicago

Start your journey toward your career goals with a joint-discipline Sociology and Anthropology degree. At Governors State University, you can take coursework in a diverse range of subjects related to humans’ study, relationships, and identities. Explore ways to assist communities, empower individuals, and better understand power struggles throughout the human world. Learn more about the reasons to study anthropology and sociology, what career goals, jobs, and salaries you can expect, and how to start your journey today.
Develop your research skills and heighten your sense of social justice and personal empowerment. Explore the many research and career goals related to anthropology and sociology. Learn how these two disciplines join together to help communities share their stories and individuals reach their full potential.

Why Study Anthropology and Sociology?

Governors State’s joint-discipine Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Sociology was designed by faculty to focus on students’ understanding of the dynamic relationships between identity, cultures, and power through a lens of personal empowerment and social justice. Students learn about the social construction of norms, values, individual and collective identities, organizations and institutions in historical and political contexts.

Students take courses in both disciplines and graduate with a degree in both anthropology and sociology. Within the combined major, students gain knowledge and career skills in a set of core courses and choose from a select list that applies these foundations in the exploration of how power, culture, and social institutions impact identities of race, social class, gender, and sexuality. The result is that students learn knowledge and skills necessary to create meaningful changes in themselves and the world around them, while allowing for a deeper dive into their area of academic interest.

Faculty within Governors State’s Anthropology and Sociology program are making a difference by creating research topics that explore and analyze gender, sexuality, activism, religion, labor, environmental racism, and neoliberal/global economics in the United States, South America and the European Union. For example, Anthropology and Sociology faculty examined the rise of religious fundamentalism in changing pluralistic American society, researched the different ways social movement participants define and construct an "activist" identity and investigated gendered labor and the working conditions in Chile’s fruit-export industry. Faculty also encourage student inquiry through applied learning. For example, as a part of a sociology course, students worked alongside faculty at an immigrant and refugee shelter along the US-Mexico border to repair buildings and teach life skills to residents. By following the leadership of their instructors, Anthropology and Sociology students can participate in changing the world for the better.

Start your journey toward your career goals with a joint-discipline Sociology and Anthropology degree. At Governors State University, you can take coursework in a diverse range of subjects related to humans’ study, relationships, and identities. Explore ways to assist communities, empower individuals, and better understand power struggles throughout the human world. Learn more about the reasons to study anthropology and sociology, what career goals, jobs, and salaries you can expect, and how to start your journey today.

Develop your research skills and heighten your sense of social justice and personal empowerment. Explore the many research and career goals related to anthropology and sociology. Learn how these two disciplines join together to help communities share their stories and individuals reach their full potential.

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Reach Your Career Goals

The Anthropology and Sociology majors pursue graduate degrees in law, social work, public health, public administration, marketing, secondary education, and/or academic careers in teaching and research. Many anthropology and sociology majors apply their knowledge and research skills in both the public and private sectors, and go on to work in advocacy, business, social services, or legal professions.

Many of these jobs may not appear to be in your chosen anthropology and sociology field, but these roles require many of the same professional skills a degree from GSU helps you develop. Here are just a few key skills you’ll refine as you study coursework from the fields of sociology and anthropology:

  • Data Analysis
  • Critical Thinking
  • Report Writing
  • Research Project Designing, Planning, and Conducting
  • Global Situation Analysis
  • Theory Testing
  • Time Management Skills

When you communicate these skills to a future employer and apply them to your chosen career path, you can pursue a successful career teaching, training, managing or researching in various professional industries or government organizations.

Work with dedicated professors at GovState to organize internships and mentorships to further your training and career. Because of the tight-knit community on campus, you can enjoy individual attention from professors who are leading researchers in their field. Stay up-to-date with the latest in anthropology and sociology research and find out how to tailor it to your particular interests, passions, and skillsets.

Governors State University is a public university with a private college experience. Work closely with professors through a mentorship program and enjoy small class sizes that help empower you to participate in your education. With its close proximity to Chicago, GovState is an excellent starting point for participating in a global community. Conduct surveys, work with local public services and help create a more promising future for local communities.

Jobs and Salaries You Can Get With an Anthropology and Sociology Degree

Discover employment opportunities for individuals with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Sociology. As a proud graduate of GSU, you’ll have a wide range of professional possibilities available. The job outlook for anthropologists is expected to grow 5% from 2019 to 2029, which is faster than the average occupational growth. A career as an anthropologist typically requires a master’s degree. Your Bachelor of Arts degree prepares you to enter a competitive Master of Arts program to build on your skills, knowledge and expertise in the field.

Another popular career track for students with a BA in Anthropology and Sociology from GovState is a career as a lawyer. Advise businesses and individuals on legal matters and review documents to prepare for important court cases. There are many branches of law that you can study and practice, and the analytical and critical thinking skills from a BA in Anthropology and Sociology is a great way to practice those skills. Work with your advisor to identify a law school where you can earn your law degree. Consider a certificate in legal studies from GovState as an affordable, dynamic way to enter the field and work as a legal consultant, paralegal or e-Discovery professional.

Many students pursue a teaching career as a . Whether teaching at a university or high school, teachers can help spread their passion for exploring human interactions, identities, and cultures.

These are only a few of the many career paths available to you after finishing your program at GovState. Talk to professors and current students about their diverse research and career interests to see how you can tailor your degree to prepare you for a position in publish health, social work, marketing, or other careers.

Successful completion of this program’s coursework gives you the resources you need to succeed in a range of fields. Explore the median salaries for professionals with an Anthropology and Sociology degree from GovState:

  • Anthropologists and Archeologists: $63,670 median pay per year
  • Lawyers: $122,960 median pay per year
  • Postsecondary Sociology Teachers: $85,240 median pay per year
  • College and University Professors: $87,290 median pay per year

Each of these fields’ expected salary and job prospects varies depending on your training, location, and role in the field. Faculty can assist you in understanding job prospects in particular areas. Some students pursue an international career and work in South America, the European Union, and other countries worldwide as researchers, activists, and teachers.


Learn More

Apply now to take the first step toward an exciting career in industries such as social services, sales, marketing, administrative support, teaching, and public relations. Or, if you decide to continue your education, a career as an anthropologist, sociologist, professor, or lawyer. Explore the full program requirements for a BA in Anthropology and Sociology and browse elective courses to ignite your passion. Whether you love learning about and researching societies and cultures or have a passion for social justice and empowering individuals to tell their story, a degree in Anthropology and Sociology may be the right step for you.

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<b>Full Program Requirements</b>

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