Undergraduate Honors Program
The Honors Program in IDSC provides advanced students with an opportunity to carry out independent research on an issue of interest. To graduate with Honors in the major and to be considered for admission into the accelerated BA/MA program in IDSC, a student must complete an original Honors Thesis or project on a topic of relevance in the field of international development and social change.
ELIGIBILITY
Majors who have maintained at least a 3.5 grade point average in IDSC major courses and a 3.25 overall grade point average are eligible to apply for an Honors Thesis. Admission to the Honors Thesis program does not automatically guarantee the awarding of Honors.
Students must first satisfy a number of requirements. These include:
• Application to the IDSC Honors Committee by April 15th of the junior year
• Presentation of a chapter and detailed outline of the entire thesis to the thesis supervisor at the end of fall semester of senior year
• Completion of the thesis during the spring semester of the senior year, with the approval of the thesis supervisor
• Review of the thesis by the thesis supervisor and a second reader, and an oral defense
• Presentation of the Honors thesis at Academic Spree Day
Students who are given permission to conduct an Honors Thesis but whose work does not ultimately meet the criteria for an Honors designation will still be eligible for credit either for an independent study credit or for a Senior thesis credit without honors, depending on the level of progress. There are also certain junctures at which the student may elect to withdraw from the program and still receive some credit for the work completed.
The IDSC Undergraduate Coordinator and the IDSC Accelerated BA/MA Coordinator oversee the Honors program in consultation with the IDSC program faculty. Their roles are to evaluate applications to the program, coordinate procedures, and serve as a source of information to students and faculty participating in the program.
Please consult the IDSC Undergraduate Handbook for further information about pursuing the honors program, requirements, and calendar of deadlines.
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