The disciplines of sociocultural anthropology and sociology share a devotion to the comparative study of peoples of the world through the application of theoretical approaches and the use of qualitative and quantitative methods. Our department believes that students will be better prepared for careers in any field by being trained in both anthropological and sociological critical thinking and analytical skills, by learning to navigate a multitude of theoretical and methodological tools for the study of cultures and societies. To this end, we provide state-of-the-art training that integrates our interdisciplinary strengths into a wide array of courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Our faculty is nationally and internationally recognized for its research and teaching in several subfields: environment and sustainable communities; international and transnational migrations and diasporas; globalization and transnationalism; development and social change; applied research; and the social constructions of identities including race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and nationality. Faculty research is exceptionally strong in the Americas including the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, and the diverse local urban region of South Florida. Please consult our faculty webpage for information on individual faculty member's backgrounds, publications and research interests.
We offer a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Anthropology, and Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Comparative Sociology. Most importantly, we offer students the education to become critical and analytical thinkers and engaged citizens, people who can and do make a difference in our world.
What Can Students Do with a Degree in Sociology/Anthropology?
Employers clamor for professionals with advanced analytical and technical preparation, particularly people who can think both independently and work effectively in teams. We prepare students with these skills and for careers in different environments by training them to observe the world systematically and to know how to gather and analyze information needed to handle complex problems arising in myriad settings from tiny, isolated villages to giant, global organizations. Our students leave FIU prepared for work in academia, government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private organizations. Many continue their educations after the bachelor's degree in post-graduate programs in sociology and/or anthropology; among the most popular are our own masters and doctoral programs in Comparative Sociology.
Moreover, anthropology and sociology are the disciplines most devoted to preparing students for careers that involve working with people from different cultural and social backgrounds. We are specialists in understanding how identities shape people's experiences and thus train students to thrive in multicultural environments. We learn in one of the world's most interesting sociocultural settings, a living borderland between two hemispheres and three continents. Students regularly use their dual-disciplinary and comparative training for research and work in the Americas, Caribbean, Europe and elsewhere abroad.
Our faculty and students are also linked to many research and study centers at FIU that help to expand and enhance the department's own programs. These include the Latin American and Caribbean Center, the Institute for Public Opinion Research, the Labor Center, the Cuban Research Institute, the Immigration and Ethnicity Institute, the Women's Studies Center, the Center for Transnational and Comparative Studies, the African New World Studies Program, the Center for Asian Studies, the Latino HIV/AIDS Behavioral Science Center, the Honors College and many more.