The Sociology Honors Program gives students hands on experience with the academic research and writing process—i.e. analyzing the existing literature, formulating a research question, finding necessary data, conducting data analysis, and writing it up in a coherent and succinct form. The scope, obligations, and methods of evaluation for the final honors thesis are worked out case-by-case between the student and the faculty thesis advisor.
Eligibility for the Sociology Honors Program requires completion of:
- at least four of the five sociology core curriculum courses
- and at least two 300 level elective courses in sociology by the end of the junior year
- with a Sociology GPA of 3.5 or higher
To complete the Sociology Honors Program students must:
- Secure a faculty thesis advisor from the Sociology Department.
- Apply for Honors before registration for the two-semester program begins.
- Complete Honors Research Seminar I (230.511) in their first semester of the program and Honors Research Seminar II (230.512) in their second semester
- Submit a sole-authored Honors thesis
- Complete all remaining core curriculum and elective course requirements for the Sociology Major.
Note, the thesis submitted for Honors in Sociology is not eligible to receive Honors in any other department.
Enrolling in the Honors Program
To enroll in the Sociology Honors Program, a student must complete an application by April 15 of their junior year for students graduating in the spring. Students graduating in the fall must apply by November 15 of their junior year. Applications must be signed by the faculty advisor and emailed to [email protected].
See the Undergraduate Handbook on the Requirements page for more details on the application, required courses, and thesis expectations.