Regardless of your area of interest, you’ll find a wide range of research and internship opportunities in Furman’s Sociology department.
Research Opportunities
Our faculty encourage students to take part in both group and independent research projects, and Furman students can often be found presenting their papers at regional and national conferences. In addition to Furman’s summer research and internship fellowship program, our department also provides funding for research. Past research projects conducted by our majors include:
- Race, rock, and relationships: How are relationships discussed in different music genres, such as rhythm and blues, rap, country, pop?
- Student loan decisions: What factors influence decisions to default on student loans and how do individuals make these decisions?
- Sociology of religion: Our students have studied a number of religious behaviors, beliefs, and organizational forms using the tools and methods they’ve learned about as sociology majors.
- First-year seminars: Several students have conducted studies in order to examine what students learn in first-year seminars and whether they are successful across a number of pedagogical dimensions.
Institutional Review Board Proposals and Consent Forms
If you are conducting research with human subjects you must submit an Institutional Review Board (IRB) proposal to the IRB. You can find the IRB proposal forms on the Institutional Review Board website. As part of this process, you will submit an informed consent form. To create a consent form for your research, review the following examples of Informed Consent Forms.
Internship Opportunities
Our internship placement process begins with you. Once our faculty understand what you want to do for a living, they’ll help place you in an internship with an organization in that field, whether it’s a homeless shelter, law office, or music record company.
Internship for Course Credit
Gain practical experience in a variety of local social service agencies by enrolling in an individualized internship (SOC 503). Interns complete at least 120 hours of on-site activities relating to their internship objectives, participate in scheduled seminar meetings, workshops, and field research exercises, and meet regularly with the internship director and agency supervisor. Course cannot be enrolled with a pass-no pass grading option.
Summer Research & Internships Fellows
Furman offers one of the few programs in the country that directly funds student internships and research experiences, providing competitive fellowships for students who would otherwise receive little or no payment. Find out how we can fund your internship.