Weinberg College seniors who do outstanding work in their majors may graduate with department honors. One requirement for honors in every Weinberg College department and program is the completion of a substantial research project or other integrative type of work. The project must culminate in a written report or some other tangible record. Working on an honors project lets you learn more about some area within your major that you find especially intriguing and, in many cases, gain first-hand experience that resembles that of practitioners in your field. Often, you are not just learning what has come before; you are creating or discovering something new.
Completing an honors project is just one of several requirements for graduating with honors in your major, and details vary among majors, so be sure to consult with your major adviser or the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the department or program. Generally, in addition to the thesis, you must have excellent grades in your major courses, and complete with distinction the standard courses required for the major and at least two quarters of 398 or 399 or a combination thereof, or 400-level courses. (There are limits on counting 398 and 399 credits toward graduation requirements.) Departments may add other criteria to this list. You must be formally nominated for honors by your department or program in spring of your senior year and then approved by the Weinberg College Committee on Superior Students and Honors. Each department and program offering a major has a written policy on honors that meets standards set up by the CSSH to preserve uniformity throughout the college.
If you are considering pursuing honors in your major, you should speak with your College Adviser and your major adviser as soon as possible, even if you don’t have a particular project in mind. There are several reasons to plan ahead. First, completing an honors thesis can influence a number of other decisions, such as whether or not to study abroad or complete a second major. Second, departments have different timetables and methods for selecting students for their honors program and for when students begin work on their project, and you’ll need to know the protocol in your major. For example, some select potential honors candidates in spring of the junior year. Finally, since your overall record plays an important role in determining whether you can pursue honors, the more you can prepare and strategize with your advisers, the better.
Honors in Two Departments. A student with a double major who is interested in doing honors in both subjects should indicate that intent to each department or program at the time of application. If the projects are distinct, the student may pursue honors in each department. If, however, the projects overlap and inform each other, the student may do a single, synthetic project designed to lead to honors for interdisciplinary studies. See our Procedures for Students Interested in Pursuing Honors in Two Departments or Programs if you are interested in either of these options.
You can find out more about graduation with college GPA-based honors in the Preparing to Graduate section of the Undergraduate Studies website.
