honors thesis emory

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Honors Program

Most NBB majors participate in undergraduate research during their time at Emory. In their last year, NBB majors with research experience may consider joining the Honors Program to complete a thesis and graduate with honors in research. The choice to pursue a thesis should be made after talking with research mentors, meeting with major advisors, and considering career goals and other opportunities during senior year.

Applications for the NBB Honors Program are due the semester before the student’s last year (June 15 for graduation the following spring, for example). NBB Honors students must meet all Emory College Honors Program requirements , including the cumulative GPA and other guidelines.

Applications for the NBB Honors Program are brief and include basic information such as the mentor's name, project title, and current GPA . Any Emory faculty member in any department can be an NBB honors thesis advisor, but the project must have neuroscience and/or behavioral biology as a major focus or lens.

During senior year, NBB honors students take two research-experience courses titled "Honors Research", NBB 495A and NBB 495BW.

Participation in these courses includes at least 12 hours of work on the research project each week as well as bi-weekly meetings with other NBB researchers to develop professional skills such as navigating research ethics, presentation skills, and connecting their research to academic and professional goals.

Graduate Courses

In addition to the NBB honors research courses, students must take a graduate course. Any graduate course can be approved for this requirement as long as it is 2 credits or more, is taken for a letter grade, and passed with a C or higher.

Most students take the graduate course in spring of their senior year, but it can be taken at any time. Students generally choose the graduate course based on recommendations from their research mentors and course descriptions posted on graduate program websites.

No particular graduate program's courses are preferred, but students often take graduate courses in Psychology , Public Health , and Neuroscience .

Most NBB majors work with faculty mentors in research experiences, and many students co-author manuscripts published in leading peer-reviewed journals. However, only honors students are mentored through the process of writing and defending a thesis. Students may work with any Emory faculty member in any department for their Honors Thesis, but the project must have neuroscience and/or behavioral biology as a major focus or lens.

All student theses are published online through the university library and, after embargo to allow for data to be included in other articles, the theses are available to search .

After writing the thesis, honors students defend their work to a committee of at least three Emory faculty members.

In consultation with their faculty research mentors, honors students form their committees during the first semester of honors. Students submit the written thesis and then present an oral summary of their work to the committee.

The committee questions the student about the rationale, methods, interpretation, and overall importance of the work. Upon completion of the defense, the committee determines whether the student has earned honors.

Current Year

Deadlines and other details for current students and mentors are gathered in our Honors Packet.

Faculty and students with questions about honors in NBB should contact the Director of Undergraduate Research for NBB.

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Honors Program

OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM

The faculty in the Department of Film and Media invites hard-working film and media majors, passionate about the field, to apply to our Honors Program. Whatever the research area—film and media studies, film production, or screenwriting—students must be committed to the thorough process of exploring the still and moving image in its many forms. Completing a thesis requires a significant commitment of time and energy. It is incumbent upon the student to independently complete the work of the honors project. Your advisor and the rest of the faculty are here to serve as resources and guides.

Honors Requirements

To graduate with Honors in Film and Media, students must:

• Be a major in Film and Media
• Have a 3.7 cumulative GPA, or petition with a GPA of 3.45 or higher
• Enroll in FILM 495A: Honors Methods Seminar (4 credits with a set class time and screening) in Fall semester of your senior year—counts as XA (Experience and Application) GER; also counts as 400-level course for the major
• Enroll in FILM 495BW: Honors Thesis (1-4 variable credits; no set class time) in Spring semester of your senior year—counts as W (Writing/Continuing Communication) GER
• Complete and defend a research or production-based thesis, due in early April of your senior year
• Fulfill any other requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences Honors program (trainings, meetings, etc.)

Because the Honors Program is a full single academic year, students graduating in the fall semester are not eligible.

GPA Requirement/Petitions

Admission to the Emory College Honors Program requires a cumulative GPA of 3.7 or above, and students must maintain a cumulative 3.7 GPA through graduation to be eligible to graduate with Honors. Only Emory grades (including Emory-sponsored study abroad programs and courses offered at Emory but outside the College, such as those offered by the Goizueta Business School) are calculated as part of a student’s Emory GPA.

In May and August, the Honors Committee considers petitions to be admitted to Honors from students who do not meet the 3.7 cumulative GPA requirement. Students who have a GPA of at least 3.45, and the support of their departmental honors coordinator and potential thesis advisor are eligible to petition. Students who are admitted by petition must earn at least the cumulative GPA with which they entered the Honors Program. Thus, if a student enters the Honors Program through a petition with a 3.5 cumulative GPA, that student must maintain at least a cumulative 3.5 GPA in every subsequent semester to be eligible to continue in the Honors Program.

Film and Media Studies Thesis "Tracks"

Research-based film and media studies written thesis, film production thesis, culminating in a finished visual project, with 20+ page support paper (see below for expectations)..

The honors thesis in film production is meant for students who have focused on film production in their coursework at Emory and have achieved technical competence before their senior year.

Prerequisites: Students who pursue a film production thesis project must have completed FILM 107: Introduction to Digital Video and at least two other production courses from the following options: FILM 207: Narrative Fiction Filmmaking I, FILM 307: Narrative Fiction Filmmaking II, FILM 208: Documentary Filmmaking I, Film 308: Documentary Filmmaking II, FILM 212: Film Producing, FILM 213: Cinematography and Lighting, or FILM 285: Post Production.

Requirements for the film production thesis:

• An original idea or concept that the student proposes to explore in visual form. If the work is to be adapted from previously written material, the student must have a strong vision as to how they will make it their own.
• A detailed production schedule submitted before the end of the Fall semester that breaks down how the film production will be executed.
• A finished visual project of no more than 20 minutes, with a public screening.

Photography thesis

Culminating in a photography project with 20+ page support paper (see below for expectations)..

Students who choose to pursue a photography thesis project must have completed, at the least, FILM 106: Photography I and FILM 206: Photography II. FILM 205: History of Photography is also highly recommended.

Students must get approval from Prof. Jason Francisco to pursue this track. He is the only faculty member who can serve as your advisor. He will also outline the requirements for a project in this track.

Screenwriting thesis

Culminating in a screenplay with a 10+ page support paper (see below for expectations)..

Prerequisites : Students who pursue a screenwriting thesis must have completed FILM 378: Screenwriting and at least one of the following: FILM 278: Writing the Short Film, FILM 379: Advanced Screenwriting, or ENGCW/FILM 379/389: Introduction to Television Writing.

Requirements for the screenplay : 

• An original idea or concept that the student proposes to explore in screenplay form. No adaptations allowed.
• A detailed writing schedule submitted by the beginning of the Fall semester including deadlines for logline and synopsis, character studies, outline, sequences and/or acts.  
• A finished feature screenplay of 90-120 pages, or a television pilot and series bible.

Support Paper Requirements (for film production and photography projects)

The required support paper accompanying the film production, photography, and screenwriting tracks provides the committee with an integrated synthesis of and reflection on the creative process. Readings, activity on set or in the darkroom, discussions, and reflection should reveal the artist’s thoughts, processes, and outcomes. Additionally, the paper should comprehensively apply and integrate information attained from coursework in the program’s curriculum (history, theory, criticism, mediamaking).

Support papers should conform to the highest standards of correctness in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage and must include proper citations in either MLA or Chicago format.

Faculty Advisor and Honors Committee

The student will choose a committee of three faculty members to provide guidance, read/view and evaluate the final thesis project, and determine the level of honors. The committee includes an advisor, who works closely with the student throughout the thesis completion, and two other committee members, who are somewhat less involved in the process.

Typically, students choose their advisor early in the fall semester of their senior year and choose the rest of the committee later in the fall or very early in the spring. A student does not need to have chosen or gotten approval from a faculty advisor in order to apply for honors.

The Makeup of the Honors Committee

• The advisor must be a faculty member in the Department of Film and Media.
• Two other members of the committee must be faculty in Emory College. We recommend one faculty member from another department.
• In some cases, students have a fourth committee member, either from Film and Media or from a different academic department. Faculty from other universities, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows may serve as non-voting committee members.
• Faculty from Oxford College are allowed to serve on committees. Adjunct, visiting, emeritus, and post-doctoral fellows must petition to the Honors Committee to be permitted to serve on committees. Members of the staff are not eligible to serve on committees.

Levels of Honors

The committee recommends the degree of honors to the College Honors Committee as follows:

Honors : Satisfactory completion of the honors program and thesis project.

High Honors : Completion of the honors program with outstanding performance. A research-based written thesis should be suitable for oral presentation to scholars in the candidate’s field. A filmmaking, photography, or screenwriting thesis should be comparable to master’s level work, and the support paper should be of high quality.

Highest Honors : Completion of the honors program with exceptional performance, including an overall GPA of 3.5 or above. A research-based written thesis should be suitable for publication in the candidate’s field. A filmmaking, photography, or screenwriting thesis should be at a professional level, and the support paper should be of highest quality.

How to Apply for Honors

To apply for the Honors program, you will need to submit a detailed proposal for your honors project. The due date is in early March. The proposals will be evaluated by a committee of faculty, and the committee will select a group of students who will be officially invited to complete the Honors Program. You will be notified about whether your proposal was accepted by the end of March.

 As you prepare your proposal, we recommend meeting with a Film and Media Studies professor (perhaps someone you might ask to be on your committee later) and/or the Film and Media Studies librarian, Dr. James Steffen, to help you conceptualize your project. You do not need to choose an advisor or committee members until after you are accepted into the program.

How to Submit Your Proposal

• Combine all of the following documents in a single PDF titled with your name and Honors Proposal (e.g., John Doe Honors Proposal.pdf).
• Specific submission instructions will be communicated by the Honors Program Coordinator.

Please provide the following, preferably in a single PDF document.

• A preliminary title for your proposed honors thesis project
• Be sure to clarify whether this is a research-based written thesis or a production-based thesis. In your description, please explain why you chose this project, what you hope to learn from completing it, how your project will contribute to the field of film and media, and how it will be an extension of your coursework thus far.
• An initial treatment (overview) of the thesis as you imagine it. For studies theses, this could include potential chapters, arguments, or media texts that will be analyzed. For screenwriting or filmmaking, this might include a plot summary, list of characters, plot structure, etc.
• Research thesis proposals should include books and articles that will inform your research.
• Production thesis proposals could include these research materials or films and media that are similar to or informing the proposed project.
• A list of 2-3 faculty that you might like to have on your honors thesis committee. Please note if you have already discussed your project any of with them (recommended but not required).
• A list of any coursework that you have done that you feel has prepared you to complete this particular project. Please explain their usefulness or influence on your thesis project. (Production or studies courses as appropriate for your project.)
• For those writing research-based studies theses, please submit a paper completed for a class that is at least five pages long and is a good example of your writing. Research-based writing preferred.
• For those completing production theses, please send a digital file or link to a piece of creative work that you have completed. If it was created with other people, please detail your role in its production.
• You may submit more than one sample, but please clarify the order of preference (e.g., which one the committee should consider first).
• Our office will pull an unofficial transcript of your coursework and grades to be shared with the selection committee.

Accepted Honors Students: Expectations/Procedures

After you have been accepted into the Honors Program, you are expected to participate in the honors program throughout your senior year. This will require you to meet the deadlines set by the department and the Emory College Honors program.

 In addition to fulfilling all of the requirements for the film or media studies major, you are expected to maintain a 3.7 GPA (or the GPA that you petitioned at) throughout your senior year.

Specific deadlines for thesis submission will be given to you at the beginning of the fall semester. Here is a rough idea of what your senior year will look like:

Summer before senior year

Over the summer, after project approval, the student should research and explore their topic broadly through readings, viewings, and/or creative work. The professor of record for the Fall FILM 495A course may ask you to prepare homework that will be due at the beginning of the Fall semester.

Fall of senior year

You are required to be enrolled in FILM 495A: Honors Methods Seminar, a 4-credit course that has a set class and screening time. This is where you will begin to work on the planning and execution of your thesis project. This class can count as your 400-level course or as an elective toward your major.

Students should be having regular meetings with their advisor while working on their thesis in FILM 495A.

Students are required to attend the mandatory Emory College honors meetings that are scheduled throughout the Fall, usually in October. The program will e-mail you directly.

Spring of senior year

You are required to enroll in the FILM 495BW: Honors Thesis class in the Spring semester. This is not an official “class” with meetings but a way for you to receive credit for the work you are doing on your thesis. Depending on your registration status, you can choose to enroll in this class for 1-4 credits. (Each credit represents three hours of work per week.) If enrolled for 3 or more credits, this course can count as an elective toward the major.

In January, students must submit a roster of their honors committee to the Emory College Honors program.

Usually, the honors student receives comments from the thesis advisor as they progress throughout the project and waits until prior to their defense to submit the whole project to other committee members.

The Thesis Defense

Once the submission deadlines draw closer, you should check in with your committee members about a date and time that will be convenient for them for your defense. Defenses are usually 60 minutes long. 

When you have settled on a date and time, you should contact office staff to schedule a room on campus. Defenses can also take place virtually over Zoom with the permission of the student’s advisor. Students can invite outside participants (friends or family) with the permission of their advisor.

When the final draft of your thesis is ready for distribution, you should ask your committee members in what form they would like it – paper or electronic – and then deliver it to them in accordance with their specifications at least a week in advance of your defense.

Generally, the thesis defense abides by the following schedule but this format is ultimately up to you and your thesis advisor.

• The student makes a brief (5-10 minute) presentation about their project. This can include a visual presentation but this is not required.
• Each committee member takes turns asking the student questions about their project. This often leads to a general discussion amongst the committee members and the student. This usually lasts 30-45 minutes.
• The student is asked to leave the room so that the committee members can discuss the student’s work and decide whether the student has earned honors and the level of honors given.
• The student is asked back into the room and informed of the decision made by the committee. More often than not, committee members will ask students to make revisions to their thesis before they submit the final version to the College. They should submit these changes first to their advisor who will then give the final approval to upload the work to the College.
• You should bring the committee approval form to the defense for your committee to sign. You will receive this form from the Emory College honors office/Canvas page.

Students who successfully complete the honors program will participate in the Emory College Honors ceremony, which is typically held the Sunday before commencement.

Honors Coordinator

Dr. tanine allison.

Contact first with questions

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Dr. gregory zinman (for spring 2024), daniel reynolds, film and media librarian, dr. james steffen, undergraduate program administrator, clare sterling.

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The Quantitative Sciences Honors Program allows exceptional students to engage in in-depth scholarly work that extends beyond the curricular requirements of the Quantitative Sciences major. The honors thesis is considered a culmination of intellectual development in the QSS major and should reflect a synthesis of quantitative theory, methodology, and the accompanying substantive (track) curriculum in the major. 

Students will work closely with scholars in their chosen field to conduct research and write a thesis of original scholarship that exemplifies theory-driven, methodologically sound, data-based inference and application in that field. Students may apply to participate in the program for their last two semesters before graduation.

Admission will be given to qualified students within one month following submission deadlines. Meeting the minimum requirements for applying does not guarantee acceptance into the honors program.

Requests for late admission to the program require a petition to the QSS Honors Director and Honors Administrator explaining the request for late admission.

Deadline to submit materials.

Students who meet the requirements may submit an  application no later than  April 30th  the year before spring graduation  or  November 30th  the year before  winter graduation .

Please see the " Requirements " section for eligibility rules and the " How to Apply " section for detailed instructions about the application process.

Kevin McAlister

Director of undergraduate research | qtm.

Sadie Hannans, Program Coordinator

Honors administrator, requirements, requirements for admission into the qss honors program.

• A declared QSS major by the end of the first semester of student's junior year
• A minimum overall GPA of 3.7
• A minimum QSS GPA of 3.7
• A specific, well-defined project developed under the direction of a committed faculty supervisor 

Requirements for Completion of Honors

• Successful completion of QTM 495A: Honors Research 
• Successful completion of QTM 495B: Honors Research 
• Successful completion of a graduate-level course or 400-level senior seminar  approved by the Honors Director 
• Researching and writing an Honors Thesis
• Successful completion of an oral examination on the student's Honors Thesis
• 54+ credit hours (includes 50 credit hours associated with the BS degree and additional credit hours associated with writing the thesis)
• You must maintain a 3.7 overall and  major GPA to successfully complete the QSS Honors Program

How to Apply

• Review the admission requirements above
• Your committee chair or committee co-chair must be a QTM  faculty member .
• If you want to work with a non-QTM faculty member as your supervisor, then you will identify them as a co-chair to your committee. In this case, the supervisor will take on traditional chair responsibilities.
• One of the three faculty members must be from your disciplinary track department
• Work with your faculty supervisor (the committee chair or co-chair) to develop a brief abstract for your thesis project
• Students who meet the minimum requirements for consideration may submit materials through  the application  no later than  April 30th  of the year preceding  spring graduation  or  November 30th  of the year preceding  winter graduation .

Admission will be given to qualified students within one month following these deadlines. Meeting the minimum requirements for applying does not guarantee acceptance into the honors program. Requests for late admission to the program require a petition to the QSS Honors Director and Honors Administrator explaining the request for late submission.

What Your Senior Year Schedule Will Look Like

Fall semester.

