Typical Timeline
Make a Plan
It's never too early to start thinking about your honors project. By planning ahead, you can take relevant classes, get to know suitable faculty advisors, and build a schedule that will let you focus on your honors project when the time comes.
Fall of the Junior Year
- Take WGSS 501: Doing Feminist Research to explore your research interests and develop an idea for your honors thesis.
- Enroll in other courses that let you build expertise in this area.
Spring of the Junior Year
- Get to know faculty members who share your research interests by enrolling in their courses or visiting them in office hours.
- Identify a professor willing to supervise the thesis. This will be your honors thesis advisor.
- Discuss your enrollment plan with your honors thesis advisor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies. This decision is especially important for double majors.
Fall Semester of the Senior Year
- Inform the Honors Coordinator of plans to complete Departmental Honors.
- Take 3 credit hours dedicated thesis work in WGSS 498 or another course approved by the honors thesis advisor and the WGSS Department.
- Work with the honors thesis advisor to research the thesis topic.
- Submit the Honors Intent Form to the College (due with spring enrollment)
- Form a three-person faculty committee: the honors thesis advisor and two other faculty members, at least one of whom must be a WGSS faculty member or a WGSS affiliate.
Spring Semester of the Senior Year
- Take 3 credit hours of dedicated thesis work in WGSS 499 or another course approved by the honors thesis advisor and DUS.
- Finish all major requirements with at least a 3.5 GPA in the major.
- Finish the thesis and submit the thesis to committee, which then votes on awarding Honors.
- Inform the Honors Coordinator of results.