Knowledge of human social and cultural relationships is vital to a meaningful perspective on and understanding of the society in which we live. Contemporary societies are characterized by diversity, rapid change, complex organization, and extensive specialization. Programs of study in the Department of Sociology and  at the University of Texas Arlington pursue the challenge of:

• creating and disseminating general knowledge that will render this world more understandable and
• providing an educational base for more effective and humane planning and social intervention in society.

Each of the programs of study relates to this general objective in a somewhat different manner. Students are encouraged to visit with the faculty and learn more about the programs offered in the department.

A program of study in anthropology has the objective of grounding students in three main subfields of anthropology: cultural anthropology (the comparative analysis of human lifeways around the world), archaeology (the systematic analysis of the material remains of past cultures), and physical anthropology (the study of humans as a biological species). The program prepares students both for graduate work in anthropology and for many careers in which anthropological perspectives and training are useful.