• You will complete QTM 495A: Honors Research (4 cr), which addresses methodological issues and offers practical guidance in thesis design and research.
• You will need to identify a graduate-level course or senior seminar that you intend to enroll in during the Fall or Spring of the year that you plan to complete honors. When you have selected this course, p lease fill out the  QTM Honors course petition form .  The QTM Honors Director must approve this course; do not enroll until you have received approval.  Please note that this form must be submitted  no later than one week before the end of the add/drop/swap period of the semester in which you are taking this class  in order for the class to be approved by the honors director.

Spring Semester

• You must assemble an honors thesis committee that includes your faculty advisor (the committee chair) and two other Emory faculty members.
• You will complete QTM 495B: Honors Research (variable credit, up to 8 hours), which includes the thesis writing portion of the QSS Honors Program. 

Levels of Honors

Honors (cum laude), high honors (magna cum laude), highest honors (summa cum laude).

Honors Program FAQs

What are the requirements for completing the honors program.

Students are required to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.7, to be enrolled at Emory for both semesters in which they are pursuing honors, to be in residence, and enrolled in at least one hour of honors research during the final semester of their participation in the Honors Program, to complete the mandatory orientation in Canvas and any other required trainings, to write and defend an honors thesis, and to submit all required honors forms and complete the ETD submission process. Additionally, many departments have their own requirements for honors students; be sure to check with your Departmental Honors Coordinator to find out what, if any, additional requirements you must meet.

How is GPA calculated for Honors purposes?

Admission to the Emory College Honors Program requires a cumulative GPA of 3.7 or above, and students must maintain a cumulative 3.7 GPA through graduation to be eligible to graduate with Honors. Only Emory grades (including Emory-sponsored study abroad programs and courses offered at Emory but outside the College, such as those offered by the Goizueta Business School) are calculated as part of a student’s Emory GPA.

My GPA is below 3.7. May I participate in the Honors Program?

In May and August, the Honors Committee considers petitions to be admitted to Honors from students who do not meet the 3.7 cumulative GPA requirement. Students who have a GPA of at least 3.45, and the support of their departmental honors coordinator and potential thesis advisor are eligible to petition. Students who are admitted by petition must earn at least the cumulative GPA with which they entered the Honors Program. Thus, if a student enters the Honors Program through a petition with a 3.5 cumulative GPA, that student must maintain at least a cumulative 3.5 GPA in every subsequent semester to be eligible to continue in the Honors Program.

May I do study abroad while I am participating in the Honors Program?

Can i do honors if i am enrolled in a 4+1 program.

Students enrolled in a 4+1 Program, which allows current students to pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years, must complete the Honors Program before the end of the bachelor portion of their program (i.e., their senior year in the College). Students can participate in the Honors Ceremony when they graduate and receive both degrees.

Can I do Honors if I am enrolled in the Emory/Georgia Tech Dual Degree Program?

Students involved in the Emory/GA Tech dual degree program should complete the Honors Program, including the defense of the thesis, by the end of the student’s coursework at Emory before moving to Georgia Tech (typically the end of the third year). The Honors Program will continue to track these students to ensure they receive the appropriate recognition at the end of the program at Georgia Tech when they graduate and receive both degrees. Students can participate in the Honors Ceremony when they graduate and receive both degrees.

What course(s) must I be enrolled in to participate in the Honors Program?

The College requires honors students to be in residence and enrolled in at least one hour of honors credit during the semester in which they are completing the Honors Program. However, many departments have additional requirements for honors coursework, which typically includes two semesters of honors research/writing and sometimes an additional graduate course or seminar; be sure to check with your Departmental Honors Coordinator for more information.

Will I get continued writing or continued communication credit for the Honors Program course?

Students will receive credit for the continued writing/continued communication GER credit in the second semester of the Honors Program only. The Honors 495BW course will satisfy the continued writing/continued communication GER even if the student enrolls for less than three credits. 

I want to do Honors in more than one major. Is this possible?

No. Students may pursue honors in only one of their declared majors (or in an official joint major that they have declared). Students who are double majoring may design an interdisciplinary project that draws on both majors with the approval of the department in which they are seeking honors, but they will only receive honors in one major.  

I want to do Honors in my minor. Is this possible?

No. Honors may only be pursued in the student’s declared major.

Who may serve on my thesis committee?

Committees must consist of at least three core members. Core committee members must be regular Emory University faculty members from any school or unit. One member must be from the student’s honors major and at least one member must be from Emory College. Your advisor counts as one of the three core members. You may have additional core committee members from the faculty of Emory University. You may also have additional non-core committee members from the faculty of other universities, but only core committee members vote on the level of honors. 

Regular faculty titles typically include professor, associate professor, assistant professor, teaching professor (professor of pedagogy), associate teaching professor (senior lecturer), assistant teaching professor (lecturer), but might also include titles such as Instructor or Research Associate. 

Adjunct, visiting, emeritus, and post-doctoral fellows must petition to the Honors Committee to be permitted to serve on committees as core committee members. Once a faculty petition has been approved, it is valid for three years.

Members of the staff are not eligible to serve on committees. 

If you have questions about someone’s eligibility or about the petition process, contact  [email protected] . 

Who schedules my thesis defense?

I have submitted my thesis, but am not graduating in the spring. may i participate in the honors ceremony, i am graduating a semester early or a semester late. may i still pursue honors.

Yes. Students may pursue Honors on an alternative timeline, with permission from their department and in coordination with the College Honors Program Administrator, but must pursue honors for two consecutive semesters (not including summer semester).

How do I drop the Honors Program?

If you have decided to drop the Honors Program, you must notify both the College Honors Program Administrator and your Departmental Honors Coordinator by completing the drop form . If dropping after College withdrawal deadlines, you must work with your advisor and/or honors coordinator to finish the honors course in which you are enrolled.

When is the Honors Ceremony held?

Are there any special circumstances that i should let the honors program know about.

If you are struggling academically, have petitioned a college standing committee for special circumstances, or there is an extraordinary experience that is affecting your academic path, please get in touch with the honors coordinator in your department and the honors program immediately so your best options for honors can be determined.

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Students selected for this program will take a graduate seminar, complete an honors thesis, and will defend that thesis in an oral examination.

Step 1: Rules and Application.  

• Complete the the WGSS "Application for Honors" online form here , a writing sample (preferably a research paper), and a one-paragraph description of your proposed research topic by March 1st, 2024. You can find the application here . 

Step 2: Faculty Evaluations after application submission

• The Director of Undergraduate Studies will solicit evaluations from at least two of the WGSS faculty (core and associated) who have had the student in a class.

Step 3: Acceptance into the Honors Program.

• The WGSS undergraduate program committee will evaluate the quality of the application and decide whether to accept a student into the WGSS Honors Program. The Director of Undergraduate Studies will inform the applicant in writing of the outcome of those deliberations.

Step 4: Select a Thesis Advisor and Project Proposal deadline.  

• Identify a thesis advisor (a regular Emory University faculty member for any schools or units) and submit, by email to the Director of Undergraduate Studies, a two-page project proposal detailing their argument or question and planned methods of inquiry by May 1.

Step 5: Register for WGS 495RW (Honors Research) and satisfy progress.

• Students must register for WGS 495RW (Honors Research) in both semesters of the senior year.
• Students must also maintain a 3.7 overall GPA to remain in the Honors Program.

Step 6: Register for a Graduate Course.

• Review the graduate courses and descriptions offered by the Laney Graduate School in WGSS or relatable held
• Request a registration access code and forward the professor's approval email to the WGSS Graduate Coordinator

Step 7: Committee Formation.  

• Students must choose two additional faculty members to serve on their Honors committee their senior year. At least one member of the committee must be a WGSS core or affiliated faculty. 

Step 8: Oral Thesis Defense.  

• Students must submit their completed thesis to their thesis committee at least two weeks prior to the oral defense.
• Students must successfully defend their thesis in an oral examination before their thesis committee no later than April 1st. 

Undergraduate

Declare a major / minor in wgss, course catalog, course descriptions, course atlas, course schedule.

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The Honors Program is an Emory College program that gives a group of highly qualified students more extensive experience in conducting behavioral research.

Eligibility for the Honors Program

Students must meet three criteria to be eligible for the Honors Program in Psychology:

• An overall (cumulative) GPA of at least 3.7 in the first three years.*
• A GPA of at least 3.7 in the major subject.*
• Successful completion of PSYC200W by the second semester of the junior year.

*effective Fall 2024

Building Your Eligibility

Students who think they may be eligible and interested in the Honors Program are encouraged to get to know a potential faculty advisor during their sophomore and junior years. Faculty members usually give Honors advising preference to students whom they know—either from volunteer work in their laboratory or from a small class. Volunteering in a professor's laboratory also assists students with making informed decisions about whether to participate in Honors.

