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Sociology @ UCLA
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Sociology Honors
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SPECIAL PROGRAMS IN SOCIOLOGY

The Sociology Honors Program

The sociology honors thesis is a 3-to-4 quarter independent research project. The program emphasizes the development of practical and intellectual skills to do sociological research. A fundamental aim is to equip students with the tools to carry out their own investigation. Writing an honors thesis is an excellent opportunity to apply sociology to answer students’ own questions about social life. It provides students with useful skills in formulating questions, drawing conclusions from their findings, and fine-tuning arguments; skills that are important in many professions or occupations. Your finished product will be a useful writing sample to submit to graduate or professional schools.

The next honors thesis program begins in Spring Quarter 2008. After acceptance into the honors program, students are required to take Sociology 191H, 198A, 198B, and 198C (honors thesis seminars) which may be applied as electives toward the major requirements.

The initial course (Soc. 191H) provides hands on training in methods of sociological research. The emphasis is on practical skills covering the sociological survey (questionnaire design, interviewing and data analysis), participant observation, secondary analysis of government data, the focus group and the literature survey. By the end of the first quarter, students will have identified a viable research topic. The following quarters are spent collecting data, presenting ideas during class seminars, conducting fieldwork, presenting draft theses at the honors research conference, and writing up the results. Departmental honors is awarded to those who complete the entire sequence of course work and submit an acceptable thesis.

   Sociology Honors Program 2008