Thesis format

Theses can take several forms. They can involve the analysis of qualitative or quantitative data. They can be theoretical or analyses of the literature. They can also be creative projects that do not follow a traditional research paper model. We encourage you to speak to your faculty mentor about how long you can expect your project to take, based on the type of project that you are doing. Every thesis must involve a written component. For some some suggested structures for thesis of the different types please see our department's thesis guidelines.

Who is eligible to be a faculty thesis mentor?

Career-line and tenure-line faculty are eligible to serve as faculty thesis mentors. If the faculty mentor leaves before the thesis is complete, either the student can find another faculty mentor or, if that is not possible, the Departmental Honors Liaison can step in as their faculty mentor to finish up their thesis.

Are collaborative theses permitted?

A collaborative thesis is one where an Honors student works with one or more collaborators on the thesis.

The Department of Sociology and Criminology does not allow collaborative theses as a matter of course, but a student can seek an exception for individual circumstances. Please contact the Departmental Honors Liaison.

Are joint theses permitted?

A joint thesis is a single thesis that satisfies the requirements of multiple majors.

Yes. Many students have multiple majors, and we support students who desire to have their thesis “count” for two majors, assuming the topic connects to both majors. Other majors may have more stringent or more lenient expectations regarding thesis rigor and length that the student may need to meet as well. Theses in Sociology and Criminology have to fulfill our guidelines, regardless of the other major's requirement. The specific details of how the process will work will be different each time, depending on the students' majors and mentor(s). The student who wishes to use the same thesis for two majors will need to be proactive in working with the advisors and mentors. Please see our guidelines.

How does the Honors Thesis relate to other aspects for the major?

There is no senior/capstone in sociology, but the thesis could relate to work a student has done in many substantive courses in the department as determined by the student and their faculty mentor. Additionally, if applicable and desired students can take research course hours in addition to required SOC 4999. This will be determined by the student and their faculty mentor. The potential options are: SOC 4998 and SOC 3950.

Major-specific Thesis Proposal Process

The Honors College requires Thesis Proposal/Registration by the end of the third year. If your major has a separate additional Thesis Proposal Process, it is detailed here.

We ask that each student complete our thesis application form: https://soc.utah.edu/forms/secure/senior-thesis-application.php

This should happen after they have selected a faculty mentor but before beginning the project. The form requires basic information about the student and mentor, as well as a 250 word summary of the proposed thesis and a brief timeline.

Additional information for students

https://soc.utah.edu/undergraduate/senior-thesis.php