Honors in the Major
The department has three types of honors: Department Honors, Department Highest Honors, and Comprehensive Honors. The Combined LALS/SOCY's process is different, see information below.
Department Honors and Highest Honors
A student with a major GPA between 3.75 - 3.89 qualifies for honors in the major. A student with a major GPA of 3.90 or higher qualifies for highest honors in the major. Per UCSC policy, no more than approximately 15 percent of the graduating class can be considered for honors or highest honors in the major.
Students should refer to their Degree Program Report (DPR) in MyUCSC for the courses and units that are being applied to the sociology major requirements. The major GPA includes all major requirements taken at UCSC or through a UCSC sponsored program (the course will show up in your UCSC course list, not in transfer credit). If additional sociology electives were taken over the minimum requirements, the DPR will not list these extra courses and they will NOT be included in the major GPA. If a student took extra electives, more than what is needed to satisfy the major requirements, they may request to change the electives listed in their DPR (such as selecting the higher grades) through the undergraduate advisor.
Major GPA is calculated automatically in a student's DPR under the Major GPA section. Students should be careful to check if the correct courses are being applied to the major, especially in cases of a double major or major/minor. Any questions or discrepancies should be sent to undergraduate advising. Review and final verification of major GPA is completed through the Sociology Advisors upon graduation.
Honors in the major information will list on a student's diploma and official transcripts once graduation is processed.
Comprehensive Honors - Senior Thesis
Comprehensive honors is awarded to students who perform exceptionally well on their senior thesis, if that option was chosen to satisfy the comprehensive requirement. To receive honors, the student’s thesis must be reviewed by both the thesis faculty advisor and second faculty member (a second reader). Both faculty members must recommend honors.
At the end of the quarter of which the student is graduating, the undergraduate advisor notifies the thesis faculty sponsor of the deadline to report whether the student is being awarded honors on their thesis and the name of the second reader who approved honors.
Comprehensive honors will list on a student's official transcripts once graduation is processed.
Combined LALS/Sociology BA Honors Process
Major and thesis honors are determined separately and granted only when both departments concur. The GPA of the sociology requirements will be calculated by the sociology department, and the GPA of the LALS requirements will be calculated by the LALS department. If the student has met the honors requirement for both the sociology and the LALS departments, then the student is awarded honors or highest honors, depending on the GPA criteria. For LALS GPA criteria, see their catalog. Honors on the thesis can be granted if both department thesis faculty advisors agree to award honors on the student’s senior thesis.