Becoming Fully Eligible

To be fully eligible for the Honors Program, by the beginning of the senior year, students must have met the GPA and course requirements above and arranged Ideally, this arrangement should be reached before the end of the student's junior year. Once the arrangement is made, students and advisors must complete an Honors Contract and submit it to [email protected] . Once their full eligibility is verified, students will be enrolled in the Honors Program.

Honors Requirements

By the end of junior year

• Agree on a work arrangement for Senior year with a faculty advisor
• Complete Statistics and Laboratory Methods classes

Senior year

• In concert with a faculty advisor from the Psychology Department, the student collects and analyzes data, prepares an Honors thesis based on the data, and defends the thesis in front of a committee of three faculty members. This committee recommends if Honors, High Honors, or Highest Honors is to be granted to the student’s degree.
• In the fall of their senior year, Honors students enroll in Psychology 495A, and receive 3 hours of credit for participating in this weekly class. Eligible students are enrolled in the class automatically (there is no "permission number")
• In the spring of their senior year, Honors students may receive variable credit under Psychology 495BWR (1-8 credits) for continuing work on their Honors project
• Honors students are required to take a graduate level course in Psychology
• During Commencement weekend, Honors students participate in a college-wide Honors ceremony.

Click here for more details about the Honors Program in Psychology .

Undergraduate

Lorenza houser undergraduate academic degree program coordinator, senior.

Lorenza Houser is responsible for undergraduate program administration, curriculum management, departmental course planning and scheduling, teaching evaluations, website administration, and sustainability initiatives. 

Ask Lorenza about:   undergraduate student records • program management & accreditation • reports • undergraduate policies & procedures • course & faculty evaluations • teaching plan • curriculum management • website administration • study abroad • degree applications & requirements • transfer credits • honors program • research participation • pre-registration advising • Oxford continuees • final grades • enrollment • course offerings • atlas • classroom assignment & reservations • textbooks • commencement planning & reception • class visits

Contact Information

Questions contact, lorenza houser, undergraduate academic degree program coordinator, senior, career info and opportunities, meet our honors graduates of 2023.

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Honors Program

The Department of Biology offers a Bachelor of Arts  or  a Bachelor of Science degree, with Honors, to undergraduates who have earned a  3.7 or higher GPA  (in both the Biology major  and  cumulative) at the end of their junior year.

In addition, in order to enhance the success of our students in the Honors Biology program, the Biology Department is adding the requirement that students should have completed at least one semester of research in a lab before starting Honors Biology. This may be achieved through various means including participation in SIRE, SURE or Biology 499. The research does not have to have been done for credit (e.g., it may have been done for pay) and does not have to have been done at Emory. Ideally, at the time of beginning honors, a student will have already been working in the lab in which they wish to do their Honors research since this will facilitate the timely completion of their Honors work and the writing of their thesis. The Honors Biology program is demanding, and the time available to complete the work is brief. We believe this requirement will positively contribute to your experience in the program.

The Biology Honors Program provides SENIOR biology majors (in their last two semesters at Emory) the opportunity to perform independent lab research in an area of biology and to present a research thesis to a committee.

This program is designed to provide superior undergraduate students with opportunities to conduct original, high-caliber research in preparation for graduate school, professional training, or a position in an industrial or government research laboratory.

  **Eligible Biology majors will be invited (via e-mail) to participate in the Biology Department Honors Program (BIOL 495A and BIOL 495BW) during the summer prior to their senior year at Emory and will be provided with the Honors Program Application at that time.  The application is also available on the Biology Department website.

Beyond laboratories housed in the Biology Department, students may work in labs located elsewhere on campus, such as the Medical School, CDC, Yerkes, and the Winship Cancer Center.  Undergraduates who perform research are often part of a team involving the lab Principal Investigator (P.I.), postdoctoral fellows, research specialists, and graduate students.  The research available involves cutting edge biomedical applications and trains students for subsequent careers in research, medicine, or both.

Emory College of Arts and Sciences has specific requirements that apply to students completing Honors in any major ( http://catalog.college.emory.edu/community/honors-program/index.html ), and the Biology Department has requirements specific to our major and that complement the college requirements.

Please refer to the following documents for additional information:

• Honors Program Requirements and Guidelines
• Honors Program Application
• Oral Progress Report Form
• Thesis Approval Form/Cover Sheet
• Honors Exam Report
• BIOLOGY 495A Final Grade Report Form
• BIOLOGY 495BW Final Grade Report Form

Honors candidates will be provided with additional information from the Biology Department and with access to the College Honors Program CANVAS site.

  **NOTE:  Effective August 2024, the College will raise the minimum GPA for participation in the Honors Program from 3.5 to 3.7 .

Application Process

Biology honors program application.

To apply for Honors, please complete the  Biology Honors Program Application  by the first day of classes in the Fall semester in which you will be beginning your honors research.

Obtain Course Permission Number

Undergraduate, biology honors coordinator, alexander escobar, associate teaching professor, honors program forms.

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Honors Seniors

For current honors students.

As an honors student, you are responsible for meeting the requirements and completing the necessary steps outlined below.

Carefully review the processes outlined below and the Honors Cycle which outlines the steps in the timeline. If you have questions, please contact the DUS or the undergraduate program coordinator .

Confirm Committee

Oral defense.

Honors candidates must orally defend their thesis in the spring of their senior year. The purpose of the oral defense is to allow faculty committee members to examine, challenge, or seek clarification about your thesis. The level of honors is determined by the committee immediately following the oral defense.

The final draft of their honors thesis is due to their committee at least 10 days before their oral defense. The committee may ask for revisions, and the attainment of honors may be contingent upon completion of requested revisions before the CHP deadline.

Review the following guidelines with your advisor (chair), who may want to make specific alterations.

• 10 minutes: student remarks
• 45 minutes: faculty questions
• 10 minutes: faculty deliberations (student and others asked to leave room)
• 10 minutes: student called back in for announcement regarding honors and, if awarded, the level of honors
• Open to the public , but only faculty ask questions (unless the chair opens the floor to others).
• Student remarks should not summarize the thesis—assume that the faculty committee has already read the thesis. Instead, put the thesis in a broader context: what has the thesis accomplished? What new questions does the thesis raise? What are the next directions of this research? What weaknesses do you feel the thesis has? How would you address any such weaknesses?
• A PowerPoint presentation is optional, but not expected. Again, the focus of the defense is faculty questions, and these are often best introduced through oral comment, based on notes or read from a prepared text. A PowerPoint might be appropriate if images are integral to the discussion, for example.
• Schedule defense date Honors candidates are responsible for arranging the defense date with their honors committee by no later than January 31. Once confirmed, the student must notify the DUS and the undergraduate program coordinator. The undergraduate program coordinator is available to assist honors candidates with reserving an appropriate room for the defense.

Submit Examination Report and Thesis

Complete the following steps after your defense:

• Immediately after your defense , have your committee sign the Honors Examination Report form. Submit this form via Canvas no later than the Mid April, for the exact deadline please review the onors college website.
• Submit your final thesis draft to the ILA via our webform . This becomes part of your student record in the ILA. Please note that this is not the ETD submission, which is a seperate process (see below).
• Submit your final thesis draft to the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Repository by Mid-April. Written and audio/video instructions for this are available in Canvas.

Honors Cycle

Majors and Minors

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Honors Program

Students who are majoring in Environmental Sciences and maintain a 3.7 overall GPA are eligible to write an Honors thesis once they have identified a faculty mentor who has agreed to supervise that student's Honors thesis. 

The honors program is conducted over both semesters of the student's senior year. Students who are interested in the program should get in touch with prospective faculty advisors for their thesis, and also contact the faculty departmental Honors coordinator, in the second semester of their junior year.

Interested? But unsure how to get started with topics for an honors thesis? Please explore the resources available through the library and specifically the Environmental Sciences Librarian, Kristan Majors . Also, please explore the Environmental Honors Research Guide .

The Emory College Honors Program consists of the following requirements:

Complete one graduate level course (500 level or higher), register for two semesters (eight hours) of envs 495 (honors research), select a committee of at least three faculty members, defend their thesis to committee, undergraduate.

Honors Contact

Emily burchfield, assistant professor, honors guidelines/contract 2023-24, envs honors student theses 2016-23.

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Honors Program

Jump to a subject:, general information .

The Honors Program in the Department of Political Science provides the opportunity for especially qualified Political Science and International Studies majors to engage in research and course work more advanced than the normal undergraduate program.

Students interested in participating in the POLS Honors Program should plan accordingly. Students applying to the Honors Program should take the following:

• One 300-level or 400-level POLS course*
• A designated POLS Research Course (if possible)

*A tenure-track POLS faculty member at Emory or Oxford before the Spring semester of their junior year

Eligibility Requirements

Minimum requirements.

Students who meet the minimum requirements for consideration will receive an invitation in spring  of their junior year to submit application materials

• An overall GPA of at least 3.7*
• Major GPA of at least 3.7*
• Graduation date of the following spring

*Students with a major or overall GPA between 3.45 and 3.7 may petition to participate in the program. 

Program Requirements

• Passing with a grade of "B" or better Political Science 495, Honors Tutorial
• Passing with a grade of "B" or better a Political Science graduate (or advanced undergraduate) seminar of the student's choice<
• Researching and writing an Honors Thesis (Political Science 499)
• Successful completion of an oral examination on the student's Honors Thesis

Application Materials

The faculty of the Political Science Department will review these materials and select the participants for the Honors Program. Only students who submit materials will be considered.

In addition to these materials, the faculty will also take into consideration the applicants':

• Overall GPA
• Political Science Course Work (especially upper-level POLS courses taken at Emory or at Oxford prior to the Spring semester of the students' junior year)

Statement of Research Interest (1-2 pages)

Political science faculty members, faculty advisor and mentor, academic writing sample.

The following schedule assumes a May graduation.

Fall Semester

• Students will take Political Science 495 (4 semester hours).
• Students must write an acceptable research proposal covering the Honors Thesis topic. This research proposal must be submitted to the Honors Committee no later than the end of the semester.
• Each student must set up a thesis committee consisting of a primary advisor in the Department of Political Science, a second reader drawn from the faculty of the Emory or Oxford College Department of Political Science, and a third reader who is an Emory or Oxford College faculty member. The third reader is permitted to be from outside the Department of Political Science.
• A student may elect to take a Political Science graduate (or advanced undergraduate) seminar in the Fall or Spring Semester, although enrollment in the Fall semester is suggested.

Spring Semester

• Students will enroll in Political Science 499 Honors Research (variable credit, up to eight hours).
• Students must take a Political Science graduate (or advanced undergraduate) seminar if they have not taken one during the Fall Semester.
• Final draft of the thesis must be submitted to the student's thesis committee in early April.
• The thesis must be defended orally before the thesis committee and submitted to the College Honors Committee by the deadline established by that Committee.

College Honors Program

Honors Programs for outstanding students are offered during the senior year in most areas of concentration. These involve work that extends beyond ordinary course requirements and standards of performance. These programs are administered by the College Honors Committee, which must approve each departmental program. For more information on College policies, click here .

Eligibility

All students with an overall average of at least 3.7 in the first three years and with at least a 3.7 average in the major subject will automatically be eligible for participation in the program. Final selection of those to participate, however, rests with the department concerned.

The program will normally be confined to the senior year. The program outlined below applies to those departments offering graduate degrees, with the exception of Liberal Studies in which arrangements can be made for fulfilling requirements by using the facilities of relevant departments. Departments not offering graduate work may devise their own programs, subject to approval of the Honors Committee. The same applies to multi-disciplinary or joint-major programs.

• Each honors student will be enrolled in a graduate seminar or a graduate course or, in special cases approved by the Honors Committee, in a course providing individual supervision and instruction.
• Each honors student will, as part of the graduate work, complete a research project or a paper that will be the equivalent of a B.A. thesis. 
• Each honors student will do additional supervised reading or enroll in a special honors course or perform some additional special work.

Examination

An examination, written and/or oral, covering the honors work (thesis and allied field) will be given during the last semester of the student's senior year. One examiner will be chosen from outside the department concerned.

The names of the examiners will be reported to the Honors Committee along with the results of the examination.

The deadlines for reporting results are printed in the College catalog. Examiners will recommend the degree of honors (honors, high honors, highest honors) to the Honors Committee, which will certify the list to the Registrar for printing in the Commencement program and on the students' diplomas.

Degrees of Honors

Honors (cum laude) is taken to mean satisfactory completion of the program, together with an overall average of 3.7.

High Honors (magna cum laude) is taken to mean completion of the program with outstanding performance, together with an overall average of 3.7. The thesis shall be of a quality sufficient for oral presentation to scholars in the candidate's field, or of a comparable standard appropriate to the discipline.

Highest Honors (summa cum laude) is taken to mean completion of the program with exceptional performance, together with an overall average of 3.7. The thesis shall be of a quality sufficient for submission for publication or of a comparable standard appropriate to the discipline. If the thesis meets this criterion, the 3.7 grade point average may be waived in exceptional cases.

Honors Coordinator

Alexander bolton, associate professor, director of experiential learning & honors program director, rob la terza, undergraduate program coordinator, undergraduate.

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toward the end of your junior year, you should contact

Director of undergraduate studies, senior program coordinator.

Kathy Ly-Nguyen

What is Honors?

Honors is a two-semester program extending over your senior year. It involves: (1) enrolling in CPLT 495A/495BW ("Honors Thesis") during the last two semesters of your college curriculum; (2) designing, completing, and defending an Honors thesis. CPLT 495A is normally 3 credit hours for the first semester and CPLT 495BW is 4 credit hours for the second semester. CPLT 495A is taken as S/U and CPLT 495BW is taken letter-grade.

Who is eligible?

Comparative Literature majors with an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher at the end of their junior year are eligible to apply for participation in the Honors program. Students with a lower overall GPA may petition to be allowed to participate; the final decision is made by the College Honors Committee on the recommendation of the department.

What is the process like?

No formal application is required. However, we ask you to provide a brief statement outlining the project you intend to work on and, if possible, the name of a Comparative Literature faculty member who has agreed to supervise your work on this project. Your statement will enable us to provide preliminary advising for your Honors work, including help direct you to potential faculty advisors.

What does an Honors committee look like?

Your Honors committee must have at least 3 faculty members (occasionally, students will add a fourth). The committee chair must be a core faculty member in Comparative Literature, and one of the committee members must be from another department. By the end of your first semester of Honors, you should secure permission from the two additional readers on your committee.

When do you need to complete your Honors Thesis and schedule your defense?

You will need to secure a defense date around the end of March (at least one week before the final Honors Program ETD submission deadline in early April). This means that you should have your entire Honors thesis written by latest March (during the second semester of your Honors Thesis year). You will not have until the very end of the semester so please pay very careful attention to these deadlines.

*** TENTATIVE HONORS THESIS TIMELINE ***

Junior Year, Spring (January-March): Submit Honors Thesis Proposal to DUS for approval & look for core faculty advisor to chair Honors Thesis.

Senior Year, Summer (July-August): Confirm Honors Participation with Program Coordinator. You'll be enrolled in Honors & included in the Honors Roster with the Honors Program in order to get Canvas access to meeting dates, deadlines, etc.

Senior Year, Fall (August-December): Meet with Honors Program & Thesis Advisor to come up with semester schedule, conduct research, & submit thesis drafts.

Senior Year, Spring (January-February): Finalize drafts.

Senior Year, Spring (early-March): Submit final manuscript to Honors Thesis Committee & prepare for defense.

Senior Year, Spring (mid-March to early-April): Defend Thesis & submit completed manuscript to Honors Program.

What is the Honors Defense Date Dress Code?

Dress for success!

What does a Comparative Literature Honors thesis look like?

You determine the topic of your Honors thesis in light of your particular intellectual and/or professional interests. The shape, scope, and form of the thesis is elaborated in consultation between you, your thesis advisor, and the other members of your committee.

While the choice of topics may—and will—range widely, a Comparative Literature Honors thesis should reflect one or more of the stated objectives of proficiency in this field:

• The ability to work with literary texts across different national traditions
• The ability to work with texts across different languages
• The ability to reflect on the theoretical assumptions of your work within particular theoretical frameworks
• The ability to discuss literary and cultural texts cogently and critically

Undergraduate

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Honors in Anthropology

2024 honors students  .

Outstanding senior majors in Anthropology may be selected by the department for participation in the Emory College Honors Program. As determined by the College Honors Committee, a student must have a GPA of 3.7 to be eligible for the program. Students are invited to apply in spring of their junior year, to begin the program in fall of their senior year.

Candidates will pursue research under the direction of a faculty committee, write and defend an honors thesis, enroll in the Honors sequence (495A, 495BW), and take a graduate course. Students must also maintain at least a 3.7 overall and major GPA throughout their senior year in order to graduate with honors.

Want to learn more about Honors in Anthropology? Please check out the Q&A below, or contact either the Undergraduate Coordinator Heather Carpenter , or the Anthropology Honors Program Coordinator Dr.  Bobby Paul , for more information. You may also learn more about Emory College honors requirements in the Emory College Catalog .

