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Welcome to the Department of Sociology and Anthropology

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs designed to provide students with a deep understanding of social structures and cultural dynamics.

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NUS Sociology and Anthropology Featured Videos

Watch our introductory videos on Sociology & Anthropology:

Hear from our Anthropology graduate, Jia Jia, now a Research Assistant at the Asian Civilisations Museum, as she shares her journey and passion for archaeology:

Latest News and Highlights

Dr Noeleen Heyzer as NUS Pro-Chancellor

We are delighted to welcome our distinguished Sociology alumna, Dr Noeleen Heyzer, as NUS Pro-Chancellor, with effect from 1 August 2026.

Click here to read more on Dr Noeleen Heyzer.

Congratulations: Class of 2026

NUS celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of Anthropology majors, alongside its Sociology majors, at the Commencement ceremony on 22 July 2026, marking a significant milestone for our Department. More than 60 years after anthropology was first taught at NUS and four years after the launch of its standalone undergraduate major, the pioneer cohort leaves behind not only a new academic programme, but also a vibrant student community and a legacy of curiosity, empathy and critical inquiry. Equipped to "make the familiar strange and the strange familiar", these graduates enter an increasingly AI-driven world with the skills to better understand people, cultures and the complexities of human experience. Click here to read the NUS News article.

Happy Retirement and Congratulations to Prof Syed Farid Alatas!

👏 As Prof Syed Farid Alatas retires on 30 June 2026, we are delighted to share that he will be appointed as Emeritus Professor from 1 July 2026. This well-deserved honour recognises his decades of service and contributions to the Department and the University. Congratulations and best wishes to Prof Farid!

New Minor in Criminal Justice from AY26/27 Semester 2

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Minor in Criminal Justice, from AY26/27 Semester 2.

The Minor in Criminal Justice offers students a rigorous, multidisciplinary foundation in the study of crime, criminality, justice, and social control, with a central focus on how criminal justice systems define, govern, and respond to crime.

Also featured on The Straits Times "NUS introduces minor in criminal justice after strong uptake of related courses" online and on print.

Congratulations to Dr Lau Ting Hui for winning the Virchow Prize (2024)

👏 Congratulations to Dr Lau Ting Hui on receiving the Virchow Prize (2024) for her paper, “The afterlife of ‘doing medicine’: Birth planning, chronic illness, and regeneration among the Lisu on the China–Myanmar border,” published in Medical Anthropology Quarterly. Based on long-term ethnographic research with Indigenous Lisu communities in the Nu River Valley, Dr Lau’s work examines the enduring impacts of China’s Birth Planning Policy and how experiences of chronic illness and care continue to shape memories of loss, survival, and regeneration. This award recognition highlights the power of ethnography to illuminate the long-term consequences of health policies and state interventions.