The Sc.B. concentration in Social Analysis and Research provides both a conceptual and a working knowledge of the techniques for data collection and analysis used for social research in academic and non-academic environments. The centerpiece of the concentration is a rigorous and comprehensive collection of courses: (1) that develop an understanding of the principles underlying the processes of data collection and analysis; and (2) that train students in the application of advanced statistical techniques for data description and analysis. The concepts and skills learned in these courses are reinforced through engagement in applied research with Sociology faculty and/or internships with local organizations in the for profit and not-for-profit sectors.

Concentrators also take courses that provide grounding in the theoretical approaches to social phenomena that are foundational to social research. Graduates develop an understanding of the concepts and processes that underlie the issues studied by sociologists and the analytic techniques that allow sociologists to understand social relations and individual behavior.

Standard program for the Sc.B. degree

Required core:
MATH 0090	Single Variable Calculus, Part I	1
SOC 1100	Introductory Statistics for Social Research	1
or APMA 0650	Essential Statistics
or ECON 1620	Introduction to Econometrics
SOC 1020	Methods of Social Research	1
SOC 2010	Multivariate Statistical Methods I	1
SOC 1010	Classical Sociological Theory	1
SOC 1950	Senior Seminar	1
Three (3) substantive or theory courses (non-methodological courses) in Sociology, two (2) of which must be at the 1000-level or above.		3
Three (3) of the following advanced analysis courses:		3
SOC 1117	Focus Groups for Market and Social Research
SOC 1118	Context Research for Innovation
SOC 1120	Market and Social Surveys
SOC 1260	Market Research in Public and Private Sectors
SOC 1340	Principles and Methods of Geographic Information Systems
SOC 2020	Multivariate Statistical Methods II
SOC 2210	Qualitative Methods
SOC 2230	Techniques of Demographic Analysis
SOC 2240	Event History Analysis
SOC 2610	Spatial Thinking in Social Science
SOC 2612	Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Analysis for the Social Sciences
SOC 2960G	Spatial Data Analysis Techniques in the Social Sciences
SOC 2960Y	Causal Analysis
SOC 2961A	Advanced Spatial Data Analysis Techniques in the Social Sciences
Research experience (1 course)		0-1
A one-semester research internship (not for credit or for credit as SOC 1970 - Independant Study), or a summer research internship (not for credit).
Total Credits		12-13

***See the Sociology website http://www.brown.edu/academics/sociology/ for details regarding Honors and Independent Studies

Course substitutions: Students may petition the Director of Undergraduate Studies to use one advanced analysis course taken in another department to count toward the three required advanced analysis courses.

Organizational Studies Track requirements

Required core:
MATH 0090	Single Variable Calculus, Part I	1
SOC 1010	Classical Sociological Theory	1
SOC 1020	Methods of Social Research	1
SOC 1100	Introductory Statistics for Social Research	1
or APMA 0650	Essential Statistics
or ECON 1620	Introduction to Econometrics
SOC 1950	Senior Seminar	1
SOC 2010	Multivariate Statistical Methods I	1
Any combination of two (2) courses from below:		2
SOC 0300	Organizations and Society
SOC 1311	Micro-Organizational Theory: Social Behavior in Organizations
SOC 1315	Macro-Organizational Theory: Organizations in Social Context
One (1) Advanced Organizational Studies Elective:		1
SOC 1060	Leadership in Organizations
SOC 1070	Introduction to Economic Sociology
SOC 1115	The Enlightened Entrepreneur: Changemakers, Inspired Protagonists and Unreasonable People
SOC 1117	Focus Groups for Market and Social Research
SOC 1118	Context Research for Innovation
SOC 1120	Market and Social Surveys
SOC 1220	Future of Work
SOC 1260	Market Research in Public and Private Sectors
SOC 1311	Micro-Organizational Theory: Social Behavior in Organizations
SOC 1315	Macro-Organizational Theory: Organizations in Social Context
SOC 1870A	Investing in Social Change
SOC 1870L	The Economic Foundations of Everyday Life
SOC 1871C	Sociology of the Legal Profession
SOC 1871O	Law, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
SOC 1872B	Sociology of Money
SOC 1872H	Sociology of FIRE: Finance, Insurance, + Real Estate
Three (3) of the following Advanced Analysis Courses:		3
SOC 1117	Focus Groups for Market and Social Research
SOC 1118	Context Research for Innovation
SOC 1120	Market and Social Surveys
SOC 1260	Market Research in Public and Private Sectors
SOC 1340	Principles and Methods of Geographic Information Systems
SOC 2020	Multivariate Statistical Methods II
SOC 2210	Qualitative Methods
SOC 2230	Techniques of Demographic Analysis
SOC 2240	Event History Analysis
SOC 2610	Spatial Thinking in Social Science
SOC 2612	Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Analysis for the Social Sciences
SOC 2960G	Spatial Data Analysis Techniques in the Social Sciences
SOC 2960Y	Causal Analysis
SOC 2961A	Advanced Spatial Data Analysis Techniques in the Social Sciences
Research experience (1 course)		0-1
A one-semester research internship (not for credit or for credit as SOC 1970 - Independant Study), or a summer research internship (not for credit).
Total Credits		12-13

