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Honors in the Major

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Honors in the Major

Honors in the Major offers students a highly rigorous program of study within a major field and closely related disciplines. Students must be well prepared in courses leading into the major field of study and be willing to devote time and energy to a rigorous academic experience in the major department. Well-prepared students who plan to obtain advanced degrees in the discipline should consider applying to participate in Honors in the Major. This option is not offered by every Department in the College. Check with the Office of Academic Student Affairs or the Department to see if there is an approved plan for your program.

To earn Honors in the Major, you must first be admitted to the College's Honors Program, and must maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.25 and no less than 3.0 in Honors (or equivalent) coursework. You may apply for admission to the Honors Program for Honors in the Major at any time, but you are strongly advised to apply before the junior year. A departmental advisor or advisory committee monitors progress toward Honors in the Major. The Department is responsible for monitoring your progress toward completion of Honors in the Major and will certify satisfactory completion to the Associate Dean for Academic Student Affairs prior to graduation.

The Honors in the Major requirements vary by department, but all are approved by the College Honors Committee to include the following requirements:

  1. You must successfully complete at least 20 credits of courses taken for honors (or equivalent) from a list of courses provided by the department. The department may include on the list courses taken for honors credit within the department or in related departments. The list may also include advanced non-honors courses in related fields that add rigor to the undergraduate program in the major.
  2. You must prepare a senior honors thesis (including preparing a research proposal, conducting the research and presenting the results orally and in writing). Your faculty advisor is responsible for approving the Senior Honors Thesis, in consultation with your research mentor if different from your advisor. The department sets the number of senior honors research credits (681-682) for the thesis. Thesis credits are not included in the 20 credits of honors (or equivalent) course work.
  3. You must present your senior honors thesis work at the CALS Spring Research Forum or another public research arena.
  4. The thesis must be signed and approved by both your advisor and mentor (if different from the advisor) and two (2) copies filed with the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs before the student can be awarded the designation “graduate with honors”. Upon completion, the thesis is filed in Steenbock Memorial Library and made accessible to anyone interested in the Honors student's research project conduct.

You are encouraged to apply for thesis research support from university-wide programs such as the Hilldale or Holstrom Fund Awards, special departmental research funds for undergraduates, or you may submit a Senior Honors Thesis Research Proposal to the CALS Honors Committee for review and potential funding.

Upon successful completion of program requirements, you will be awarded the Bachelor of Science degree with Honors.

For more information contact CALS Academic Student Affairs at (608) 262-3003