The Departmental Honors program is one in which distinguished Department of English majors complete an ambitious set of classes and projects. If you complete the requirements, you can graduate "With Honors." You do not have to be enrolled in the University Honors Program (a 32-credit program) to undertake the Departmental Honors program (a 16-credit program). All University Honors Program English department majors must, however, complete the 16 credit Departmental Honors program as part of their overall University Honors requirements.
The Departmental Honors program provides students the opportunity to undertake exciting and original projects, take at least one small class, and work closely with one or more departmental faculty members. It can provide excellent training for graduate work.
Please explore the Departmental Honors information packet below and consult with Departmental Honors Director Professor Delia Konzett before embarking on your Honors program experience. Students should meet with Prof. Konzett during the registration period to make sure they are satisfying all requirements.
Requirements for Departmental Honors Program
- Students enrolled in this program after fall 2008 must achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.40 in order to graduate with a University Honors designation, and your in-major grade point average must be 3.50 or above. Students enrolled prior to fall 2008 date need a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.20.
- You take two 700-level courses for honors credit, usually in the junior year. Forms for designating courses "honors" must be picked up, signed by your instructor(s), and submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the third Friday of the semester in which you take the course(s).
- You take English Major Seminar, ENGL 787. The seminar is a research-oriented course that students will find helpful preparation for their future thesis. Topics and professors vary by semester (note details in course description). The seminar is usually taken in the semester before the thesis is to be written.
- You complete an honors thesis under English 788. The thesis is a 30- to 50-page project requiring substantial research, field work, or artistic revision, and it is overseen by a thesis adviser chosen by the student. Your typed thesis proposal must be approved by your thesis adviser, to the Honors-in-English adviser, usually by the third Friday of the semester. In order to register, students must bring a permission form, signed by the thesis adviser, to the honors program coordinator. NOTE: this 4-credit course is in addition to the total number of courses required by the English, English Teaching or English Journalism Major and is taken in a student's last semester, although the topic and adviser should be arranged for as early as possible. This class requires permission of the English honors adviser at preregistration time.
