Requirements for Departmental Honors in Literature
For students majoring in English Literature, English with a British Literary History Concentration, or English with a Women’s Literature Concentration
Students interested in seeking Departmental Honors in English should consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies in English, normally before the end of the junior year.
To enter the program a student must have achieved by the end of the junior year a 3.5 average in English courses and a 3.3 average overall. In addition to fulfilling the requirements for the English Literature Major, the candidate for Departmental Honors must:
- Take at least three literature courses at the 400-level or higher in fulfilling requirement 2 of the major in English Literature, English with a British Literary History Concentration, or English with a Women’s Literature Concentration.
- Complete a six credit Senior Thesis. This thesis is a documented essay of about 10,000 words on a literary subject. The student undertaking a Senior Thesis normally registers in ENG 497, Senior Thesis I, for the first semester of the project, and in ENG 498, Senior Thesis II, for the second semester.
- The student must receive a grade of B or higher in both courses in order to qualify for honors. Note: Taking ENG 497 and ENG 498 extends the requirements for the English major to 36 credits (12 classes) instead of 30 credits (10 classes).
- While taking ENG 497 and ENG 498, participate in any workshops offered by the English Department for students engaged in independent research projects.
- Receive for the thesis a recommendation for honors by the director of the Senior Thesis and by one other faculty reader from the Department of English.
- Achieve a GPA in the major of at least 3.5, and an overall GPA of at least 3.3.
Requirements for Departmental Honors in Creative Writing
For students majoring in English with a Creative Writing Concentration
Students interested in seeking Departmental Honors in Creative Writing should consult the Director of Creative Writing, normally before the end of the junior year.
To enter the program a student must have achieved by the end of the junior year a 3.5 GPA in English courses (including courses in creative writing) and a 3.3 GPA overall. In addition to meeting the requirements for the Creative Writing Concentration, the candidate for Departmental Honors must:
- Take at least three literature courses at the 400-level or higher in fulfilling requirement 4 of the Creative Writing Concentration.
- Complete a six-credit Senior Creative Writing Project. The student undertaking this project normally registers for ENG 497, Senior Thesis I, for the first semester of the project, and ENG 498, Senior Thesis II, for the second semester. The student must receive a grade of B or higher in both courses in order to qualify for honors. Note: Taking ENG 497 and ENG 498 extends the requirements for the English major to 36 credits (12 classes) instead of 30 credits (10 classes)
- Receive for the thesis a recommendation for honors by the director of the Senior Creative Writing Project and by one other faculty reader designated by the Director of Creative Writing.
- Achieve a GPA in the major of at least 3.5, and an overall GPA of at least 3.3.
Thinking of Writing a Senior Honors Thesis in Literature or Creative Writing?
If so, see the Director of Undergraduate Studies (if majoring in literature) or the Director of Creative Writing (if majoring in creative writing) before the end of your junior year. Do not sign up for independent study or for senior thesis without the approval of the faculty member who will be supervising your work.
The Honors Thesis: Some Advice for Students
An honors thesis is the product of a two-semester project undertaken by students who meet the requirements listed for departmental honors. Students writing honors theses register for ENG 497 in the first semester of their senior year and 498 in their final semester. These credits are in addition to the 10 courses required for the major, making the major 12 courses for students who complete an honors thesis. The first semester is ordinarily devoted to directed reading and research, the second to writing the thesis. Occasionally, a student may receive permission to complete the project in one semester, but that is the exception.
Getting Started and ENG 497
Students interested in writing an honors thesis should begin the undertaking in the second semester of their junior year. If you are a second-semester junior, your first responsibility is to identify an author or authors or some theme or topic that interests you. You should then do some preliminary thinking and research so that you will have an idea about the direction you want to take in your thesis. At this point you will need to seek a faculty advisor for your thesis. Normally the faculty member should be someone who works in a field of study or genre relevant to your topic or project. It’s also a good idea to think about which faculty member you would like to work with, and which faculty member knows your work and might agree to supervise you in a year-long independent project. You may also discuss this with the Director of Undergraduate Studies or the Director of Creative Writing. If the professor whom you approach agrees to direct your project, then the two of you should formulate a mutually agreeable plan for the semester. Then, you should ask your faculty advisor to email the Director of Undergraduate Studies confirming that they have agreed to advise you. At that point, the Director of Undergraduate Studies will give you more instructions about how to register for ENG 497.
The Thesis and ENG 498
In the second semester of your senior year, you register for ENG 498. This is the semester in which you write your thesis; therefore, you and your faculty advisor should agree on a timetable for completing the thesis during the semester. You also need to ask a second faculty member in the Department to be a reader on your thesis committee during this semester.
Here are some general ground rules for the thesis:
- The thesis is a critical essay of about 10,000 words and should contain the appropriate scholarly apparatus;
- The thesis director and a second professor in the English Department will serve as the readers of the thesis.
- The final version of the thesis must be submitted to the English Department at least two weeks before the last day of classes in the second semester of your senior year.
