The Department of Sociology offers a number of awards and special recognitions for our exceptional undergraduate students:
Students in any of the Sociology Department's degree programs (including Criminology) in good standing are invited to submit term papers or sociological research projects (including Honors Theses and Independent Study final papers) written within the current academic year for consideration for the Best Undergraduate Student Paper Award. Co-authored papers are eligible, provided that each author is a student in a degree program in the Department of Sociology.
Requirements and Eligibility
Papers may be theoretical or based on primary research, secondary research, or archival/historical research using any appropriate social research methods (qualitative, quantitative, historical, etc.). Original scholarly literature reviews are also eligible. Short assignment papers (such as reaction papers, article summaries, thought papers, short essays) are not eligible for consideration for the award.
There are no minimum page length requirements. Any standard citation format/style is acceptable. Submitted papers should be double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins and numbered pages. Papers must include an abstract.
Criteria
Criteria by which papers will be judged include: incorporation of a sociological perspective, originality, clarity of presentation and readability.
How to Submit
Please submit papers in Word or PDF format as an email attachment to Director of Undergraduate Studies at ugradsoc@buffalo.edu.
Deadline
The deadline for submissions is typically in early May. Please check your email or class announcements, or ask the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the exact deadline.
Recent winners:
The Lucia Maria Houpt Prize is awarded each year at graduation to a student of the senior class judged as having shown the greatest excellence and proficiency in the work of the UB Department of Sociology during the academic year. The student that will receive the prize will be selected by the faculty.
The Nathaniel Cantor Scholarship Fund is an annual scholarship for sociology or anthropology undergraduate majors who plan to enter the fields of social work, vocational rehabilitation or anthropology.
Graduating seniors intending to enter social work after graduation apply for the Nathaniel Cantor Scholarship. They must submit: A personal statement outlining career goals, academic performance, work experience, and plans for continued study and two letters of recommendation to the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Questions about the award should be directed to ugradsoc@buffalo.edu.
The Sociology Scholarship for Study Abroad is awarded annually to undergraduate Sociology or Criminology majors who require financial assistance to fund their participation in a study abroad program. Awards are granted on a competitive basis to defray the expense of airfare for the study abroad program.
View the Study Abroad Application Form. Read the requirements and instructions carefully before completing the form.
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