Honors

Eligibility

To be eligible for the honors program a student must:

• be a senior major in philosophy;
• have a B+ (3.33) average in courses being counted toward the major;
• have completed the distribution requirements for the major and two course above 201, including one course above 301. 

Application 

Eligible students apply for admission to the honors program at the beginning of the term they plan to write their senior thesis. Application is made to the Undergraduate Chair in philosophy by submitting a written prospectus of 500-750 words. Students are encouraged to consult with any member of the Philosophy Department in developing a prospectus. However, thesis advisors are assigned by the Undergraduate Chair in consultation with the members of the Department. No one may enroll in Phil. 301 without the signature of the Undergraduate Chair. Phil. 301 does count toward the completion of the major but may not be used to satisfy distribution or level requirements. Students enrolled in 301 are urged to work out a schedule for consultation and a timetable for completion o the thesis with their advisors.

Thesis

The senior thesis is an essay which is normally around 6,000-7,500 words in length (25-30 double-spaced pages). Both the thesis advisor and the Undergraduate Chair must receive copies of a typed final draft of the thesis at least ten days prior to the final examination period. At this time the Undergraduate Chair in consultation with the thesis advisor appoints another member of the Department to be a second reader. The second reader and the advisor conduct an oral examination of the honors candidate on the thesis. On the basis of the thesis and the examination, the advisor and the second reader decide whether to award honors. The advisor alone decides the grade for 301. These will be evaluated for clarity of expression, cogency of argument, scholarship, and originality. Submission of a thesis does not guarantee the award of honors.