Sample Biological Anthropology Proposal

Sample cultural anthropology proposal, honors theses 1983-2023, ready to apply, application for honors in anthropology, honors in anthropology faqs, what are the requirements of the honors program in anthropology, my gpa is below 3.7. may i participate in the honors program.

Students who have an overall GPA of at least 3.45, and the support of their departmental honors coordinator and potential thesis advisor, are eligible to petition the Emory College Honors Program for permission to participate in the Honors Program.

Students interested in submitting GPA petitions should begin by contacting the Anthropology Honors Coordinator.  If the department agrees to support the student's admission to the honors program, we will work with them through the formal petition process.  Both the student and their planned honors advisor should be prepared to write strong letters in support of the petition.

The student must still submit their departmental honors application by the regular deadline.  Petitions are considered by Emory College in May and August.

How do I apply?

The application process takes place in spring semester of the junior year.  Invitations to apply to the honors program will be sent out to all eligible Anthropology majors in January, and applications are due in March.  In order to apply, students must first identify a faculty member who will serve as their honors advisor, and work with that advisor to develop a proposed honors project.  The application consists of a one page description of the proposed project, a cover sheet signed by the prospective honors advisor, and a writing sample.  Completed applications will be reviewed by the honors committee, and decisions communicated via email in late March to early April.

What is the role of the honors advisor? Who can serve as my advisor?

Each honors student works closely throughout the year with your advisor to develop the research question, research strategy, literature review, data collection strategies, and, ultimately, the production of your thesis. Close and regular communication between advisor and advisee is critical for the success of your project. Your advisor may be either from inside the department or outside the department but should be able to direct you in writing an anthropology honors thesis. If you are considering an advisor outside the Anthropology department, please check with the Anthropology Honors Coordinator in advance to confirm whether they can be approved. More details on advisor and committee requirements are available in the  College Catalog .

Who can serve on my committee?

Your committee must include at least three “core” members. Core committee members must be regular Emory University faculty members from any school or unit (meaning Emory faculty outside the College may serve in this capacity, including Oxford College faculty). At least one member must be from within the Anthropology department. If you are pursuing the Religion and Anthropology joint major, you must have at least one committee member from Anthropology and one from Religion.

You may have additional committee members, including faculty from other universities, beyond the required three core members. Only core members vote on level of honors. Your advisor counts as one of the three “core” members (see question above for more about advisors). More details on advisor and committee requirements are available on the  College Catalog .

What makes a thesis anthropological?

Anthropologists study all aspects of human life. Our methods and topics are as diverse as humanity itself, but anthropologists are united in a commitment to holistic and empirically-grounded approaches to the human experience. We use ethnographic, computational, digital, archaeological, comparative and experimental research methods to explore a broad range of human conditions, past and present. In recent years, honors students have employed a wide range of methods: including interviews, focus groups, participant-observation, surveys, media/document analysis, mathematical modeling, and statistical analysis.

How do I find an advisor?

How do i decide on a topic.

In considering topics, consider: What question interests me enough to spend a year trying to answer it? What primary sources will I use (and have access to)?  What is feasible? What is interesting to my potential advisor?  You could start by going back through old essays or research for classes you enjoyed and finding topics in which you want to dive deeper (and then the faculty who taught that course might be a good person to ask to be your advisor).  Keep in mind that many students don’t start out with a clear research project in mind. You may prefer to start by finding a faculty member you would like to work with as your thesis advisor (see above), and then asking them to help you think through possible project ideas.

Also, it could be helpful to check out this  list of honors theses produced in recent years.  Looking at this list of topics (and the names of the advisors that supervised them) may be helpful in identifying an advisor. You can also access the full text of many past honors theses at https://etd.library.emory.edu/ . Click the "Search Go" icon at the top right, then filter School for “Emory College” and department for “Anthropology”. If you choose to filter by Committee Member, note they may show up as "First Last"; "Last, First"; and "Dr. First Last", so you'll need to filter multiple times.

How many pages is an honors thesis?

This should be worked out with your advisor, but plan for approximately 60-100 pages.

Can my project be completed in a non-traditional format (ie something other than a written paper)?

Non-traditional, experimental, multi-modal and multi-genre forms of scholarly production and publishing are increasingly prevalent in the field of anthropology.  With the support and approval of an appropriate faculty member and the Anthropology Faculty Honors Coordinator, a student may satisfy the honors thesis requirement in our department by producing a conventional written thesis  combined with  another scholarly genre recognized within the discipline of anthropology (film, museum display/installation, web-based, sonic production, theater/performance, etc.).  Students should note that in addition to their non-traditional project, they will be required to submit an accompanying text that supplies an anthropological context for the work.

Students who wish to apply to the Honors program with a “non-traditional” project (that is, one that will not be pursued and presented primarily through text) must submit a proposal to the Honors coordinator and have the support and approval of the coordinator and an appropriate faculty member. The proposal should contain the following sections:

• The outline of the anthropological scope of the project and identification of particular questions to be engaged
• A rationale for why the non-traditional approach is appropriate, given the questions to be explored
• A timeline for the project

If you are thinking about a non-traditional project, please reach out to the Anthropology Faculty Honors Coordinator as early as possible to discuss this option further.

Who is the Faculty Honors Coordinator and what is their role?

The Faculty Coordinator of the Honors Program in Anthropology is Dr.  Bobby Paul . Their role is to guide you through the process and structure of the honors program, to help keep you on track with the timing of various components of your thesis, to identify additional resources on campus that can support your research, and to provide a thoughtful space and intellectual community for dialogue about your project and about the process of research.

Who is the Staff Honors Coordinator and what is their role?

The Anthropology Undergraduate Program Coordinator,  Heather Carpenter , serves as the staff coordinator for the Honors Program in Anthropology.  Their role is to manage the administrative side of the honors program, which includes the application process, enrollment in the honors course, scheduling group meetings and thesis defenses, tracking honors student progress, and communication with applicants, students, and the College Honors office.  The Undergraduate Program Coordinator is a good first contact for questions about honors program requirements, eligibility, deadlines, or other questions that arise.

What is the timeline for the Anthropology Honors Program?

Students apply and are admitted to the Anthropology Honors Program in spring of their junior year.  Some students go ahead and begin research over the summer, although most wait until fall term. Students who plan to conduct any research involving human subjects should work with their faculty advisors to submit an Institutional Review Board (IRB) application at the end of the spring term or over the summer, before beginning research. 

In the fall term of the senior year, students complete the bulk of their research and write the literature review portion of the thesis.  Students are enrolled in ANT 495A, and may enroll in their graduate course in either the fall or spring term.

In the spring term of the senior year, students complete their research and writing by around mid-March, and defend their theses by the end of March / first week in April.  Students are enrolled in ANT 495BW and receive continued writing credit for their thesis work.

What is the time commitment for honors students?

The best way to think about the time commitment is to note the number of credit hours received for participating in the honors program. As an honors student, you would take 495A (3 credit hours) in the fall and 495BW (4 credit hours) in the spring. Since 1 credit hour is awarded for 3 hours/week of class time, you can plan to spend approximately 9 hours per week working towards your honors thesis in the fall. The spring course is a writing course and worth 4 credits, so you could be working approximately 12 hours/week on writing and completing your thesis. However, note that theses are defended at the end of March and final submission is in early April, which means that the work in the spring term is frontloaded toward the beginning and middle of the semester.  On the plus side, your thesis will be completely finished weeks before your other finals for the spring term.

The honors “classes” (495A and 495BW) meet about once every 2 weeks to once per month and are designed to facilitate your progress through the honors program (rather than provide extra work), so the time commitment tends to be fluid. The honors program is very self-driven, so you would set the research/writing schedule that works best for you in collaboration with your advisor. With good work ethic and time management, students have successfully balanced the Honors Program with studying for and taking graduate entrance exams, completing graduate school applications, job interviews, and the many other exciting transitions that occur in senior year.  While many students do take relatively full course loads in addition to completing the thesis, it could be a good idea to try to take more of your courses in the fall with a lighter load in the spring if possible.

What are the 495A and 495BW classes?

The honors course sequence is constituted by a series of meetings with the Honors Coordinator and Undergraduate Coordinator and/or with other faculty and staff resources on campus. The purpose of this course is fourfold:

• To support you in navigating academic and administrative structures, including following departmental and College policies, procedures, and timelines and working effectively with your advisor to complete the thesis;
• To scaffold the research process in a way that helps you to manage your time over the course of the year;
• To explore and discuss key components of the thesis process such as conducting a literature review, encountering research dilemmas (ethical, methodological, etc), preparing for the defense, etc.; and
• To offer you a chance to learn from and support your peers as you share your research and research experiences.

