College of Liberal Arts

Center for Archeological Investigations

Office: Faner 3479 [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-5024

The Center for Archaeological Investigations is a research and service unit whose primary mission is to carry out high-quality archaeological research. The Center has links to the Department of Anthropology but is administratively independent. Much of the Center’s grant and contract-funded work takes place in southern Illinois, but staff members pursue research interests that encompass other areas as well as collaborate with archaeologists in the Department of Anthropology. Staff members are active in public service roles relating to archaeology and historic preservation. Center projects also provide key training venues and experience for both undergraduate and graduate students. The Center curates large collections from over 50 years of SIUC research in southern Illinois as well as those of the Black Mesa Archaeological Project in northern Arizona .Nationally, our most visible effort is the Visiting Scholar Program, which each year brings a different post-doctoral archaeologist to campus to teach and to organize a research conference on a topic of his/her choosing. The Center publishes the selected papers of these conferences in a series of peer-reviewed volumes.

School of Art & Design

Office: Allyn Building,113 [Department website]

Phone: 618 453-4315

Welcome to the School of Art and Design (SoAD) at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. SoAD offers programs leading to BA, BFA, and MFA degrees in a variety of areas, including Art Education, Art History, Ceramics, Communication Design, Drawing, Glass, Industrial Design, Metalsmithing, Painting, Printmaking, and Sculpture. SoAD's 450 undergraduate majors combine intensive study in their areas of professional specialization with rigorous liberal arts coursework offered by the University Core Curriculum. The Graduate Program, attracting students from both the US and abroad, has been nationally recognized by US News and World Report as a premier institution for graduate education in art. Explore the SoAD's and SIUC's many resources online, or come by and meet the faculty, tour the facilities, and learn more about our programs.

Center for the Study of Crime, Delinquency, and Corrections

Office: Faner 4248 [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-6365

The Center for the Study of Crime, Delinquency, and Corrections enjoys a national and international reputation for quality research, education, and technical assistance to criminal justice agencies.  Founded in 1963, the Center was among a handful of American universities that pioneered scholarship and curricula focusing on the problem of crime and the criminal justice systems.  Today, the Center offers the Bachelor of Arts and the Master of Arts degree in Administration of Justice. The mission of the Center’s teaching programs is to provide high quality graduate education in criminal justice and criminology. These programs focus is on analyzing crime, the criminal justice system, and criminal justice programs and policies.  The emphasis is on integrating theory and research to support data-driven decision making by criminal justice practitioners and policy makers.  The Center’s programs prepare its graduates with the analytic capabilities and problem-solving skills that enable them to succeed in professional careers in criminal justice and related agencies or in continued graduate or professional education. Center students are exposed to a diverse group of faculty engaged in cutting edge research on a variety of important topics such as firearms and violence, the police response to gangs, domestic violence and other forms of victimization, youth violence prevention, drugs and crime, evidence-base practices in corrections, and police organizations and change.  The Center is committed to providing students with a quality education and to a program of research that is use-based and aimed at improving the quality of life for all.

Center for English as a Second Language

Office: Faner 3242 [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-6526

The Center for English as a Second Language (CESL) is an intensive English language program for internationals who wish to develop greater proficiency in English for US degree programs or for personal
or professional reasons. Courses in CESL are non-credit bearing; students receive 20-25 hours of classroom instruction per week. CESL administers the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) 15 times per year. One administration is available the week before each semester begins for new international SIUC students. CESL also assists the Graduate School in testing and training international teaching assistants.

Anthropology

Office: Faner 3525 [Department website]

Phone:(618) 536-6651 

Anthropology is the study of humanity, past and present, in all its biological and cultural aspects. We study the structure and meaning of human interaction and language, the evolution of our species and our nearest relatives, and the development of human culture and the processes of culture change. Anthropology is unique in its approach to the study of humanity in both the deep span of time and the breadth of aspects of humanity considered, bridging social, biological, and earth sciences and the humanities. Here at SIUC, we teach a broad range of undergraduate courses, including two in the university's Core Curriculum. Our M.A. and Ph.D. programs and the faculty's research are among the University's best: four of our faculty have been named SIUC Outstanding Scholars, another won a university teaching award, and in the past eight years six of our students have won the university's awards for the year's outstanding thesis or dissertation. Our faculty and students are involved in research around the globe, including southern Europe, Africa, India, and especially in the Americas. We have strong research foci on issues of: history, power, and identity; the anthropology of food; visual anthropology; Eastern U.S., Mesoamerican, and Peruvian archaeology; languages of the Americas; primate evolution and biogeography; epidemiology; and bioarchaeology.