Research Internship

A one semester or a summer research internship is required. The research internship is designed to provide students with hands-on experience in social research. Students will typically complete the research internship in their junior year or during the summer between their junior and senior years. Students need to submit an Internship Proposal Form to the Undergraduate Concentration Advisor for approval prior to starting the internship. Upon completion of the internship, students are required to submit to the Undergraduate Concentration Advisor a brief summary report of their experience, which must be signed by the supervisor of the student's internship.

Academic research internships involve work on a faculty member's research project. Activities may range from data collection, data entry, data file management, descriptive analyses, and more advanced model estimation. Students are encouraged to approach faculty about opportunities for working on their research projects. Academic and off-campus research internships will typically entail 5-10 hours of work per week and may or may not involve compensation.

Students may receive academic credit for academic research internships and off-campus internships completed during the academic year if they combine the internship experience with an academic component under the direction of a faculty advisor. Students taking an internship for credit should register for an Individual Research Project (SOC 1970).

Senior Seminar SOC 1950

Social Analysis and Research​ (Sociology) requires all concentrators to complete a thesis or capstone project in their senior year. The purpose of the thesis or capstone project is to allow students an opportunity to apply the knowledge they acquired through the concentration curriculum on a topic of their own interests.  (Students in the Organizational Studies track are expected to focus their senior thesis or capstone project on an Organizational Studies topic.) To fulfill this requirement students enroll in SOC 1950 – Senior Seminar. Participation in this seminar allows each cohort of concentrators to discuss their diverse interests and expose students to the wide range of applications of Sociological knowledge.

A senior thesis must ask an original research question, answer it with appropriate evidence, and place that work within relevant scholarly literature in sociology. The thesis is supervised by a faculty member who serves as the primary advisor and one additional faculty member who serves as a reader. By the end of the sixth semester, students must submit a prospectus for the senior thesis (not more than four pages) accompanied by the signature of one faculty member indicating that he or she is willing to serve as the primary advisor on the thesis to the Director of Undergraduate Studies in their concentration. Only a senior thesis qualifies the student for Honors.

A capstone project is an independent, student-initiated project or experience developed during the Senior Seminar (SOC 1950) that connects in a meaningful way to learning in the concentration. A capstone project differs from a thesis in its scholarly content and form, and it depends only on the evaluation of the senior seminar instructor. Whereas the senior thesis follows the form of a conventional research paper, the capstone project allows a wider array of research and creative outputs, including but not limited to video documentaries, photographic exhibitions, and applied or policy-related reports for an off-campus organization. Projects are complemented by a poster presentation, literature review, and report that situates the central subject matter of the project within the context of sociological scholarship.

Independent Study

Students can use no more than one (1) Independent Study course (SOC 1970) to meet the concentration course requirements. This course counts towards a 1000-level substantive requirement and will not serve as a substitute for any of the core concentration requirements.

Honors

In order to be considered for honors, students must (1) be in good standing with the College, (2) have completed at least half of the concentration coursework, and have earned a majority of “A” grades in the concentration. Honors also require a senior thesis, with a recommendation of Honors by the advisor and reader, that demonstrates an understanding of empirical research.