This program is one in which distinguished Geography majors complete an ambitious set of classes and projects. If you complete the requirements, you can graduate “with honors” in Geography. You do not have to be enrolled in the University Honors Program to undertake Departmental Honors in the Geography major, although many students choose to complete both honors programs simultaneously. The Departmental Honors program provides students the opportunity to undertake exciting and original projects, and work closely with one or more department faculty members. It can provide excellent training for graduate school.
Requirements
- You must complete three Geography courses designated as “honors” courses, two of which must be at the 500-level or higher. Although the Department of Geography does not offer any specially designated honors courses, any Geography course can be taken for honors credit with permission from the instructor. Typically, the student will work with the instructor to develop an honors project that will go beyond the normal requirements for the course. For a course to count towards a student’s honors requirements, the student must earn a minimum grade of B-minus.
- You must complete GEOG 799, Honors Thesis, for four credits. The honors thesis is a substantial research project, completed under the direction of a faculty member, that culminates in a written thesis. The thesis is typically 40-75 pages in length and must be based on original research. You must make a public presentation of your thesis in a forum approved by your faculty sponsor. For more information, ask the department’s honors liaison, Professor Tu Lan, for a copy of the department’s honors thesis guidelines.
- You must maintain a grade point average of 3.4 or better in all geography courses to graduate with honors
