Honors Program
The Honors Program in Sociology offers students a unique opportunity to dive deep into original, independent research. Through a dynamic three-course sequence taken across their junior and senior years, students work closely with faculty mentors and a cohort of peers to:
- Design and develop their own research project
- Collect and analyze meaningful data
- Write and present a senior honors thesis that showcases their findings
This experience strengthens students� research and writing skills and helps to prepare them for graduate study, policy work, and careers that demand analytical thinking and intellectual independence.
Honors Program Timeline
In the Spring semester, Sociology majors with a 3.5 GPA or higher will be invited by the Department to apply to the Honors Program. Application deadlines will be set in advance of Fall course enrollment, so that admitted students can register for SOCY4931: Important Readings in Sociology.
Sociology majors who wish to apply to the honors program after their sophomore year should e-mail the Director of Undergraduate Studies to discuss.听
Fall of Junior Year: Accepted honors students enroll in SOCY4931: Important Readings in Sociology, begin initial thesis proposal development, and are matched with a faculty advisor.
Spring of Junior Year: Honors students have some choices about how they use this semester. They can continue thesis planning and development independently with their advisor, enroll in SOCY5518: Theory-Driven Qualitative Research to develop skills for qualitative research projects (optional), enroll in another 5000-level course offered by the Sociology Department, and/or submit IRB applications (if applicable).
Summer between Junior and Senior years (optional): Some honors students choose to collect data and/or develop literature reviews in the summer between Junior and Senior years. This can be done with the aid of an Advanced Study Grant from the University.
Fall of Senior Year: Honors students enroll in the classroom course SOCY4961: Senior Honors Thesis 1 and continue working with faculty advisors to conduct data collection and data analysis, and develop their literature review.
Spring of Senior Year: Honors students enroll in the independent study course SOCY4963: Senior Honors Thesis 2 and work with their faculty advisor to complete their thesis. Honors theses are due in mid-April. In May, all graduating honors students will present posters of their thesis projects as part of the Sociology Department annual Honors and Awards ceremony.
Write an essay of not more than 500 words that states:
- Why you want to write a senior thesis
- What benefits you think you will get from participating in the honors program.
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Ask one instructor in the sociology department to write a letter of听reference on your behalf.
Email these materials to Professor Alyssa Goldman,听Director of Undergraduate Studies (alyssa.goldman@bc.edu).
Invited sophomores will be provided with a deadline as part of their invitation. Students who are interested in applying after sophomore year should email Professor Alyssa Goldman to discuss their application.
The Honors program can be linked with other university opportunities.
Projects undertaken as听Advanced Study Grants听can evolve into honors projects. Beginning in the summer after junior year, honors students with a cumulative GPA of 3.70 or higher may participate in the听Scholar of the College听program. Honors projects can also result in prestigious awards, such as the听McCarthy Prize. Some honors students even听publish听their听thesis听work.