Independent Research, Field Research, and Internships

Get out there and be Sociologists!

The Department of Sociology offers three main avenues through which students can obtain real-world sociological experiences.

First, students have the option of conducting an Independent Study (Soc 397), where students meet regularly with a faculty member and work on a project of their own choosing. The exact nature of the work and final project is negotiated between the faculty member and the student. Typically students taking an independent study will choose a topic in the faculty member's area of expertise and conduct original research resulting in a professional-style paper. We do not offer individual study where students do not meet with faculty members.

Our Field Work in Sociology course (Soc 305, 306) is specifically geared toward the planning and execution of a field-based research experience. Although a traditional seat time is not required, students are required to work under faculty supervision. Students who are interested in conducting an independent study or field work assignment should contact the specific Sociology faculty member with whom they are interested in working or the Undergraduate Coordinator for more guidance.

The Sociology Internship Program (Soc 390) is premised on the notion that in order to learn sociology, one must "do" sociology; concepts must be conveyed through the comparative analysis of diverse experiences. The sociology internship provides an opportunity for experiential learning that can help students apply and extend their sociological imagination, including conceptual abilities and analytical problem-solving skills, in settings beyond the classroom. Internships also help prepare students for future employment through exposure to potential work settings, developing contacts, building resumes, and the exploration of career goals. The skills acquired or extended through the internship experience are precisely those that many employers value in liberal-arts graduates: analytical and synthesizing abilities, empathetic understand of others, independence, risk-taking ability, and interpersonal collaborative skills.


Internships are essentially volunteer experiences within professional organizations in the community. Students do their work in concert with a faculty supervisor and a site supervisor at the organization. On the sociology side, the student and faculty member negotiate the expectations for the internship experience and the final outcome of the internship (a paper, series of journal entries, other research, other project) for which the student will receive academic credit. The goal is for students to gain real-world experiences where they may actively take part in the day to day functions of the organization. Students interested in doing an internship should first consider which Sociology faculty member they would like to work with and approach them or contact the Undergraduate Coordinator for more guidance.


In some cases the Department of Sociology has already established relationships with organizations that offer internship opportunities, however, students are encouraged to seek out community organizations and inquire whether internships exist and present those possibilities to the Undergraduate Coordinator for consideration. Internships carry 3 credit hours per semester and require a minimum of 112.5 hours of supervised work per semester, a minimum of 7.5 hours per week for the 15 weeks of a regular semester.
In short, the sociology internship offers students a unique academic experience, while at the same time enhancing marketability to future employers. Ultimately, the internship helps to achieve a primary goal of a sociology education within the liberal arts tradition-the ability for students to connect their formal education to the analysis and understanding of the social world.

Program Overview

Admission
Degree Requirements
Course Offerings
Independent Research and Field
Research
What can I do with a Sociology Degree?
The Sociology Club
AKD - Sociology Honors Society
Advising