Guidelines

The final requirement for sociology majors is the completion of a one-semester senior thesis, inwhich you have the opportunity to explore a topic of particular interest to you in greater depth.

In consultation with a thesis advisor from the Department, you will use the tools you developed in the core methods and theory courses, as well as in junior/senior seminars, to conduct original research.

The thesis allows you to work as an independent sociologist, focusing on the substantive area(s) of greatest interest to you, and using the methods and theoretical approaches you find most useful. A list of recent thesis titles offers a feel for the range of topics, methods, and approaches recent majors have pursued. Please note that one junior/senior research seminar (Soc. 395) is a pre-requisute for enrolling in thesis (Soc. 457 or 458).