The faculty teach and research across the basic sub specialities of anthropology and sociology including religion, education, social class, the family, urban studies, work, formal organization and so on. Other specialities include violence and terrorism, women's careers and health, drugs and alcohol abuse. But above all the department is known for its focus upon the sociology and anthropology of health and illness and studies of aging. In recent years the faculty have published many articles in leading journals and over a dozen books on various aspects of health studies, health care organization and delivery, violence and terrorism, race and ethnic relations, board and care homes, women and aging, to name a few. There is an active Council of Majors and this year the department has a chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Honor Society of Sociology and a chapter of Lamda Alpha for anthropology majors.
Students majoring in sociology who are in their junior or senior year are eligible for membership.
With the cooperation of other anthropologists and folk lorists on campus, the department offers a major in anthropology and students in this track have gone to leading anthropology departments in the country to pursue graduate studies. At the undergraduate level sociology majors are required to take an 8 hour sequence of research methods and statistics, including instruction in and regular exercises on personal computers and some familiarity with main frame application. Such skills are highly sought after by potential employers. At the graduate level the dapartment offers an M.A. in applied sociology, with special emphisis in medical sociology and aging.