Fall 2025 Advising Guide for Sociology and Anthropology

IMPORTANT LINKS

Academic Advisement Information & Tips to prepare for registration

Fall 2025 Course Descriptions

General Sociology Major Overview and Requirements

General Anthropology Major Overview and Requirements

Dr. Gazley is seeking a learning assistant/peer mentor for SOC 101 for Fall 2025. To be eligible, you must have taken SOC 101 at TCNJ.

For more information on Learning Assistant Responsibilities and to apply, please fill out the form at the link here.

Each semester the department offers at least one mentored research course with a faculty member. Working in small groups, students gain valuable research experience while assisting a faculty member with their ongoing research projects. For Fall 2025, Dr. Beatrice is recruiting a student research team:

ANT 390 Research Course in Anthropology with Dr. Beatrice (beatricj@tcnj.edu)

Class meeting time: Weds 9:00am-11:50am

To apply for consideration, please complete  this form.

This course delves into the rich, often overlooked, underground history of Trenton, New Jersey, through the lens of archaeology. Trenton’s status as a pivotal industrial, political, and cultural hub in early American history makes its subterranean past a valuable and under-explored resource for understanding urban development, historical infrastructure, and social dynamics.

Students will examine the various layers of Trenton’s past, from pre-colonial Native American settlements to the bustling 19th-century industrial era, exploring how buried artifacts, structures, and even forgotten spaces have shaped the city. Fieldwork will include visiting historical sites and museums, along with the study of archival materials and local legends that uncover forgotten stories hidden beneath the surface. The course will also discuss issues surrounding historical preservation, urban archaeology, and the cultural significance of reclaiming forgotten spaces. Most of the semester will be in the classroom, but students should be prepared to also meet (carpool) at various locations and sites in the greater Trenton area.

Fall 2025 Partner Courses*:

Sociology students may substitute one elective from another program, with permission from the Department Chair. These courses have been pre-approved:

PSY 215 Social Psychology

PSY 355 Psychology of Power, Oppression, and Privilege

AAS 353/CRI 352 Race and Crime

*waivers will not happen automatically. Please let department know if you are seeking Sociology credit for a partner course.

Also, if you still need a statistics course we strongly recommend you take STA 145 Statistics for Social Sciences with Dr. Kline, Mon-Thurs 2pm or 3:30pm.

 Fall 2025 Course Descriptions

ANT 110 / Intro to Cultural Anthropology

A survey of the major concepts of social-cultural anthropology.  Cross-cultural comparison will be a central concern of the course, as will the process of cultural change.

ANT 111 / Intro to Biological Anthropology

What makes us human?  Is it the use of language, the ability to manipulate material culture or the fact that we are bipedal?  This course will focus on evolutionary theory and the theory of natural selection, the behavior and anatomy of non-human primates, and the evolution of modern humans.  Students will also learn how anthropology is directly related to other disciplines including sociology, biology, ecology and geology. (Note:  this course has no lab, and while it satisfies the liberal learning requirement for a natural science course, it does NOT satisfy the requirement for a natural science with lab).

ANT 213 / Language and Culture: An Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology
An introduction to the Anthropological subfield of Linguistic Anthropology, which investigates the relationship between language and culture. Language permeates our lives, and yet most of us take it for granted. This course is intended to clarify your ideas about language as it is used by speakers in various social contexts across a wide range of cultures. By the end of the course you should be familiar with some of the terminology and techniques of linguistic anthropological analysis and be able to apply this knowledge to the description of different languages.

ANT 370 / Exploring Underground Trenton

This course delves into the rich, often overlooked, underground history of Trenton, New Jersey, through the lens of archaeology. Trenton’s status as a pivotal industrial, political, and cultural hub in early American history makes its subterranean past a valuable and under-explored resource for understanding urban development, historical infrastructure, and social dynamics.

Students will examine the various layers of Trenton’s past, from pre-colonial Native American settlements to the bustling 19th-century industrial era, exploring how buried artifacts, structures, and even forgotten spaces have shaped the city. Fieldwork will include visiting historical sites and museums, along with the study of archival materials and local legends that uncover forgotten stories hidden beneath the surface. The course will also discuss issues surrounding historical preservation, urban archaeology, and the cultural significance of reclaiming forgotten spaces. Most of the semester will be in the classroom, but students should be prepared to also meet (carpool) at various locations and sites in the greater Trenton area.

