Sociology Senior Seminar I

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

NEW Sociology Required Course [Formerly SOCI 303 / 3 credit hours]: This is the first semester in a two-semester senior thesis course. The expectation for the thesis is an exploration of a topic with research utilizing real empirical data. The thesis must include a bit of original analysis, not only a summary of existing studies. The format of the thesis should follow a standard academic journal article with the following elements: abstract, introduction, theory, data and methods, findings, and discussion. A thesis can utilize qualitative or quantitative data. A proportion of the instruction is done one-on-one with the instructor to accommodate research questions and methods more closely. This allows the student to receive guidance that is specific to the project. The seminar also mirrors the world of academic research. The peer reviews are also similar to that in academic research, where we present papers-in-progress at conferences, receive feedback, and then revise or continue with our work. By sharing work and digging deeply into others’ work, students will get a sense of what is excellent and what to strive for; what the standards of the project are.