The Senior Thesis in sociology provides students an opportunity to study a sociological problem independently and in depth. A student enrolled in S0 376/Senior Seminar in Sociology formulates a specific research question, identifies and reviews relevant literature, collects or obtains appropriate empirical data, analyzes data, and develops theoretically meaningful conclusions from the results of the analysis. A thesis is the written report of such a research project. Senior theses in sociology generally range from 25 to 50 pages in length and conform to the American Sociological Association's publication guidelines.

A thesis is required for departmental (although not all college) honors, in addition to a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in sociology courses and a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher in all courses taken at Skidmore. (There are additional requirements for interdepartmental honors. Students with interdepartmental majors including sociology should consult their advisors in both the concerned departments and the Skidmore College Catalogue concerning the specific requirements for honors in their interdepartmental major.) However, grade point average is neither a prerequisite nor adequate reason for enrollment in senior thesis. Students who undertake a senior thesis should have a fully developed research question and design, the necessary academic preparation for independent research (including a strong methodological and theoretical background), the motivation to devote the required time and energy, and the ability to work independently.

With few exceptions, thesis research is a continuation, extension, and elaboration of the research project undertaken in the Senior Seminar in Sociology during the Fall semester. A student considering a senior thesis should consult and share copies of her or his written work in Senior Seminar with members of the sociology faculty who might serve as thesis advisor. The decision to serve as a student's thesis advisor is based on the faculty member's assessment of the scholarly promise of the student's Senior Seminar project and the educational value to the particular student of the thesis experience. Permission of a thesis advisor is a prerequisite for enrollment in S0376: Senior Thesis in Sociology during the Spring semester of a student's senior year.

Plan ahead: If you want to do a senior thesis, you should get permission from a sociology faculty member before registration for the semester in which you do the thesis. Since most theses are Spring semester projects, you need to find a thesis supervisor before registration in November.

In consultation with an advisor, a student enrolled in Senior Thesis in Sociology develops a schedule for the completion of different stages of the research and for the submission of various drafts of the thesis. The student is responsible for meeting the scheduled deadlines. The student must also select, in consultation with her or his thesis advisor, another member of the Skidmore faculty to serve as a second reader of the thesis. While the second reader is usually a sociologist, in cases of combined majors including sociology, she or he might be a faculty member from another department. Like the thesis advisor, the second reader may provide a student advice and guidance in the course of the thesis research. Both the second reader and thesis advisor evaluate preliminary and final versions of the thesis. The thesis advisor consults the second reader and assigns a grade based on their collective assessment of the scholarly quality of the final version of the thesis.

If you and your thesis advisor think your thesis is of high quality and you want to share your work with the Skidmore community, you may want to nominate your project for inclusion in the Academic Festival held at the college each April. Contact the Dean of Studies office for information on the Academic Festival.

Here are some examples of senior theses in sociology: