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.
-
One goal, two majors, unlimited opportunities
As a high school senior in Chappaqua, N.Y., Abby Fuirst was on the fence about her college choice.
“I was looking for a small liberal arts school and I worried that I might get lost at UVM,” she recalls. “When I visited campus for the first time, I told my mom ‘you can just leave me off here and I’ll be fine.’”
She was attracted by the university’s strong environmental studies program but became intrigued with other courses she was taking, including a class on race relations taught by Associate Professor of Sociology Nikki Khanna. The experience led her to explore a major in sociology, and she discovered she could arrange her course schedule to major in both disciplines.
“I’m really passionate about figuring out ways we can build more resilient societies in the face of climate change,” she said. “ENVS and sociology give me different ways of thinking about those problems.”
She ticks off one by one the other goals she set for herself at UVM: studying abroad (a semester during her junior year at Stockholm University in Sweden); participating in research (working with a Columbia University researcher on national disaster preparedness plans for child care centers); and garnering a stimulating internship (she worked for U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy’s state office last semester).
“As someone coming from a very large state, I’m amazed at how close I am to people doing really important things here in Burlington and Vermont,” Fuirst says.
Read More of Abby's 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/