The English Department offers outstanding students the opportunity to intensify their undergraduate study and graduate with departmental honors. One may pursue honors in either the Literature or the Creative Writing programs.
Admission Requirements for the
Honors Program in English
To apply for Honors in English in the Literature program one should normally:
- Have completed 60 hours toward the B.A.
- Have completed 15 hours in English, 9 of which must be in upper division courses taught by professorial faculty on the CU campus.
- Have a general GPA of 3.3.
- Have a GPA in English of 3.65.
To apply for Honors in English in the Creative Writing Program one should normally:
- Have completed 60 hours toward the B.A.
- Have been admitted to the Creative Writing Program.
- Have completed 15 hours in English, 9 of which must be in Creative Writing courses, 6 of which must be upper division workshops taught by professorial faculty on the CU campus.
- Have a general GPA of 3.3.
- Have a GPA in English of 3.65.
Students who meet these qualifications may apply for admission to the program by completing the ENGLISH HONORS APPLICATION FORM. All applications are reviewed by the English Honors Committee. Students are usually notified of the Committee's decision within two weeks. Admission to the Honors Program and completion of a thesis does not necessarily guarantee an honors designation which is based on the decision made by the Honors Examination Committee and the College Honors Council.
To pursue departmental honors one must first be admitted to the Honors Program in English.
Requirements of the Honors Program
- The Honors student must maintain a suitable GPA both overall and in the major.
- The Honors student must complete the requirements in the English major in either the Literature or Creative Writing programs.
- Beginning in the fall of 1999, honors students are strongly urged to take the English Department Honors Seminar (ENGL 4820), which will prepare them for writing the Honors Thesis.
- The Honors student must write a senior Honors Thesis.
- The Honors student must defend the Honors Thesis in an oral exam.
Further Information
Advising. Advising is crucial to the Honors Program. Students should plan each semester's academic study in consultation with an advisor in order to create a personal course of study that is both challenging and coherent. The advisor is usually the student's Thesis Director. The Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies can help students locate an appropriate advisor.
The Honors Thesis. The Honors Thesis is the heart of the Honors Program. For students in the Literature program the thesis should be a significant extended essay (usually 35-50 pp.) on a topic of the student's own choosing. It should demonstrate ability in research, critical thinking, and writing. For students in the Creative Writing program the thesis should be a collection of creative work (usually 35-50 pp.) in poetry or fiction or drama. The Honors Thesis must be written under the supervision of a Thesis Director. Students may exceed the 45-hour limitation in the major by 6 credit hours (for a total of 51 hours), provided all of the excess hours are taken in designated departmental honors courses and/or in honors thesis credit. The Department has approved 3 credit hours in English for the thesis and 3 credit hours for ENGL 4820. Students should plan to enroll in the Honors Thesis (ENGL 4830) during the last or next to last semester before graduation.
Thesis Director. The Thesis Director may be any member of the professorial faculty in English. It is up to the individual student to locate a Director. (The Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies can provide advice and suggestions.) Students are expected to consult regularly with their directors as they design and complete their thesis projects.
The Defense of the Thesis. The thesis defense will be an oral exam conducted by an Examination Committee. The committee consists of the student’s Thesis Director and at least two other members. The committee must contain a member of the English Department Honors Committee and a member of the Arts and Sciences Honors Council; one member of the committee must be from outside the English Department. All committee members attend the examination, participate in questioning, and vote on the honors recommendation. The exam will normally last one to one and a half hours. It will focus principally on the thesis, but it will also explore some ideas, authors, and texts not specifically covered in the thesis but relevant to it. The intent is to test critical thinking, articulation, and to a limited degree general knowledge of the field in the area of the thesis. Individual examining committees are arranged by the Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies. The oral thesis defense will be administered according to the schedule announced by the College Honors Council. (No Honors examinations can be given in the summer.)
Honors Designations. There are three honors designations: cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude. The Examination Committee, in consultation with the Thesis Director, determines the designation after the thesis defense. The designation is then recommended to the College Honors Council which has the right to change it (though it rarely does so). The Honors designation awarded depends on four areas of academic achievement: the overall GPA, the GPA in English, the thesis, and the thesis defense. The College Honors Council suggests these minimum expectations for the overall GPA: a 3.3 for a cum, a 3.5 for a magna, and a 3.8 for a summa. These are, however, only guidelines for one area of academic achievement; the Honors designation finally depends on excellence in four.
Bureaucratic Procedures. Students apply to do Honors in English through the office of Student Services in English, Hellems lll. An Honors file, recording such things as advising, thesis topic, thesis advisor, special course arrangements, will be kept in that office. Honors students in English must also submit an application to graduate with honors and a brief prospectus of their thesis to the General Honors Office in Norlin M400L, no later than the semester before they plan to defend their thesis.
The Key to Success. Most students who elect to do Honors find it a challenging but rewarding experience. Those who have difficulty are invariably those who put off the thesis until there is not enough time to do it well. Success in the program depends on working closely and steadily with the Thesis Director on a regular schedule.
Awards Convocation. For Honors students graduating in the fall or spring terms, there is an Honors Convocation--usually a breakfast for students, parents, and friends. The date is announced annually by the General Honors office.