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The Sociology Department offers an Undergraduate Traineeship in Social Research Analysis (UTSRA) to develop mastery of basic skills in gathering and analyzing data. Students completing the letter can expect to obtain entry-level jobs in environments in which research is conducted. The letter also provides a strong foundation for students wishing to pursue a master’s degree in such fields as survey research, public health, program evaluation, market research, public policy, and public administration.

Recipients need not be Sociology majors but formal application is made at the Sociology Undergraduate Office, Thompson 712. In selecting courses, students should consult the Chief Undergraduate Adviser, Christin Glodek, Thompson 720, tel. (413) 545-4075.

Requirements
Students take three required courses, one approved elective course and 6 credits of graded internship. To receive the letter, a cumulative GPA of 2.000 is required in the 18 credits associated with the undertaking.

Required Sociology Courses
212 Statistics or an introductory statistics course in another department
213 Data Collection and Analysis
314 Field Research Methods (or similar course with approval of the Chief Undergraduate Adviser)

Elective Course
To be certain of receiving credit, students must consult the Chief Undergraduate Adviser when choosing their elective. Possibilities include advanced courses in research methods in the Sociology Department as well as in other departments. Potentially acceptable choices include:

SOCIOL 313 Survey Design and Analysis
PSYCH 241 Methods of Inquiry in Psychology
RES-ECON 313 Quantitative Methods in Applied Economics
GEO-SCI 352 Computer Mapping
PUBHLTH 324 Epidemiology in Public Health
COMM 355 Behavioral Research in Communication

UTSRA Internship
To be certain of receiving credit, students’ internships must be approved by the Chief Undergraduate Adviser. In ordinary circumstances, students enroll in two three-credit internships spread across two consecutive semesters, under the same sponsor. The Chief Undergraduate Adviser can help students locate sponsors. Possible sponsors include faculty members in the Sociology Department, faculty and professional staff registered with the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, 1001 Du Bois Library, or agencies registered with the Field Experience Office, 417 Goodell. Graded internships appear on students’ records as SOCIOL 398.