The faculty honors coordinator will offer you feedback on the  writing  of this thesis, however you will need to be in close contact with your advisor to determine the  structure ,  content , and  style  of the thesis.

How do credits and grading work for 495A and 495BW?

Both courses count toward your overall degree requirements and toward your GPA. They may also be counted as electives toward the Anthropology major, within the limit of 2 total directed reading/research courses (which include ANT 397R and 497R). ANT 495A is a 3 credit course. ANT 495BW is a 4 credit course and counts for continued writing (WRT) credit. If you plan to underload in your final semester, you may request less than 4 honors credits. Your grade in the course reflects your work moving toward completion of the thesis, not the level of honors received on the completed thesis.

What does an honors defense look like?

You will meet with your committee members at a mutually agreed upon time.  Your advisor will facilitate the meeting.  The defense usually takes 1 hour, though rooms are typically reserved for 1.5 hours.  You should plan to present (with Powerpoint or other visual media) for approximately 15 minutes.  Your committee will then spend the next 20-30 minutes asking you questions (for example, about your findings, your methodological decisions, the limitations of your research, your mode of representing it, etc).  You will then be asked to leave the room and they will discuss the results of your research and determine whether you have passed and the level of honors awarded (Honors, High Honors, Highest Honors). 

What are the levels of honors?

Per the  Emory College Honors Program  webpage:

Honors  (cum laude) represents satisfactory completion of the program, with an overall average of 3.50.

High Honors  (magna cum laude) represents completion of the program with outstanding performance, including an overall average of 3.50 and a thesis of quality sufficient for oral presentation to scholars in the candidate's field.

Highest Honors  (summa cum laude) represents completion of the program with exceptional performance, including an overall average of 3.50 and a thesis of a quality suitable for publication.

I plan to graduate in December of my senior year. Can I still participate in the Honors Program?

Yes, but you need to plan ahead and contact the Honors Coordinator early in the fall of your junior year.  Students must be enrolled in honors for 2 semesters with senior status, so you would begin the program in January of the year you plan to graduate. This means you would need to begin the application process no later than September of the year  before  you plan to graduate, to allow time to find an advisor, develop a project, be admitted to the program, and apply for IRB (if needed for your project) in that fall term so that you can begin research in January.  The fall deadline for honors applications is September 30th.

If you will reach official “senior” status before your next-to-last fall semester, it may also be possible to complete the honors program on the regular fall-spring timeline, one year early (leaving one more fall semester before graduation after completing honors).  This would allow you the benefit of completing the honors thesis along with a cohort of other students. In this case, you would need to submit your application by the normal deadline for rising seniors (mid-March). 

I plan to take a fifth year. Can I do the honors thesis in my fourth year?

Most likely not. The College Honors Program sees the honors thesis as being intended for completion in a student’s final year of enrollment, and tends to deny this request. If you feel that you have a strong case for why you should complete the thesis in your fourth year instead of your fifth, please contact the Honors Coordinator.

I plan to study abroad in fall of my senior year. Can I still participate in the Honors Program?

Yes, though you need to be sure you have a clear plan developed with your advisor in advance, and be in agreement about how and how often you will check in while you are abroad. You should also discuss your plans with the Honors Coordinator to determine what type of progress you will be expected to make on your thesis while you are abroad (students enrolled in 495A are typically expected to complete the literature review portion of the thesis).

What is IRB approval and do I need it?

If your project involves human subjects, then you will need to obtain approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) before beginning your research. ( http://www.irb.emory.edu/forms/review/index.html ) The IRB application process can take a couple of months, so you definitely want to complete it in the summer before you begin your honors project. Keep in mind that faculty can be more difficult to reach over the summer, so you should talk with your advisor about IRB before the end of the spring term. Once you are admitted into the honors program, you will receive some resources to help you get started with the IRB process, but your advisor will likely be your best resource.

Who can help honors students with research preparation and data organization?

Besides your honors thesis advisor and committee members, you can find support from the helpful subject librarians at the Woodruff Library.  Our Anthropology Librarian, Dr.  Lori Jahnke , is an excellent resource for Honors students!  You can reference her  research guide , and/or schedule an individual consultation to help you make the most effective use of library resources. Another library resource is Dr.  Melissa Hackman , Sociology subject librarian, who is very helpful with questions related to data analysis/coding software (like MAXQDA).

Is there funding available for honors research?

While many honors projects do not involve significant cost, there are some funding opportunities available for students whose projects require additional funding support or include travel.

• Independent Research Grant  through the Undergraduate Research Programs office (deadline mid-April for summer funding, mid-Sept for fall funding)
• Undergraduate Global Research Fellowship  through the Halle Institute for Global Research and the Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry (note the deadline for this application is usually early February, so you would need to have your project idea together early)
• Undergraduate Humanities Honors Fellowship through the Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry (application opens November 1st)
• JWJI Honors Fellowship through the James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference.  (apply by July 21, 2023)
• CMBC Undergraduate Fellowship  through the Center for Mind, Brain, and Culture (apply by March 15)
• Rose Library Awards  for archival research, including the Currey Travel Award (pre-research) and Alan Rackoff Prize for projects completed using Rose Library source materials. (apply by April 30)
• See also: Trevor E. Stokol Scholarship for undergraduate research (this is not research funding per se, but a scholarship awarded to rising anthropology seniors based on the merits of their research projects).

Can I see a copy of previously written honors theses in Anthropology?

 Yes! A list of anthropology honors theses produced in recent years is available at the top of this page. You can also access the full text of many past honors theses at https://etd.library.emory.edu/ .  Click the "Search Go" icon at the top right, then filter School for “Emory College” and department for “Anthropology”.  If you choose to filter by Committee Member, note they may show up as "First Last"; "Last, First"; and "Dr. First Last", so you'll need to filter multiple times.

Undergraduate

Emory college, honors program, heather carpenter, senior undergraduate academic degree program coordinator.

Honors Program Coordinator

Robert a. paul, director of undergraduate research, director of undergraduate studies, charles howard candler professor of anthropology and interdisciplinary studies.

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Honors Program

Advanced students are encouraged to pursue Honors in the Department. Writing an Honors thesis offers students the chance to:

• Conduct original research in a topic of their interest
• Engage deeply with methodologies of their discipline
• Work closely with faculty in their chosen field
• Produce a significant, original work of scholarship

Interested students must secure a faculty member who will be their advisor for the honors thesis as well as write a 1-2-page thesis proposal (approved by advisor and handed in to the Department Honors Coordinator) by the end of their junior year. It is advisable that students consult with faculty from whom they have previously taken courses.

The thesis may be written in Spanish, Portuguese or English, agreed in conjunction with advisor.

Students conducting research that requires travel or other expenses are encouraged to apply for funding through the  Emory College SIRE program  and/or  Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry . We also encourage students to present their research in April at the  Undergraduate Research Symposium . Contact Lisa Dillman ( [email protected] ), Department Honors Coordinator , with questions or to set up an informational appointment.

Honors Requirements

Eligibility:

• Major in Spanish, Spanish and Portuguese, or Spanish and Linguistics
• 3.5 cumulative GPA, maintained throughout senior year
• 3.5 average GPA in the major

Required courses:

• SPAN/PORT/LING 495A (Fall senior year) and 495BW (Spring).
• Spanish or SpanPort majors must take an approved graduate-level course.
• SPAN 495A does not count as one of the four 400-level courses required for the Spanish major.

Honors Students

Ricardo mercadé lázaro  “el cuerpo se va, a alma fica”: the archipelagic identities of puerto rico and cabo verde through a literary lens, regina morales "transnational motherhood and daughterhood: reimagining familial and gender roles across borders through mexican and brazilian women's oral histories.".

In her final year at Emory, Regina wrote her honors thesis on transnational motherhood and daughterhood using the oral histories of Mexican and Brazilian women living in the United States.

Grant Britton, "Los humores de la Mamá Grande: El uso del humor en los cuentos cortos de Gabriel García Márquez." 

This thesis explores and analyzes how García Márquez employs subversive humor to provide a lighthearted  critique of the social rigidity that is present in the institutions and customs of Latin American society.

Eliana Namen, "Portrayals of Trauma in Film as a Tool for Analyzing Imperial Residues of the New State in Portugal." 

This thesis analyzes the ways in which two contemporary, co- produced films,  The Night Train to Lisbon  and  O Julgamento  discuss the breakdown of the Portuguese social fabric left by imperial residues of the New State regime. 

Madison Cherry, "Regional Effects on Asylum Approval for Latin American Immigrants in the United States."

