Departmental Honors in the College of Arts & Sciences
A&S Departmental Honors Programs
Thesis or Project Approval Process, Deadlines and Forms
Thesis Overview and Guidelines
- Why is Thesis Work Important? What is Thesis Work?
- When and How to Begin
- Student Responsibilities
- Required Standards
- Format Guidelines
- Submission of the Thesis
- Plagiarism
Some Helpful Hints for Getting It All Together
- Common Errors
- Sample of Label to be Placed on the Front of the Thesis Binder and Sample Title Pages [PDF]
About A&S Departmental Honors
Outstanding undergraduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences at the junior or senior level who maintain an accumulative GPA of at least 3.50 may be eligible to earn Departmental Honors from their department of major. A thesis or project is required as the culmination of supervised research or an appropriate project carried out over several terms; therefore, it is best to start exploring the possibility of an honors thesis no later than the beginning of the junior year. Honors students may be encouraged to share their findings in a variety of professional and academic conference settings, and sometimes even present with their faculty. The 91̽»¨ Student Research and Creative Activity Expo attracts A&S honors students who, along with other outstanding students from across the 91̽»¨ campus, compete for awards. Completion of thesis requirements established by the respective department allows the honors student to graduate "With Honors," a designation noted in the degree bearing official transcript and on the student's 91̽»¨ diploma, and serves as an impressive credential for applying to advanced programs of study.
Not every department in the College of Arts & Sciences offers an honors program. Departments with Departmental Honors programs include: Anthropology, Biological Sciences, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Classics & World Religions, English, Environment & Plant Biology, Geography, History, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies.
Departments offering an honors program appoint a Departmental Honors Coordinator (DHC) who, in consultation with the department chair and faculty, will establish requirements and guidelines, the procedures to apply to and be selected for the program, as well as monitoring the progress of all honors students in the department.
These web pages fully describe the requirements and expectations for enrolling in an Honors Program.