Black American Studies

Office: Faner 4007 [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-7148

The Black American Studies program, established in 1968, offers a variety of courses that supplement the general education of students across the SIUC campus. The faculty of the BAS program bring to the classroom outstanding academic credentials from such schools as Michigan State, Bowling Green, Yale, Indiana and Brown universities. Students can take classes in history, literature, cultural studies, fine and performing arts and also may take advantage of the summer abroad program, spending three weeks in Ghana. Presently the program offers a minor in Black American Studies.

Dewey Studies

Office: 807 South Oakland Street [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-2629

The Center for Dewey Studies at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale was established in 1961 as the "Dewey Project." In the course of collecting and editing Dewey's works, the Center amassed a wealth of source materials for the study of America's quintessential philosopher-educator, John Dewey. By virtue of its publications and research, the Center has become the international focal point for research on Dewey's life and work. Its location at the University makes it possible for visitors to take advantage of the resources and professional expertise of the faculty and staff of the Department of Philosophy, the College of Education, Special Collections in Morris Library, and the Southern Illinois University Press

Economics

Office: Faner 4121 [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-2713

The Department of Economics offers the bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees.  The Vandeveer Chair of Economics is the only fully endowed chair in the university and is held by Sajal Lahiri, a highly respected scholar in the areas of international and development economics.  The faculty are actively engaged in research work.  Professor Richard Grabowski is a past winner of the Outstanding Teacher Award for the College of Liberal Arts.  Undergraduate students can specialize in international, financial, or general economics.  There are a variety of scholarships available at the undergraduate level and graduate assistantships at the graduate level.

English

Office: Faner 2380 [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-6854

The Department of English at SIUC provides a comprehensive program of study with a commitment to preparing students for successful careers in the professional, academic, and creative communities.  It is one of the larger departments on campus with an average enrollment of 300 undergraduate majors from both the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Education.  The department has approximately 120 graduate students, 80% of whom hold Graduate Assistantships for the first two years of study, and it is home to more than 35 tenured, tenure-track, and term appointed faculty.  In addition to offering the MA and PhD in literature and/or rhetoric & composition, the department also boasts a nationally recognized creative writing program, offering the MFA in fiction or poetry writing, as well as a very strong program in Irish literature and culture.

Foreign Languages & Literatures

Office: Faner 2166 [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-5430

The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures offers the M.A. in French and Spanish; the B.A. in Classics, Foreign Language and International Trade (FLIT), French, German Studies, and Spanish; specializations in French, German, or Spanish and International Public Service (FLIPS); minors in Chinese, Classical Civilization, East Asian Civilization, French, German Studies, Greek, Japanese, Latin, and Spanish; course work in American Sign Language (ASL). Our faculty are all native or near-native speakers of the languages they teach, experienced in modern teaching methodologies, and experts in their areas of research in language, linguistics, second-language acquisition, foreign language education, instructional technology, literature, civilization, and culture. Our goal is to have our students become as fluent as possible in both oral and written communication and knowledgeable about the cultures of the languages they are learning in the classroom, the foreign language help center, state-of-the-art language media centers, language clubs, honor societies, and weekly language conversation tables. We also offer individual and group study abroad programs and global (FLIT) internship opportunities. Our graduates successfully pursue careers in secondary or college teaching, government or public service, or domestic or international business. A FL major or minor also often gives a professional edge to students who major in other fields.

Geography & Environmental Resources

Office: Faner 4520 [Department website]

Phone: 618/536-3375

The Geography Department’s faculty, resources, and community relationships make up its strengths that are reflected in the programs that it offers. Field work, use of computers, and environmental internships are prominent components of the integrated environmental problem-solving approach evident in both undergraduate and graduate programs. Job prospects for our graduates are high-- in geographic fields of environmental management, water resources planning, and geo-spatial technologies (like GIS).

History

Office: Faner 3374 [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-7883

Teacher, journalist, intelligence analyst for the government, foreign service officer, restaurant manager, business leader, attorney: these are some of the professions that graduates from the History Department are pursuing today. The department prepares its graduates with the skills at research, analysis, and communication that open a broad range of opportunities in the private and the public sector. Students will be taught by a faculty recognized for its teaching and scholarly excellence, and they will have multiple opportunities for practical and internship experience to prepare for life after graduation.

Linguistics

Office: Faner 3234 [Department website]

Phone: 618/456-3385

Music

Office: Altgeld, 103 [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-2870

The School of Music is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music and carries a long tradition of excellence in teaching and scholarship. The School features a faculty active nationally and internationally in their respective areas, and students regularly work and perform with these recognized artists as a part of their degree programs. In 2004, the School moved into a multi-million dollar renovated facility with new instruments and state of the art equipment .Graduate degrees are offered in Performance, Music Education, Music Theory and Composition, Music History and Literature, Opera/Music Theater, and Piano Pedagogy. At the undergraduate level, the School of Music offers Bachelor of Music degrees in Performance, Music Education, Piano Pedagogy and Theory-Composition. Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music Business, Music Theater and Open Studies complete the undergraduate offerings. Alumni have graduated to perform, teach and work within the music industry world-wide.