I plan to research the variation in the asylum granting process by region in the United States by concentrating on large variations in approval amongst the eight principal Asylum Offices and immigration courts.

Alyssa Forsyth, "Portrayal of the National Health Services (NHS) in Portugal's News through the First Wave of COVID-19: A Textual Analysis."

In this thesis, I compare the discussion of the Portuguese National Health Services (NHS) in articles published by five different Portuguese news sources across the political spectrum during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic to qualitatively gauge the perceived success of its response.

Nayive Gaytán "Tourism and a Telenovela: Representations of Tequila, Mexico."

Using visual analysis, I will identify how narratives conveyed through state-sponsored tourism and privately funded broadcast media projects promote symbols associated with Mexican national identity.

Claudia Michaels "Covid-19 and Inequality in Buenos Aires."

Summary: This project seeks to identify how the Covid-19 epidemic and subsequent government responses in Greater Buenos Aires have impacted measures of inequality by studying the distribution of Covid-19 cases across populations in the city with varying access to income, housing, healthcare, and government support.

Arianna Rahimian, "Del foro público a la esfera doméstica: un estudio comparativo sobre la vida cotidiana de las mujeres durante la Segunda República y el franquismo."

This project will investigate themes of family, sex and love, work, and education among working class women in urban centers in Spain. The legal, cultural, and social situations of women changed drastically during the first years of the Franco dictatorship after a relatively progressive Second Republic. I will use legislation, oral histories, literature, and film to characterize and compare the daily lives of women with special emphasis on feminist dissent.

Gwyneth Tefft, "Os retornados: Understanding Portuguese identity through the literary works of a colonial past."

My thesis will analyze topics of identity, race and colonial legacy within Portuguese society through the lens of the retornados, the group of Portuguese settlers who were living in Portugal's overseas territories and who were forced to flee Africa after the fall of the Salazar regime and onset of the decolonization process.

Completed Honors Theses

Undergraudate Honors theses are archived in the  Emory Theses and Dissertations (ETD) Repository . Search for the names of the students below or for the terms Spanish, Spanish and Portuguese, or Spanish and Linguistics.

Aidan Fife  "Cultivating the grassroots: Deep ecology and community networks in Latin America"

Benjamin W. Gitelman-Fonseca  "The Practice of Liberation: Radical Pedagogy in Almanaque Escuela Para Todos"

Daniella Gonzalez  "Defining Family Planning in a São Paulo Clinic: Healthcare Providers and Patients’ Varied Conceptualizations of “Planned” and “Unplanned” Pregnancies"

Alexandra Caridad Llovet  "Stigma Continuity of Leprosy in Brazil, 1924-2018"

Samaresh Rao  "Psychoanalysis in Buenos Aires: An Ethnographic Approach"

Emily Grace Vena  "Language and Health: Investigating Patient-Provider Communications among Puerto Ricans"

Matthew Harrison Witkin  "Haketia: An Ecological Perspective"

Undergraduate

Department Honors Coordinator

Lisa dillman, teaching professor of spanish, emory college.

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Emory Theses and Dissertations

Access the Emory Theses and Dissertations repository   Information for students submitting a thesis, dissertation or honors paper to the repository.

ETD Submission Instructions :   Detailed instructions on the process when you are ready to submit.

ETD Submission Instructional Videos :  Step by step demonstrations

ETDs and Copyright and Patents :  Basic information on copyright for your work and use of others’ work, and links to more detailed information and tools.

ETD Frequently Asked Questions :  A good starting place for understanding the process and information about many aspects of Emory Theses and Dissertations.

ETD Policies and Procedures :   General inquiries, overview of access, intellectual property, patentable material, paper copies, and relationship to ProQuest.  

ETD Access Restrictions :   The process for requesting an access embargo for a specified time period on a thesis or dissertation.

ETD Help Form :  Several avenues for help and a form for requesting help with the ETD submission software.

ETD Contact Us :   List of contacts in the Scholarly Communications Office and Emory schools overseeing the submission process, including school websites related to ETD.  

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Honors Program

The Honors Program in African American Studies provides exceptionally qualified students the opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary research in the African American Studies-related fields of their greatest interest. Under the supervision of a chosen faculty member, students will produce original research that should be their crowning academic achievement as an undergraduate, help to prepare them for graduate school, and promote scholarly excellence in the field of African American Studies.

Eligibility

Students majoring in African American Studies must maintain a 3.50 overall grade point average and apply for the Honors Program at the end of their junior year.

Requirements

Students selected for the Honors Program must:

• Complete an honors course in research methods (AAS 495A, fall semester)
• Complete an honors thesis while enrolled in AAS 495B (spring semester)
• Defend the thesis orally (spring semester)
• Complete a graduate course or seminar (fall or spring semester)

Students interested in the Honors Program should, in the spring semester of their junior year, contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies and identify a faculty member to serve as their advisor for the project. (In consultation with their advisors, students should begin their background research during the summer after their junior year.) Students will complete a course in research methods (a special honors course, AAS 495) during the fall semester of their senior year. This course will include the writing of the proposal for the research project. Students then will write the honors thesis during the spring semester of their senior year.

Students subsequently will defend the thesis. The oral defense will be conducted by the thesis director and a faculty committee consisting of one additional member of the core faculty of African American Studies and a faculty member from another department.

In addition to writing a thesis, students will be required to take a graduate seminar in any discipline related to African American Studies and to the students' area of study.

Students also are required to attend the meetings and events administered by the College for all Honors Program students, and must abide by all College Honors regulations in order to remain in the program. Furthermore, student and faculty advisor must agree on their method of working together and on a schedule, and the student must satisfy any additional requirements stipulated by the faculty advisor.

The final draft of the thesis must be submitted by mid-April to the Thesis Committee. The thesis must be defended orally before the Thesis Committee and submitted to the College Honors Committee by the established deadline.

Students must comply with all of the requirements for the preparation and binding of the thesis. Information on these requirements is available from the Honors Program Office .

Undergraduate

For questions about the Honors program

Michelle y. gordon, associate teaching professor of african american studies.

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Honors Program

The African Studies Honors project involves writing a significant research paper on a topic related to Africa. The Honors Program is provided as a serious intellectual opportunity for students wanting to bring even greater depth and focus to their major. Students who are going on study or research abroad are encouraged to do preliminary work on their proposed honors project while in Africa. Students are encouraged to ask a new question, suggest a new way of approaching a problem, and to do empirical research on their topic of interest. The project must be of substantial length and demonstrate analytical and empirical depth.

• Eligibility
• Application
• Requirements
• Thesis Committee

African Studies majors who are incoming seniors with a three-year cumulative minimum GPA of 3.5 and a minimum major GPA of 3.5 at the time of their application are eligible to apply for the Honors Program.

Applications for honors are accepted and reviewed during the second semester of the third (junior) year for seniors who will complete their degree in four years. Seniors who plan on an early graduation must apply to the Honors Program three semesters prior to graduation. Students who are studying abroad during their junior year and who would like to pursue College Honors should discuss their plans with the Director of Undergraduate Studies before departure. The application deadline for the Honors Program will be announced in the Fall semester of each year, and applications will normally be due by the middle of the Spring semester.

Applications include an abstract of the research project, a supporting bibliography as well as a letter or support from an African Studies core faculty who has agreed to direct the project. Participation in the Honors Program is competitive and not all students will be accepted. Applications are reviewed by a faculty committee chaired by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Students who are accepted into the program must fulfill the following requirements:

• A grade of B or better for AFS 495A and AFS 495BWR: Honors Research. Students typically will take 4 hours of AFS 495A in the Fall Semester and 4 hours of AFS 495BWR in the Spring;
• A grade of B or better for AFS 490SWR: Senior Seminar in African Studies;
• Successful completion of an Honors Thesis of substantial length that demonstrates analytical and empirical depth;
• Successful completion of an oral examination on the student's Honors Thesis.

In addition, a student in the Honors Program must comply with all Emory College requirements for Honors participation, including attendance at all mandatory meetings. Student and faculty advisor must agree on their method of working together and on a schedule, and the student must satisfy any additional requirements imposed by the faculty advisor.

Two of the faculty on a student Thesis Committee must be part of the African Studies core faculty. The third member must be chosen from another department. Final draft for the thesis must be submitted by mid-April to the Thesis Committee. The Thesis must be defended orally in front of the Thesis Committee and submitted to the College Honors Committee by the deadline established by that Committee. The Honors student must comply with all the requirements for the preparation and binding of the thesis. Information on these requirements is available from the Honors Program Office in 320 White Hall.

Additional information regarding the Honors Program is available in the Honors Program Office in White Hall 320. Students interested in the program are also encouraged to discuss their plans with the Institute of African Studies' Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Undergraduate

Emory college.