Academic Opportunities
The department offers internships as a way of providing students an opportunity to gain supervised work experience in the community. The internship course is an elective that allows students to get structured work experience at community-based organizations. Internships are an important part of our applied curriculum that offers students an opportunity to acquire practical skills and work experience in the community. There is a diverse range of community agencies that provide students exciting opportunities to get course credit by volunteering. Students have an opportunity to apply skills that they learn in the classroom to problems in the community as well as to learn new skills out in the community. Students work on site for an agency and stay in close contact with their faculty internship supervisor.
Internships also allow students an opportunity to get valuable career guidance. Students have an opportunity to work with different types of professionals and to learn more about requirements for degrees and licenses for different professions. Students can gain valuable experience from working with professionals and from contact with different agencies in the community. Internships can expose students to different careers and help them decide if they’re suited for a particular career. Internships often allow students to form valuable social networks. Since the inception of the internship program, a number of students have been hired by agencies where they’ve interned. Others have been hired by other agencies in jobs that they’ve learned about through their internships. In addition, students often gain valuable experience by working as a member of a team and by learning the values of team membership in community problem solving.
Students who have done internships often have found it to be a highly rewarding experience. Many have commented that they feel like they’ve made some social contribution to the betterment of society and that they have made a difference.
Students are sometimes interested in internships but are not sure that they are ready to make a semester-long commitment. A good way to get a better idea of what internships are like is to make an initial short-term commitment. Many of our regular courses include volunteer and service learning assignments as required or optional components.
Once you decide that you want to enroll in an internship, you’ll want to contact an agency.
Looking for an internship? List of available internships
Questions? Please contact Dr. Campbell, email: Carole.Campbell@csulb.edu
Several study abroad programs are offered by É«ÖÐÉ« Sociology faculty.
Where:
When: Winter session, Jan. 2, 2026- Jan. 16 2026
Who: Dr. Steven Osuna
Course: CHLS 430: The Latinx Experience in the Caribbean: Imperialism, Reform, and Revolution (3 units)
Deadline to apply: Oct. 3, 2025
Where:
When: July 15-29, 2023
Who: Dr. Jan Haldipur
Course: SOC 342 (Critical Criminology) or 499 (Directed Studies) (3 units)
Deadline to apply: March 15, 2025
The Sociology Honors Program (SHP) at É«ÖÐÉ« is designed for ambitious and committed sociology majors to gain rigorous experience in independent research. Consisting of a year-long (two semester) thesis seminar, the Program seeks to produce graduating seniors capable of conducting graduate school-level research and writing. Students will be mentored through the research process, including formulating a research topic, conducting a literature review, collecting and analyzing data, and writing and presenting their research. Students who successfully complete the program will receive departmental honors along with their BA in Sociology and will have gained preparation for graduate school or other research-oriented careers.
Minimum requirements for application:
- 3.5 GPA (This may be waived under certain circumstances; students who have recently transferred to É«ÖÐÉ« are encouraged to apply even if they do not yet have É«ÖÐÉ« GPAs.)
- Completion of the four core lower division sociology courses: 100, 142, 170 and especially 270 (Intro to Research Methods)
- Completion or concurrent (fall) enrollment in Sociology 355 (Quantitative Methods) OR 354 (Qualitative Methods).
- Expected graduation date of spring or fall 2026.
Completion requirements:
- 6 units (split across two semesters) of the Sociology Honors Thesis Seminar (488H & 489H).
- A senior’s thesis to be evaluated by the SHP instructors.
Recruitment typically begins in late February/early March.
APPLY FOR THE 2025-2026 HONORS PROGRAM NOW. Due 3/30.
For more information, email Program Coordinator Janet Muniz (janet.muniz@csulb.edu).
The College of Liberal Arts offers several scholarship opportunities for students majoring in the social sciences and humanities.
View a full listing of scholarship opportunities available to students.
