Undergraduate Research
Alpha Kappa Delta Honor Society
The Alpha Chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta is an active and distinguished honor society in the Baylor University Department of Sociology. AKD seeks to acknowledge and promote excellence in the scholarship in sociology, the research of social problems, and other activities that will lead to improvement in the human condition.
Sociology Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
The Sociology Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) offers motivated sociology majors who are interested in developing research skills the opportunity to engage in faculty-mentored research in a collaborative setting. The group will meet weekly and support students' academic development through hands-on research, professionalization, and departmental engagement.
Independent Research
Independent research is a powerful way to learn. Baylor sociology faculty routinely work with undergraduate student on research projects of mutual interest. What sociological questions would you like to answer?
SOC 4V70 Independent Study permits qualified students to earn credit for research. The expectation is three hours of work per week for every one hour of course credit. Students typically take SOC 4V70 for three credit hours and invest approximately nine hours of weekly effort. Research culminates in a product, such as a paper, research poster, and/or a formal research presentation. Independent research and the resulting product are valuable assets for graduate school applications.
Pre-Requisites
- SOC 1305
Expectations
- Meet regularly with a supervising faculty member
- Read important works related to your topic
- Create a culminating product, such as a paper, poster, or presentation
Outcomes
The independent research projects of prior students have been presented at the Baylor URSA Scholars Week, Southwestern Social Science Association annual meeting, and other professional conferences.
In addition, several research projects have been published in peer-reviewed academic journals including Scientia and the International Journal of Education and Social Science.