School of Arts and Sciences
Department of Sociology

Senior Thesis

Completing a year-long senior thesis is a challenging and rewarding opportunity for students who are highly motivated to research a particular topic. To be eligible to complete a senior thesis for Department of Sociology credit, one must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a rising senior with the intent of being a registered student for two consecutive semesters (and then presumably graduating).
  • Be in good academic standing.
  • Have a GPA in the Sociology major of 3.50 or above.
  • Have been on the Dean's List at least twice before the senior year. There is a waiver process for transfer students and others who have not met this criterion.
  • Have appropriate introductory training in the research method they intend to use for their thesis (e.g., field research, experiments, content analysis, in-depth interviewing, surveys) prior to the start of their senior year. 
    • Relevant training generally comes from coursework, work experience, and/or prior research. For example, students planning to use  survey research might establish that they have introductory training by having completed SOC 101 (or an equivalent course). Others might do so by having completed SOC 100 and working as a research assistant on a survey-based project. Still others might have obtained survey design skills during summer employment. 
  • Students should have taken (or plan to take) available courses relevant to their topic.
  • Submit an application and prospectus (see below)

Steps for Juniors Interested in Writing a Senior Thesis

Step 1: Identify Potential Committee Members 

Senior theses are conducted with the supervision and support of a committee. Each committee includes a chairperson and a second reader. Committees are established by the department via a matching process. Toward this end, students will be asked to suggest 3-4 potential committee members on their application form, and to indicate why the think each would be an appropriate fit. 

The chair acts as the student’s principal thesis advisor. They meet regularly with the student, guide them through the research process, provide feedback, and evaluate submitted work. All tenured or tenure-stream members of the Department of Sociology are eligible to serve as chair. Each committee also has a second reader who offers guidance on research questions and design early in the process, is available as a resource during the year, and provides feedback on at least one a draft of the thesis prior to the final submission. Tenured and tenure-stream faculty at Tufts (inside or outside the Department of Sociology) are eligible to serve as second readers, as are lecturers.  

In February and March of the Junior year, students considering writing a thesis should meet with faculty members to discuss their ideas. Students should use these meetings to 1) home in on a topic, research question, and methodological approach and 2) identify faculty who may be appropriate committee members, as indicated by their areas of substantive expertise, methodological skillset, interest, and availability (faculty on leave during the student’s senior year may be unavailable). 

Please note that because faculty can take on a limited number of theses each year, the availability of appropriate committee members is considered when thesis applications are reviewed (in addition to factors such as student eligibility and the feasibility of the proposed project).

Step 2: Submit an Application and Prospectus

Your written prospectus (roughly 3-4 double-spaced pages) should:

  • Identify the big-picture topic and research question(s) that the thesis aims to address;
  • Explain why the research is sociologically significant, by drawing on established concerns within the discipline and gaps in the existing knowledge. Why is it important to answer this question? 
  • Review 3-5 scholarly works pertinent to the research question(s) and explain how your work extends or speaks to them;
  • Outline your preliminary research design and methodology (e.g. surveys, interviews, media analysis, participant observation, experimental design);
  • Explain the coursework, prior research, and/or work experience that has given you the appropriate introductory training you will need to use the method(s) you have selected;
  • If you will be working with human subjects, include your anticipated timeline for completing the required Institutional Review Board training and apply for approval.

Please email the prospectus with a copy of your unofficial transcript and this application to Amy Pendleton by April 1 for fullest consideration. 

Step 3: Register for Thesis Credit 

If your thesis is approved, you will need to register for Senior Honors Thesis A for the first semester of your senior year and Senior Honors Thesis B for the second.

Students who successfully complete and defend a thesis ultimately earn 4 SHUs for each of these courses. Senior Honors Thesis A and Senior Honors Thesis B may both be used as electives to fulfill the requirements of the major. 

Additional Information 

Those who apply by the April 1 deadline will receive a decision letter by the end of April. Students whose theses are approved will be notified about the composition of their committee at that time. 

Thesis students should reach out to their chair promptly to devise a timeline. As rule of thumb, students present at least one chapter (or a literature review and extended introduction) to the thesis committee by the end of first semester so the committee can review their progress. 

The due date for the completed thesis is set by the chair in consultation with the university guidelines and the student (typically this is in early April). The student will then present the thesis to their committee in a “defense” which must take place prior to the first day of final examinations. The student will subsequently complete required revisions and follow university guidelines for submitting a copy of the thesis.

Occasionally, theses are discontinued after one semester due to insufficient progress or a change in student plans.  In such instances, students are given an Incomplete (I) for Senior Honors Thesis A while they transform their work into a more limited independent study paper, in consultation with their chair. The paper should be submitted in keeping with the Incomplete deadline, at which point the chair will review the work and convert the Incomplete into the appropriate grade.