This form must be signed by the supervising faculty member and submitted to the Director of Undergraduate Studies, whose signature on this form, and another course approval form required by the registrar, is necessary before you can register for independent study. This program is open to majors who have a 3.3 average in their major at the beginning of the second semester of their junior year. To earn distinction, students must complete a thesis and defend it in an oral examination given by a supervisory committee consisting of three members of the sociology faculty. Credit for two semesters of independent study is available whether or not the thesis merits distinction. Sociology majors with a 3.0 average in their major are eligible for membership.
Initiation takes place once a year.
The chapter elects its own officers and organizes formal dinners, meetings with faculty and visits of outside speakers. It also arranges open houses prior to pre-registration so that students can discuss among themselves courses being offered for the following semester. Membership in the society offers contacts with other majors and with faculty, as well as the opportunity to enter a national paper competition. Another opportunity for advanced work using a sociology major is to pursue an M.A. or Ph.D. degree in sociology. The Department maintains a complete file of information on major graduate programs and many faculty members know people in these programs.