ANT 390 / Research Course in Anthropology

A small group of students work closely with a faculty member on his/her ongoing research.  Students will learn to use the data collection and analysis methods used for the project and be offered opportunities to present the findings on campus or at a regional professional meeting. See description above for Fall 2025 research course with Dr. Beatrice.

ANT 398 / 499 Senior Capstone Experience in Anthropology (crosslisted with SOC 398/499) – see description below. Enrollment with department consent

SOC 101 / Intro to Sociology

Sociology explores the intersection of biography and history.  Students learn the basic foundations of sociology, including its development as a field of inquiry, early sociological theory, and methodology.  The course also analyzes social organization, addressing culture, structure, socialization, and social control. Students investigate how culture, class, race, sex, family, medicine, business, religion, education, and government affect our lives.  Special attention is paid to the impact of society on self.

SOC 301 / Development of Socio-Cultural Theory

SOC 101 or ANT 110 is a pre-requisite (with a B- or better required of Sociology majors/minor)

The response of social theorists to the consequences of the industrial revolution and the issues of capitalism, secularism, modern consciousness, and the socio-critical enterprise, as seen through the work of such theorists as Marx, Durkheim, and Weber.  Contemporary development of these theories will also be discussed.

SOC 302 / Quantitative Research Methods

SOC 101 (B- or better), & STA 115 (B- or better) or STA 215 (C+ or better) are prerequisites. SOC302 and a required 80-minute lab class are co-requisites.

The course is designed to familiarize students with quantitative research methodology, methods of quantitative data collection, and analysis of quantitative data used in sociology.  In addition, students will learn one of the most widely used statistical software packages in the social sciences (SPSS) and conduct independent research using one of the most widely used sources of quantitative social data, the General Social Survey (GSS).  One additional 80-minute lab session is required as a co-component to this course.

SOC 334 / Gender in US Society
An examination of the significance of gender in different areas of contemporary life. Covers basic concepts, historical perspectives, and changing patterns in attitudes and behavior, drawing on current trends in scholarship, theory, and activism around prominent social issues in the United States. Topics include socialization, mass media, the family, work, and sexuality. Special attention is given to intersectional issues across a range of social systems and institutions.

SOC 336 / Social and Cultural Change
Globalization has brought about drastic changes in every aspect of our lives. How do we make sense of these changes and their effects on us? This course introduces the sociological perspective to examine social and cultural change amidst economic restructuring and development. U.S. society as well as societies on different stages of development are discussed.

SOC 365 / Poverty and Welfare in the US

History, nature, extent, levels, causes of poverty. Effect of industrialization, urbanization, and technology. Impact upon major institutions. Ethnic and racial group problems and reactions. Governmental and private organizational programs.

SOC 385 / Intro to Applied Sociology
Applied sociology takes the tools, skills, and knowledge of sociology to address real-life social issues. The course will examine the characteristics of sociological practice, and different types of social problems that are addressed by applied sociology. Students will be exposed to the methods and skills for understanding and solving clients¿ problems, and problems and will carry out a team volunteer consulting project for a client¿a non-profit organization¿to use sociological skills in a way that benefits the community.

SOC 397 / Learning Assistantship in Sociology

Learning Assistants learn about the teaching of Sociology.  Students gain a deeper understanding of the particular course content area, gain insight into curriculum goals and methods of achieving them, and develop instructional skills in the areas of: providing written feedback, creating and/or delivering learning activities, and constructing learning tools.  Specific duties for the Learning Assistant are detailed in a contract that is developed and signed by both the student and faculty sponsor. [See above for Fall 2024 opportunity with Dr. Elizabeth Borland]

SOC 398 / Sociology Capstone Internship

Capstone internship constituting a culminating experience for sociology majors. Course draws on skills and knowledge of sociology courses as well as knowledge gained from the liberal arts broadly construed to be applied to reflect deeply and examine experiences and the social world at the internship site. Must be taken as a bundle with SOC 499 Senior Seminar in Sociology (of the same section number) to fulfill the capstone requirements of the sociology major.  (0.5 course unit; Corequisite: SOC 499; Prerequisites: SOC 301 and 302)

SOC 499 / Senior Capstone Seminar

SOC 301 and SOC 302 are prerequisites with a grade of C or better.

Senior seminar constituting a culminating experience for sociology majors. Course draws on skills and knowledge of sociology courses as well as knowledge gained from the liberal arts broadly construed. Must be taken as a bundle with SOC 398 Sociology Capstone Internship (of the same section number) to fulfill the capstone requirements of the sociology major. (0.5 course unit; Prerequisites: SOC 301 and 302; Corequisite: SOC 398)