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Advising

Selecting your Advisor

To formally apply for the major, you must have a sociology adviser. There are two ways to obtain an adviser:

1. You may ask a faculty member to be your adviser. Your request is more likely to be honored if the faculty member has interests similar to yours and does not already have a large number of advisees.
2. The department chair may assign an adviser, based upon your interests and faculty advising loads. If your interests change, or if you just become dissatisfied with your adviser, you can request a change from the department chair.

Once you are admitted to the major, your adviser can help you in several ways. Your adviser can help you to reach your academic goals-for example, by reviewing your writing portfolio and offering feedback on your progress, or by helping you prepare for your senior project. Your adviser also can help you with career development by providing you with guidance about programs of study, writing letters of recommendation for you, critiquing your resume, and providing assistance in career preparation and job-seeking. Finally, your adviser can help you by advocating for you in matters related to the sociology program. Don't overlook this important resource. It is your responsibility to initiate contact with your adviser. You should meet with your adviser about twice per year.

Download: Information Kit for Sociology Majors (infokit.pdf, 52.3K)

Prof. Stephen Philion advising graduate student Courtney Geyer