Both the Sociology major and the Anthropology major require four credits of individualized study in one of four options: an internship, a senior thesis, a research assistantship, or a teaching apprenticeship. All four require student initiative, instructor approval, and 50 hours of effort per credit, which works out to 13 hours a week for a full semester. Students can take all four capstone credits in the same semester, or work with their major advisor to break them up over multiple semesters.
Internships – To complete an internship, you identify an appropriate opportunity, work an agreed schedule with the organization, and provide written analysis of your work to your major advisor. For more information, go here: Internship
Senior Thesis – To complete a senior thesis, you conduct your own independent research on a topic of your choosing, and then write a report of your results that is significantly longer and in more depth than an ordinary course paper. Students who wish to graduate with honors must complete a senior thesis. For more information, go here: Senior Thesis
Research Assistantship – In this capstone, you assist a faculty member with their research. What form that research takes – in the lab, in the field, conducting surveys, analyzing data, writing reports, etc. - depends on the project. The faculty pages on the department’s website outline each professor’s area of interest, which is a good place to start. Because research assistantships can look so different depending on which faculty member you are working with and what the research project entails, you should get all additional information about this option directly from the faculty member you plan to work with. Please see Student Research for related information.
Teaching Apprenticeship – You assist a professor in teaching a course, normally an introductory level course that you have successfully taken yourself. Specific duties for this capstone vary a lot depending on the course you are working with, but will generally include both attending all class sessions as well as additional work outside the class. This capstone requires approval of the CAS Dean’s Office after you have worked with an individual professor to set it up. For more information, go here: Teaching Apprenticeship
Want to know more?
How do you decide which capstone is right for you? Dr. Dustin Stoltz led a panel discussion on the requirements and benefits of each type, which students who have done them giving their perspective. Here is a link to the video of the session: Capstone Info Session
Four students share their experiences with majors, and answered their questions.
Hannah Hegley spoke about her supervised research project with Dr Casagrande, researching the impact of climate change on the coffee industry. She is starting a Ph.D. program after graduation in May and will build upon the research is she is doing now.
Anna Sullivan spoke about the 3 years she has invested in her thesis - she took part in an experiential learning opportunity in Uganda as a sophomore that allowed her to collect data. She transcribed and coded her data in her junior year. Now, in her senior year, she is doing the actual writing of the thesis. She gave a good overview of what is involved in the entire process and what to expect.
TiShaya DaSilva described the Apprentice Teacher capstone. This helped her develop leadership skills, improve her knowledge of the subject, and gave her the opportunity to present review sessions. Her presentation skills improved, and revisiting the course (Intro to Soc) reminded her of why she loved sociology as a field to begin with.
Samantha Santana, who graduated last year and is now in a Master's program, chose the internship option. She worked with MIRA Resources, a group that helps immigrants. Her organizational and Spanish language skills proved to be a great benefit to MIRA, and a good experience in a social justice organization. She also did some supervised research for another professor.
All reported that their experience will help them in the next stage, after graduation from Lehigh. The examples also show that it is never to early to start thinking about your capstone!