Honors Programs

Criminology Honors Program

Decorative doors in OLd Main building

The Departmental Honors program in Criminology is an upper-division course of study based on a topic in the area of criminology. The honors project may be an intensive study of a topic in criminal justice, criminology, or an empirical research investigation.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a criminology honors candidacy, students normally will have completed 28 semester hours and not more than 85 semester hours with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5.

Requirements

They must take 12 hours in Honors Studies, which may include 6 hours of thesis.  The candidate is expected to pass an oral examination given by an Honors Council Committee.  Projects of extraordinarily high quality may be designated High Honors by the Committee.

Degree Awarded

Successful completion of the requirements will be recognized by the award of the distinction “Sociology Scholar Cum Laude” at graduation.  Higher degree distinctions are recommended only in truly exceptional cases and are based upon the whole of the candidate’s program of honors studies.

Sociology Honors Program

Old Main Tower in the spring

 The Departmental Honors program in Sociology is an upper-division course of study based on independent investigation on a scholarly topic of sociological interest. 

Eligibility

To be eligible for sociology honors candidacy, students normally will have completed 28 semester hours and not more than 85 semester hours with a minimum cumulative GPA  of 3.5.

Requirements

They must take 12 hours in Honors Studies, which may include 6 hours of thesis. In the junior year, three hours of directed reading, planning, or other work on a research problem should be selected from the following courses:

  • SOCI 399VH Honors Course, or
  • SOCI 403V Individual Study in Sociology, or
  • SOCI 4043 Seminar in Sociology

In the senior year, the student will complete an honors project for up to six hours of credit in SOCI 399VH Honors Course.  This honors research project will normally consist of an empirical investigation by may, with the approval of the honors director and the other departmental representatives, be intensive library research on a topic.

Degree Awarded

All candidates must pass an oral examination given by an Honors Council Committee.  Successful completion of the requirements will be recognized by the award of the distinction “Sociology Scholar Cum Laude” at graduation.  Higher degree distinctions are recommended only in truly exceptional cases and are based upon the whole of the candidate’s program of honors studies.