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Honors

Sociology Honors Program

What is Sociology Honors?

Sociology Honors (also known as Departmental Honors) is a double-semester program during which students write a thesis under the supervision of a member of the Sociology faculty and a “second reader,” who can come from any department in the University.  Honors students also attend a seminar during both semesters, which meets for an hour twice weekly.  Its purpose is to provide support, resources, and assistance relevant to successfully completing a Sociology Honors Thesis.  The seminar also strives to build a close mentoring relationship between first and second semester Honors students, thereby creating a genuine community of young scholars.

NOTE: The Honors seminar is temporarily suspended while the department attempts to recruit a new faculty Honors Director. In the meantime, all honors students will work directly with their individual faculty supervisor(s). 

When should I start planning for Sociology Honors?

Sociology majors interested in participating in Sociology Honors should contact the Honors Advisor as early as possible, preferably no later than the first semester of their junior year.  This early contact insures that Honors prerequisites are scheduled far enough in advance to allow students to complete Sociology Honors and still graduate in a timely manner. This initial meeting is also useful in terms of acquainting interested students with Sociology Honors and helping them identify potential thesis supervisors, based on their academic interests.

Am I eligible for Sociology Honors?

Students can be admitted to Sociology Honors in the Fall or Spring semester. Applicants must have:

  • an overall UT GPA of at least 3.0
  • a Sociology GPA of at least 3.5
  • completed SOC 302 (Intro to Study of Society) and SOC 317L (Statistics, or approved substitution) before their first semester in Honors. 
  • completed SOC 327M (Methods) or SOC 379M (Theory) prior to beginning the program; preferred applicants will have completed both.  Students who have not completed both SOC 327M and SOC 379M before entering Honors must take the missing requirement during their first semester in the program.

Students are encouraged to secure a thesis supervisor before applying for Honors, although this is not a requirement. Applicants should also have at least a general idea of the area they would like to work in. Preferred applicants will have a reasonably well-defined thesis topic. 

How do I apply?

The honors application is available as a PDF. For Fall 2023 admission, submit your application with writing sample to gulliver@austin.utexas.edu. 

There program will accept applications on a rolling basis. For those who apply before the end of the Spring semester, early acceptance is generally offered near the end of that term. For those who apply during the summer, final acceptance will be offered shortly before the start of the Fall semester to allow any necessary schedule changes to occur during add/drop. 

How does honors affect my schedule and graduation plan?

Honors coursework consists of two 3-hour courses, SOC 679HA (first semester) and SOC 679HB (second semester), which must be taken over two long semesters.  The honors advisor assigns the grade for SOC 679HA, and the thesis supervisor assigns the grade for SOC 679HB.  Students must receive either an A- or an A in both SOC 679HA and SOC 679HB in order to graduate with Departmental Honors. Beginning with the 2016-18 catalog, the six hours of honors courses will count toward the 30 hours required for the major (as upper-division elective hours). 

Graduation Requirements for Departmental Honors in Sociology

  • Completion of all Liberal Arts and Sociology degree requirements
  • University GPA of at least 3.0
  • Sociology GPA of at least 3.5
  • A grade of A- or A in Sociology 679HA
  • A grade of A- or A in Sociology 679HB

Copies of past Honors Theses are available from the advising office.

 

Honors Advisor 

  • The program is currently without a faculty advisor. Please contact your Academic Advisor to discuss departmental honors.

Other University Honors Programs

  • University Honors

  • Liberal Arts Honors
    Liberal Arts Honors is a series of upper-division interdisciplinary courses taught by award-winning faculty. These courses are designed to provide students with a capstone experience that enriches their majors and relates them to other disciplines.
  • Plan II
    The Plan II Honors Program is a selective four-year honors degree program with a strenuous curriculum in the arts and sciences.
  • Humanities Program
    The Humanities Program offers able and highly motivated students the opportunity to design an independent course of study dedicated to some theme, topic, culture, period, or question that cannot be adequately pursued through a single departmental major.

 

 

Sociology Honors Documents

  • The honors application is available as a DOC or PDF. For Fall 2022 admission, submit your application with writing sample to this box folder by Friday, April 1st, 2022 for early acceptance or by the final deadline, Monday, August 1st, 2022.

  • Please note that we do not do a rolling admissions in the summer. If you apply after April 1st, it's likely you will not recieve your decision until after August 1st. 

Honors Advisor 

Other University Honors Programs

  • University Honors

  • Liberal Arts Honors
    Liberal Arts Honors is a series of upper-division interdisciplinary courses taught by award-winning faculty. These courses are designed to provide students with a capstone experience that enriches their majors and relates them to other disciplines.
  • Plan II
    The Plan II Honors Program is a selective four-year honors degree program with a strenuous curriculum in the arts and sciences.
  • Humanities Program
    The Humanities Program offers able and highly motivated students the opportunity to design an independent course of study dedicated to some theme, topic, culture, period, or question that cannot be adequately pursued through a single departmental major.
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