By the completion of 18 hours, students select either the thesis or internship program completion option. Students selecting the thesis option enroll for six hours of thesis credit, and write a thesis which is evaluated by a committee of at least three faculty members. Students selecting the internship option enroll for three hours of internship experience, and have a supervised work experience in a research or public service setting. Subsequent to that, they enroll for three hours of credit in internship-report, and write a report concerning a sociological issue related to the internship. This may take a form other than an academic report, such as a planning document, a policy statement, an applied research report, or other format relevant to the work setting of the internship. This report is evaluated by a committee of at least three faculty members. Occasionally and with the permission of the graduate program director, students may choose to enroll in internship experience but write a thesis.

Students completing either the thesis or internship option must complete the "registration of thesis" form as soon as they form a committee.

Oral examination. Whether a student selects the thesis or internship report option, they are required to successfully complete a final oral examination administered by their thesis or internship committee. This examination will cover either the thesis or the internship experience and written internship report.

Thesis Option
Internship Option