Frequently Asked Questions

• If I need some help, where can I locate my advisor?
• How often should I see my advisor?
• What happens if I need a course in my major and I have been closed out?
• If I am interested in doing an independent study, how do I go about arranging this?
• What if I am interested in doing Honors in Sociology or Justice Studies?
• I am transferring from another school and I want to find out what courses I took there will count for which courses in the Sociology or Justice studies major?
• If I take Math 240 - Statistical Methods I to meet my General Education Requirement in Math, can I also count it toward my cognate statistics requirement in the Sociology major?
• How can I determine whether to choose the Criminal Justice or the Justice and Society track within the Justice Studies major?
• Are there special awards given by the department to outstanding students?

If I need some help, where can I locate my advisor?

On the large bulletin board on the east wall of the fourth floor of Craig-Lee, you will find your name listed with your assigned advisor. Once you know who your advisor is, go to the schedule posted on their door and find his or her office hours. In an emergency, if the department chair is in, he or she will provide assistance.

How often should I see my advisor?

Once you have decided to major in sociology, you should consult your advisor to get a sense of the courses required and how they might fit into your schedule. Then periodic checks will keep you on track. As you enter your senior year, it is a good idea to once again consult your advisor to make sure you have not omitted something.

What happens if I need a course in my major and I have been closed out?

Come in and consult with the department chair. In most instances, if it is determined that you must have a particular course in a given semester, the chair can add you into the course.

If I am interested in doing an independent study, how do I go about arranging this?

Talk with the faculty member with whom you would like to work on an independent study. If the faculty member is agreeable and has an hour that they could add to their schedule, go to the department chair and see if arrangements can be made. If clearance is obtained from the chair and from the Dean of Arts and Sciences, a form will be completed and forwarded to the Dean for official approval.

What if I am interested in doing Honors in Sociology or Justice Studies?

First bring a copy of your transcript to the department chair of Sociology or the director of Justice Studies to determine if you are eligible. You will then be directed to find a faculty member willing to work with you on a project and help you develop a proposal for an independent study that will be submitted for approval by the Sociology Chair/Justice Studies Director and the Dean of Arts and Sciences. The deadline for the proposal is typically in the 10th week of the semester preceding when you will begin your project. You would be registering for the next two semesters in the independent study courses for Honors in Sociology (Sociology 491/492H) or for the independent study courses in Justice Studies (Justice Studies 491/492H), depending on your major. In addition to producing a paper deemed worthy of Honors designation, you would be expected to defend/discuss your paper before the department's Honors Committee.

I am transferring from another school and I want to find out what courses I took there will count for which courses in the Sociology or Justice studies major?

Obtain a copy of your transcript showing how the courses were counted toward courses at R.I.C. Then talk to the department chair of Sociology or director of Justice Studies to see if the counting was accurate as far as the department is concerned. The department chair of Sociology or director of Justice Studies can use the course substitution form to see that a course is properly transferred. If you transferred from either U.R.I. or C.C.R.I., the R.I.C. Library and the department chair of Sociology or director of Justice Studies has a copy of the Transfer Guide which provide an easy way to find courses which correspond between the three state institutions.

If I take Math 240 - Statistical Methods I to meet my General Education Requirement in Math, can I also count it toward my cognate statistics requirement in the Sociology major?

Yes, Math 240 does meet both a General Education Requirement and the cognate requirement for the Sociology major. There is a special section of the course offered each spring that is especially geared towards social science majors, but any section of Math 240 will satisfy the requirement. Both Sociology and Justice Studies majors may find the special section a good way to meet their General Education requirement.

How can I determine whether to choose the Criminal Justice or the Justice and Society track within the Justice Studies major?

This decision should be made on the basis of student preference; there are no career related consequences to it. Both tracks qualify a student for incentive pay from those criminal justice agencies offering it. Both tracks prepare students for the same graduate school and law school programs. The internship is not required in the Justice and Society track, but is an option there.

Are there special awards given by the department to outstanding students?

The Sociology Department selects an outstanding graduating sociology major each year for the Whitman Award; the Justice Studies Program selects an outstanding graduating Justice Studies major each year for the Mary Ann Hawkes Award; the Gerontology Program selects each year an outstanding gerontology student, who has completed the program, for the Harold Sweet Award. Details on eligibility and deadlines for applications are available in the department lounge and will be circulated in courses throughout the year.