Students in our department also have a variety of opportunities to do independent research. These include an upper-level research seminar in which students design and implement their own study, a senior honors thesis in which a student works with a faculty advisor on a project chosen by the student, and readings and research courses in which a student and a faculty member explore a specific topic of mutual interest. In addition, students occasionally serve as research assistants on ongoing faculty research projects.
UVM sociology students are encouraged to build on their coursework by taking advantage of additional opportunities tailored to their specific skills, interests, and goals.
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College Journey Leads to Yale Law School
James Sanchez’s personal and academic journey led them to a small liberal arts college, a local community college, and finally the University of Vermont. That journey will continue next fall as they take up their studies at Yale Law School.
After attending Bryn Mawr College for a semester, they took a medical leave of absence and returned to their home town of Middlebury, Vt.
Sanchez enrolled in the Community College of Vermont and made a big impact. They worked as a teaching assistant and academic mentor during their two-year tenure there, and received a Student Leadership Scholarship at the CCV Middlebury campus.
It was at CCV that they changed their name to James and began navigating the world as a visibly trans person, while facilitating a queer youth group for local high school students.
“It was amazing to see how many trans students showed up,” Sanchez said. “I’m sure they got tired of hearing me say ‘when I was your age,’ but I never got tired of seeing how much had changed since I’d been a student at that same high school.”
After graduating from CCV with an associate of arts degree, Sanchez went on to complete their undergraduate degree at UVM.
Read more of James' story
Can I do an internship for sociology credit?
The internship coordinator for the department is Professor Alice Fothergill. Presently, the only way for students to get sociology credit for an internship is through Professor Fothergill's spring semester course, SOC 3991. Internship Seminar in SOC. The course allows students to participate in internships in local organizations for the spring semester. Generally, internships require ten hours a week of service in the agency site for three hours of course credit. Sociology requires a rigorous scholarly component as well, including bi-weekly meetings, a sociological literature review, and a final paper. Students who want an internship experience but do not need sociology credit might consider registering for CAS 2920 Communities of Practice or CAS 2991 Internship. For more information on sociology internships, contact Alice Fothergill at alice.fothergill@uvm.edu.
Does UVM offer a criminal justice degree?
No, but the sociology department offers a concentration in Crime and Criminal Justice. We offer courses on Deviance & Social Control, Global Deviance, Criminal Justice, Crime, Sociology of Law, and Corrections. One can certainly explore that interest and gain expertise within the sociology major. There is also a minor in Law and Society which is describe here: https://catalogue.uvm.edu/undergraduate/artsandsciences/sociology/lawandsocietyminor/