Brief History of the Department

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology was established in the late 1950s, less than a decade following the chartering of the University of Liberia in 1951 by the National Legislature. It is one of the 15 academic units in Liberia College and one of the eight departments in the College granting undergraduate degrees to hundreds of students from diverse walks of life, including students from the 15 counties of Liberia and foreign nationals. The Department grants BA in sociology to students and allows students to do courses in other disciplines as minors, including anthropology, demography, economics, English, French, geography, history, management, mass communication, political science, primary and secondary education, public administration, among other disciplines.

The Department was established within the College of Liberal and Fine Arts (now Liberia College – College of Social Sciences and Humanities), with the goal of maintaining a sound undergraduate program in Sociology and Anthropology. It was designed to offer a four-year degree program.

The number of students graduating from the Department since its establishment has increased exponentially. Today the student population includes Liberians, Nigerians, Ghanaians, Ivoirians, Sierra Leoneans, Guineans, etc.). No Students have graduated with a BA in Anthropology, for Anthropology is only offered as a supporting program! The plan for the future is to offer bachelor degree in Anthropology.

From the early 1970s up to present, 10 persons have chaired the Department as follows: