Departmental Honors

Undergraduate students majoring in WGSS or Human Sexuality can earn departmental honors by producing an honors thesis that is pertinent to the field of Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies. 

What is an Honors Thesis?

An honors thesis is a piece of original research or other project that is supervised by a WGSS faculty member over two semesters and approved by a by a three-member thesis committee. In most cases, the result will be a written document of some length, but this could vary depending on the topic and what the student and thesis advisor agree on. 

Purpose

Completing an honors thesis expands your capstone experience into a two-semester project with close one-on-one faculty support. It is especially recommended for students who are considering graduate school and careers in research, but it can be tailored to suit whatever personal and professional motivations you bring to your work.

Eligibility

Students must have a 3.5 GPA in their WGSS or Human Sexuality major.

Course Requirements

Students must take 6 credit hours of honors thesis work (3 hours per semester for 2 semesters). They must earn an A or B in the first semester and an A the second.

To complete these hours, students can enroll in:

  • WGSS 498: Independent Study in WGSS
  • WGSS 499: Honors in WGSS 

                               or

  • WGSS 498: Independent Study in WGSS
  • WGSS 601: Senior Capstone

                               or

  • Two Honors Research courses or two Independent Studies in another department

Students should work with their honors thesis advisor to decide which course credits are most appropriate for their project.