Honors Program

Students at Commencement.

The Department of Sociology and Criminology Honors Program recognizes exceptional undergraduate majors, and provides students with a unique opportunity to pursue an individual research project under close faculty supervision.

Eligibility and Requirements

In order to join and complete the Sociology Honors Program, a student must:

  • Major in Sociology
  • Have junior or senior standing
  • Achieve a department and overall GPA of at least 3.25
  • Complete six (6) honors credits in the department, normally over two semesters

Please contact the Department with questions or for further information. 

What is one of your most memorable experiences in the program?

"One of my most memorable experiences as a sociology major was working on my Advanced Honors Thesis, a voluntary project upon which I chose to embark in my junior year. I worked with a few different professors and created Honors classes from mainstream ones to “up the ante” and ultimately performed additional research in the subject area of influences on female adolescent smoking of cigarettes to complete my paper. I studied about how the media affects this, and how all learning and teaching truly starts within the family and from the home."
– Ruth Kleinman, BA '05

Alpha Kappa Delta

Juniors and seniors majoring or minoring in one of our sociology programs and who rank in the top 35% of their graduating class may be eligible for membership in Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Sociology Honor Society

Please contact the Department with questions or for further information on how to apply. 

University Honors College

Every year, the Honors College seeks to recruit an incoming class of 350 freshman scholars, and to provide academically gifted students with an innovative curriculum and unique opportunities outside the classroom that will enrich their studies and explore their interests across the disciplines.

Interested students must first apply for admission to the University at Buffalo. Students submitting the Common Application can apply to the Honors College in the Academics section. Students applying with the State University of New York (SUNY) Application should contact the Honors College to receive an application to the Honors College.