Honors program

Sociology majors who want to undertake an independent project are encouraged to apply to the department's honors program. Honors students work under the direction of faculty advisors to complete a thesis.

An honors thesis is an excellent way to further the skills and knowledge acquired in your undergraduate career. One practical reason for writing a thesis is preparation for graduate study. It may be possible to use the thesis as a writing sample when applying for MA, PhD, law, or business programs. 

Students are encouraged to begin planning their honors thesis in their junior year, at which time they should enroll in SOC 202: Preparation for Honors Thesis or SOC 204A: Capstone Research Seminar.

• Completion of all requirements for the sociology major
• GPA requirements:
  • A GPA of 3.5 or higher in courses taken within the major
  • Overall GPA of 3.3 or higher for all undergraduate coursework
  • The GPA will be calculated at two points: When the student applies to the honor program and at the end of the quarter in which the student graduates. If the GPA is below 3.5 at the end of the quarter in which the student graduates, the student will have to drop honors.
• Application and acceptance into the sociology honors program
• Completion of SOC 202 during junior year or as early as possible in senior year
• Completion of an honors thesis with a grade of A- or higher
• Participation in the Sociology Honors Colloquium in the spring quarter before graduation

If these requirements are not met, then you must drop your honors declaration (BAH) in Axess and declare the appropriate degree (BA) before applying to graduate.