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Honors Projects

Under the direction of a faculty member with expertise in their chosen subject, students embark on an extensive research or writing project in the spring of their junior year, completing a substantive essay or piece of creative writing in the spring of their senior year. Through undertaking an honors project, students become adept in an area of particular interest to them and experience the joys and tribulations of producing a serious, extensive, and original piece of writing.

Procedures

The registrar's office deadlines, requirements for honors, and honors project registration instructions can be found at Registrar: Honors Projects. The ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ library's guidelines for formatting the finished honors project prior to submission, important deadlines, and support the library offers honors students can be found at    Below are procedures and a timeline specific to English honors. Additionally, students may attend an Honors Information Session, which takes place in the fall semester.

Thesis Requirements

A student who has maintained an A/B average in the courses offered in the English major may decide to become an honors candidate and pursue in depth a topic of interest to them.

In the spring of their junior year, the honors candidate presents a definitive plan for their honors thesis to a department faculty member within whose field the project falls. Work begins in earnest in the fall semester of the student's senior year.

The honors advisor/project director signs the honors candidate's fall semester honors project/independent study form, and signs again for spring semester.

The honors work is graded and may count (at the 4000 level) as one or two of the elective course units required for the major.

The honors thesis must be a thorough and sophisticated literary essay growing out of:

  • a course paper, as an expansion of it (in which case it may do double duty only with the consent of the instructors involved)
  • an English course
  • an extension of an English course, or
  • a fresh subject not explored in another connection

Strict compliance with the directions for manuscript preparation specified by the library—where the original copy will be permanently filed—is required.

Students contemplating application to graduate school should be advised that honors, or even candidacy for honors, is a highly significant element of their record.

 

2024-25 DUE DATES

  • Student finds English faculty
    member to direct their project
    and maps plan with project director
    :
    Prior to last day of classes
    of student's junior year


  • Honors prospectus due
    to project director, two readers, and coordinator:
     
    Thursday, October 10, 2024
    by 5:00 p.m.
     

  • Honors prospectus reviews
    with project director and two readers:
     
    Friday, October 18, 2024
    Times to be assigned
     
     
  • First chapter or section due
    to project director and two readers:
     
    Friday, December 13, 2024
    by 5:00 p.m.
     

  • Partial draft due
    to project director and two readers:
     
    Friday, February 28, 2025
    by 5:00 p.m.
     

  • Defense draft due
    to project director, two readers,
    and coordinator:
    Monday, April 28, 2025
    by 5:00 p.m.

  • Honors defenses
    with project director and two readers:
    Thursday, May 8, 2025
    Times to be assigned

  • Honors candidates upload theses
    to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ Digital Commons
    and complete Thesis Access and Embargo form: 
     
    Thursday, May 15
    by 5:00 p.m. 

    Registrar's honors guidelines

  • Project directors must approve projects
    through ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ Digital Commons:
     
    Friday, May 16, 2025
    by 2:00 pm