Admission to the Honors Program may be initiated by the student or by any faculty member of the Department of Sociology on behalf of the student.  Minimum eligibility criteria include:

• An overall GPA of 3.2 or above; this standard must be maintained throughout the period of participation in the Honors Program
• A GPA of 3.5 or above in all Sociology courses; this standard must be maintained throughout the period of participation in the Honors Program
• Completion of at least 30, but not more than 90, credit hours at the time participation in the Honors Program begins (determined by the start date of the student’s first Honors Program regularly scheduled course or independent study)
• Completion and submission of the Honors Program application form to the Department Chair for distribution to members of the Department of Honors Committee

Successful Honors Program candidates will complete at least nine credit hours of Honors courses in Sociology (which count toward the 120 hours required for graduation). Specific requirements are:

• Complete at least two Honors courses (six credit hours) offered through the University Honors Program (not including the thesis) and earn a GPA of 3.5 or above for the courses
  • Students with a concentration in Sociology must take one Honors course in their concentration (SOC 3791, SOCY 3792, SOCY 3793, etc. that may be cross-listed with existing courses in the concentrations)
• Complete a 3-credit Honors Thesis (SOCY 3799 ) based on a proposal approved by the student’s Honors Committee; the thesis must meet the following criteria:
  • An original research project examining a sociological issue
  • Include both secondary and primary research
  • Follow traditional scholarly research structure with chapters appropriate to the research method and context
  • At least 25 and not more than 75 pages; double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins
  • Compliant with an appropriate scholarly writing style
  • Orally defended
  • In accordance with the policies of the University Honors Program, A is the required grade for the Honors Thesis Research Course
• Students may take an additional 3 credit hours of Preliminary Honors Research (SOCY 3798 ) on a pass/no credit basis to conduct preliminary research and writing
  • If students choose to do this, they must submit a comprehensive report of their progress in the preliminary research and must take SOCY 3799  the following semester to complete and defend their thesis

Following successful completion, the honors notation will appear on a student’s official transcript.

For further information, interested students should consult with the Department Chair or Undergraduate Coordinator.