The department offers several opportunities to engage in sociological research. Interested students are encouraged to reach out to the undergraduate director and/or individual faculty members.
Aresty Research Program
The Aresty Research Center's mission is to support undergraduate research at Rutgers University. Undergraduates have the opportunity to explore the process of research, as well as connect with faculty mentors and projects that aid in defining their research goals. Aresty provides a platform for students to support their research through funding as well as present their findings university-wide during our annual symposium.
Sociology Honors Program
The Sociology Honors Program involves an independent project developed over two semesters. Seniors in the Sociology Honors Program enroll in the Honors Seminar (920:497 in the fall, 498 in the spring), and, in consultation with the Honors Seminar instructor, they select an individual advisor from among the Sociology faculty. The Seminar, which meets weekly, covers topics that everyone faces when doing an independent sociological project, such as narrowing a topic, identifying researchable questions, carrying out a review of existing literature on the topic, getting approval for conducting research on human subjects, and organizing a long research paper. Students complete the seminar with an independent honors thesis and the opportunity to present their research to the Sociology department.
Independent Study
Students wishing to conduct an independent study in sociology must apply to the department in writing. Majors and minors must have a 3.0 grade-point average in sociology courses and have taken all prerequisites for the major. Students identify a professor with whom they would like to study along with a mutually-agreed upon research topic. The instructor and student must agree to specified reading and writing requirements along with a meeting schedule. Applications will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
