A degree in sociology allows students to study the ways large and small groups of people interact with each other, according to Education-Portal.com. This degree prepares students to delve into new technologies, societal issues, exploding populations and expanding belief systems that are driving humans in new directions. Students can choose to focus on areas such as sex, religion, race, communities and social inequality.
An anthropology degree allows students to focus more on the study of human culture and evolution. Students in this type of degree program can focus on several areas such as physical anthropology, ethnography, forensic anthropology and visual anthropology.
Individuals who are interested in the field of sociology can pursue an undergraduate or graduate degree. While four-year bachelor's degrees introduce students to the sociology field and can lead to entry-level positions in many industries, a two-year master's or three- to four-year doctoral degree allows students to carry out a master's research and writing project or doctoral dissertation based on a desired focus in this discipline. Only those with graduate degrees hold the official title of sociologist.
Students who are interested in the field of anthropology also can complete undergraduate and advanced degrees. Like in sociology, undergraduate anthropology degrees allow students to pursue a general course of study, and graduate degree students typically focus on a specific area of the field.
Classes in a sociology degree program include topics such as introduction to sociological theory, data analysis, research and statistics, global populations and the sociology of health and illness. These types of courses introduce students to broad areas such as political economies and social psychology as well as specific issues including birth control or poverty.
On the other hand, anthropology courses might cover human development and evolution, ethnographic analysis, cultural anthropology and archaeology. Anthropology students also can take classes in museum studies, artifact conservation, osteology--which is the study of bones--economic anthropology, anthropological linguistics and biological anthropology.
With a degree in sociology, individuals can find many wide-ranging career options in diverse fields. They can work in governmental human services, criminal justice, youth services, census departments or mental health fields.
Archaeology degree-holders can find work as museum curators, market researchers, archaeological field workers or social workers. Government agencies also employ forensic anthropologists who can identify the remains of human beings as well as cultural resource managers.
Professionals in both fields additionally can work in research and education institutions as well as nonprofit management if they have advanced degrees.
Employment of social scientists such as sociologists and anthropologists is projected to increase 21 to 22 percent through 2018. Median annual wages of sociologists in May 2008 were $68,570, while the figure for anthropologists was $53,910, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.