An Honors project can be very exciting. It is your chance to do independent work. This project will span two semesters on a topic to be determined by you and your faculty advisor and a second reader. Honors in American Studies will enhance your application to graduate and professional schools. Those who undertake and complete independent honors work will be able to include a sample of your best written work in your applications.
A candidate must have a 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.4 GPA in the major. Working toward Honors means registering for 050:495 fall semester and an independent study in the spring semester. One faculty member serves as your advisor, and another as your reader. Senior Honors thesis writers will meet a few times in the fall semester as a writing group. At the end of the project, all candidates for honors present work to the entire American Studies faculty. The faculty as a group determines which projects will be awarded honors.
Please note that all senior majors must take a senior seminar. Before registering for classes for the fall, feel free to discuss Honors with any of the American Studies faculty. Your faculty adviser will work with you from the inception of the project to its end, serving as a kind of coach to help you produce your best work. In order to assist you before approaching an advisor, please fill out this document form .