Paralegal Studies

Office: Faner 4425 [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-1234

Everything that makes up our paralegal studies program is an asset that makes us stronger with each passing semester. Every teacher in our Paralegal Studies program is a practicing attorney, and we are the only bachelor track ABA-approved paralegal program in Illinois. The diversity of our students in everything from age to personal backgrounds to individual talents strengthens the quality of education shared by all. The required paralegal program's courses themselves are assets, since they present an exceptional education to students who will become professional paralegal's, and those same courses create a superior springboard to law school for students choosing our pre-law specialization. Our graduates enjoy the many opportunities that their paralegal degree offers them. We have graduates working in government agencies, small and large law firms in the major metropolitan areas and in small towns, the insurance industry, and banking.

Philosophy

Office: Faner 3065 [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-7432

Philosophy Department specializes in American Philosophy and continental European philosophy.  Among its faculty are the director of the Center for Dewey Studies, and the editors of the Library of Living Philosophers, the Continental Philosophy Review, Studies in Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy, and the Pluralist. 

Political Science

Office: Faner 3077 [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-3166

The Department of Political Science at Southern Illinois University Carbondale offers Bachelors of Arts, Master of Arts, Master of Public Administration, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. There are currently twenty-one full time professors who teach and research in the areas of International Relations, Comparative Politics, Political Theory, American Government & Politics, Public Law, and Public Administration.  The department of political science is one of the strongest teaching departments on campus, and its faculty has to its credit hundreds of articles, books, and scholarly monographs published in the fields listed above.  The department currently has one endowed professor in international relations, two Fulbright scholars, and a Robert Wood Johnson Fellow.

Psychology

Office: Life Science II, 281 [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-3529

The Department of Psychology encompasses a broad and flexible undergraduate program, a top-quality doctoral program, and a high level of research activity.  Psychology faculty are productive, award-winning scholars who also are actively engaged in classroom teaching.  The undergraduate curriculum reflects the rich diversity of the discipline, with over 40 available courses, and three student organizations provide additional learning and service opportunities.  Undergraduates may gain research experiences in faculty research labs, and our honors program provides a year-long research experience under faculty supervision.  Our graduate programs have produced over 600 doctorates from three programs with a total of five specializations:  Clinical (Adult, Child), Counseling, and Experimental (Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Applied).  The Clinical and Counseling Psychology programs have been accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1961.  The Department is a national leader in the graduation of minority doctorates.

Sociology

Office: Faner 3384 [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-7615

Sociology is the study of human societies, and SIU’s Department of Sociology has a vibrant group of scholars pursuing research and teaching in several interesting areas of the field. Our department offers three degrees; BA, MA, and Ph.D. Our graduates go on to law school, graduate school, and take jobs in the public or private sector. We are proud to have placed several recent Ph.D. graduates in tenure tracked positions at Ph.D. granting research universities, and our undergraduates have won several prestigious university awards and scholarships. Our specializations include: Criminology and Deviance, Social Movements and Politics; Race and Ethnicity, and Gender and Sexuality. You can find out more about our department at our website: http://www.siu.edu/~socio

Speech Communication

Office: Communication Building 2208 [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-2214

Studying the communication process expands our knowledge and teaches us to understand how people in various social contexts interact.  The mission of the Department of Speech Communication is to excel in teaching, research, and service. Working with approximately 200 undergraduate majors and over 65 in-residence masters and doctoral graduate students, we seek to create an environment that fosters opportunity, possibility, and creativity.  Students taking our classes have access to excellent instruction by nationally and internationally recognized faculty.  Our department also offers many opportunities for students to extend classroom learning by participating  in internships, our debate team, our student-run public relations agency, and public performances staged in our theater.  Speech Communication graduates are currently pursuing careers in business, education, entertainment, government, industry, and non-profit organizations.

Theater

Office: Communication Building 1033 [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-7579

University Museum

Office: Faner 2469 [Department website]

Phone: 618/453-5388

The University Museum has been a repository of artifacts since Dr. Cyrus Thomas was commissioned to begin collecting for a museum by the first Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois Normal University some time before 1871.  The museum formally opened to the public in 1874.  By the year 2000, the University Museum’s collection had grown to more than 55,000 objects.  The three major areas of collecting include: 4,500+ objects in fine and decorative arts; 23,000+ artifacts reflecting archaeology, history and world cultures, and 26,000+ geological specimens. Today the University Museum is the largest encyclopedic museum in Southern Illinois. The American Association of Museums has accredited the museum since 1977.