Why Honors in the Major?
The Honors in the Major track in history is intended for students who are eager to experience the excitement of original historical research and who wish to graduate with the best possible undergraduate training in the discipline of history. Honors in the Major is especially appropriate for students who are considering graduate work in history or who want an especially rigorous training in research, reasoning, and writing skills useful to a wide range of career or graduate school choices.
Preparing for Honors
A senior thesis is a considerable undertaking, making it crucial that students plan ahead. Because research and writing consume a large amount of time, it is strongly recommended that honors students consider taking their History 600 before their senior year in order to focus on the thesis as a senior. Planning ahead is also instrumental for students to secure funding to support their research. Thesis writers should strongly consider applying for a Hilldale Fellowship, the History Department’s research fellowships, as well as other awards and prizes that can fund travel costs, books, archive visits and more. If you’re unsure how you would use research funds, this is a good conversation to have with your thesis advisor.
Requirements
In addition to the normal major requirements you students seeking Honors in the major:
I. GPA Requirements
Achieve a 3.5 in history course work and at least a 3.3 GPA overall
II. Senior Honors Thesis Requirement
Write a senior honors thesis (an original research paper of approximately 40 pages)
Enroll concurrently in History 681/682 (or History of Science 681/682) and History 680 (thesis colloquium), for a total of 10 honors credits over 2 semesters
III. Credit Requirements
Complete at least 36 credits in History and/or History of Science courses
At least 21 of the 36 credits must be upper-level courses
At least 15 of the 36 credits must be honors courses—designated with an H,%, or !–taken in residence (10 of these credits will be your honors thesis and colloquium)
Research in History & Senior Thesis
For questions about or to declare Honors in the Major, please see make an appointment with Scott Burkhardt.