Departmental Honors Programs

Art History

Students wishing to take honors in art history should identify an area of interest, choose an appropriate advisor, and apply for eligibility to the art history faculty before April 1 of their junior year.

Asian Studies

The Honors Program in Asian Studies provides advanced undergraduate students with an opportunity to engage in focused and in-depth research on an issue of deep scholarly interest.

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

A student who has a minimum 3.40 GPA is eligible to undertake an honors research project in addition to their normal course load.

Biology

Qualified, upper-division students majoring in biology may choose to carry out independent research in the honors program, under the direction of a faculty member in the department.

Chemistry

Students who want to enter this program must apply in writing to the department chair prior to the beginning of their senior year.

Combined Languages

In the capstone semester, faculty will identify qualified seniors and invite them to submit a proposal for a honors thesis. This honors program is for language, literature and culture majors only.

Community, Youth, and Education Studies

Upon satisfactory completion of CYES 294 and the program, the CYES Program Praxis Committee may recommend graduation with departmental honors.

Comparative Literature

Faculty will invite qualified senior majors to submit a proposal for a semester-long honors thesis during the spring of their senior year.

Computer Science

Students interested in pursuing the honors program should consult their department adviser and reach out to their intended Honors advisor during their junior year.

Economics

Economics majors with outstanding academic records may apply to pursue departmental honors.

English

Faculty identify qualified junior majors and invite them to work on a yearlong honors thesis during their senior year.

Environmental Science

Students apply in writing before the beginning of their senior year to the Director of the Environmental Science program for admission into the honors program.

French & Francophone Studies

In the capstone semester, faculty will identify qualified seniors and invite them to submit a proposal for a honors thesis. This honors program is for language, literature and culture majors only.

Geography

To graduate with honors, a student must complete a two-semester honors project conducted under the supervision of two faculty members.

Global Environmental Studies

To graduate with honors, a student must complete a two-semester honors project conducted under the supervision of two faculty members.

History

Students interested in honors should consult with their adviser during the fall semester of their junior year.

International Development & Social Change

Majors who have maintained the required grade point average are eligible to apply for an honors thesis.

Mathematics

A student’s application in writing must be directed to a prospective honors advisor or the department chair by the end of the student’s junior year.

Media, Culture, and the Arts

Students who meet the requirement may, with the program’s approval, elect to complete a one- or two-unit senior honors thesis.

Music

The intention to pursue an honors degree must be declared before the start of the junior year and requires approval of the music program director.

Philosophy

Students majoring in philosophy may apply to complete an honors thesis under the direction of a department faculty member.

Physics

Candidates will conduct a research project under faculty member guidance during the junior and/or senior years culminating in a thesis.

Political Science

Political Science majors with outstanding academic records may apply to the departmental honors program in spring of their junior year.

Psychology

The Psychology Honors Program is a two-semester sequence whose focus is to guide honors students through the design and execution of an independent honors research project under the guidance of one or more faculty mentors.

Screen Studies

Students who meet the requirement may, with the program’s approval, elect to complete a one- or two-unit senior honors thesis.

Sociology

The senior thesis gives the exceptional student an opportunity to pursue an intensive course of independent study under the direction of a department faculty member.

Spanish

In the capstone semester, faculty will identify qualified seniors and invite them to submit a proposal for a honors thesis. This honors program is for language, literature and culture majors only.

Studio Art

Students with a strong commitment to intensive study and departmental approval can elect to undertake a senior thesis project, which culminates in an exhibition of work in the Schiltkamp Gallery.

Theatre Arts

Students with distinguished academic records who wish to take honors in theater arts should consult the program director early in their junior year to identify a project of interest and choose an honors adviser.

Women’s and Gender Studies

Women’s and Gender Studies majors with outstanding academic records may apply to the departmental honors program in spring of their junior year.