Scholarships, Awards, Financial Aid

Department Scholarships and Awards

The Department of Sociology and Criminology offers a number of awards and special recognitions for our exceptional undergraduate students:

Best Undergraduate Student Paper Award

Students in any of the 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 and Criminology.

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:

2022: Alexis Harrell, “Tough on Crime: A Historical Analysis of Democratic Presidential Rhetoric"
2021: Mia Forney, “The Effect of Offender Race/Ethnic Status on Public Determination of ‘Appropriate’ Sentencing"
2020: Harry Grupper, “Reading Through the Lens of Mertonian Strain Theory: Is it Deviant to not Conform to Traditional Femininity?”
2019: Matthania Volmy, “What are the Factors that Affect Doctor-Patient Interaction and how does that Affect a Person’s Health and Well-being?”
2018 (Co-Winners): Anna Blatto, “Analyzing the Impact of Voucher and Mobility Programs on Socioeconomic Outcomes.”
Joe Buttino, “Perceptions of Delinquency among College Students and Non-Students”
2017: Julia Schoonover, “Islamophobia, General Strain Theory, Radicalization, and the Role of News Media”
2016: Tom Siskar, “Hammersmith and Fulham Affordable Housing Shortage: A Short Term Solution”
2015: Sarah Hussain, “Assessing Perceptions and Attitudes of the United States Health Care System and Reform”
2014: Sarah Ng, Jeanette Wenshuang Ng, Yong Sheng Ong, Jeremy Mingtai Teo, and Laura Lishuang Thien, “Gender Representations in Singapore Television Commercials”
2013: Aloysius Chia, “Discourse Shaping in Meritocracy”

Lucia Maria Houpt Prize

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 and Criminology during the academic year. The student that will receive the prize will be selected by the faculty.

Sociology Scholarship for Study Abroad

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.

Study Abroad Application Form

University Financial Aid and Scholarships

A college education is an investment in your future. When you compare the cost of a UB education to national averages, the value is clear: our tuition and fees are among the lowest and most competitive in the nation. Your success is our success.

College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Awards and Scholarships

Every year, several awards are made available to undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences, including awards specifically designated for graduates of Buffalo Public High Schools.

UB Office of Fellowships and Scholarships

Fellowships and scholarships are among the most valuable forms of aid you can receive and are designed to support students who have exceptional academic records and potential, or demonstrate need.

UB Office of Financial Aid

Experience shows that students and families who take the time to understand their options benefit by receiving the maximum amount of eligible aid. The UB Financial Aid team is ready and willing to provide assistance as you navigate this process.

UB Office of Student Accounts

The Office of Student Accounts provides up-to-date information on tuition and fees by semester. You can also receive walk-in assistance Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm, at the Student Response Center, 1 Capen, North Campus.