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Department of
Classical and Mediterranean Studies

Students visiting archeolgical sites

Honors Program

Honors in Classical and Mediterranean Studies

The Honors Program in classical and Mediterranean studies offers the most advanced students a more intensive concentration within their main field through the composition of an Honors thesis over the two semesters of their senior year. Interested majors must qualify for the program by maintaining both a cumulative GPA of 3.3 and a GPA of 3.5 in courses for the major, from the time of application to the Honors Program until graduation.

By the beginning of the second semester of their junior year, candidates should signal their interest to the director of undergraduate studies. Together we will identify the most suitable faculty adviser for the proposed thesis topic, who will help the Candidate craft a thesis proposal for approval by the faculty for admission to the honors program, due by April 15. Past examples are available for consultation, but the proposal must provide 1) a clear articulation of the topic, indicating the main questions and (if possible) some speculative answers, 2) a proposed chapter division (usually 3 or 4, plus Introduction and Conclusion), and 3) a working bibliography of at least 10 entries.  The proposal is usually 3-4 pages in length (including the 1-page bibliography), but the more detail, the better.  Once it has been approved by the proposed faculty adviser, it will be circulated among the rest of the department faculty for a final vote.  The director of undergraduate studies will then recommend the project to the Dean of the Honors Program, and after it has been approved, the department can then enroll the Candidate in CLAS 4998: Honors Research in the subsequent semester for 3 hours of credit.

During the senior year, under the direction of the faculty advisor and one or two other faculty members (at least two must hold sole or joint appointments in classical and Mediterranean studies), the Candidate will compose their thesis, meeting regularly with their faculty adviser and receiving feedback on multiple drafts.  By the end of the first semester, we expect at least a completed final draft of the first chapter, in which case the department can then enroll the student in CLAS 4999 for the second semester, for another 3 hours of credit. The sequence is letter-graded; students in good standing will receive an “H” at the end of CLAS 4998, which will be converted to a letter grade upon the successful completion of CLAS 4999. If the Candidate cannot meet this deadline, we are likely to recommend termination of the Honors project, in which case the student may work with their adviser to receive at least credit for CLAS 4998. Please note that the 6 hours of credit for CLAS 4998 and 4999 are in addition to the 30-32 hours required to complete the major.

In the second semester, the Candidate should complete a first draft of the entire project by March 1 to both the faculty adviser and the other Committee members; a final draft of the entire project is due by April 1. The length will be determined by the Committee, but most theses consist of 50-70 pages, including 2-3 pages of bibliography.  Once the entire department has had a chance to read the thesis, a date will be determined for the oral defense in front of the Committee and any other faculty member who wishes to attend: usually this takes place in the first days of the Reading Period. The Candidate will be expected to present their project over 20-30 minutes, and then take questions for a further 20-30 minutes.  The Candidate will then withdraw as the department votes on whether to award Honors (or in the case of truly exceptional theses, Highest Honors) in classical and Mediterranean studies. If successful, the Honors award will be recorded in the student’s University transcript, and it will satisfy the University Immersion requirement.