Honors

Honors

Guidelines for Honors Projects in History

1. The History Department expects that honors projects require more than one semester of research and writing. Most projects will be two semester projects (History 451-452). In those cases where a student pursues a one-semester project (History 451), the project should represent a continuation of extensive research done in a History Department Seminar (200 or 300 level) or in an Advanced Independent Study in History (History 401 or 402).

2. The History Department recommends that students design a project that will culminate in a 50-page essay. Although the early, exploratory drafts of some sections of the project might be quite lengthy, students should expect to tighten their writing as their analysis gains clarity and focus.

3. Students should come to the first semester of the project with a focused subject and a preliminary articulation of a problem or question(s) about the subject. Early in the first semester of the Honors Project, honors students will submit a prospectus (or abstract) to their advisor and to the Department Coordinator for distribution to the Department faculty.

4. Based on recommendations from the advisor and honors student, and on interest generated by the prospectuses, the Department will assign subcommittees for each of the honors projects. Along with the advisor as first reader, each student will have a second and a third reader whose geographic and thematic interests provide a complement to that of the advisor. The subcommittees will meet with the student each time the student submits new work.

5. When a student hands in a complete draft of the project after spring break, a fourth reader will be assigned to the committee. This reader will read only the final draft of the honors project and will participate in the evaluation of the project.

6. Students must meet all deadlines for submitted work. Failure to meet deadlines, except when the subcommittee grants a short extension, will lead to a discussion by the student's subcommittee in consultation with the departmental head of honors, as to whether the project should continue as an honors project.

7. The advisory subcommittee will be responsible for providing ongoing feedback to students on their project. Students are responsible for submitting copies of each of their drafts, including the initial prospectus and the 8-10 page historiographical overview to all three readers. All readers will comment on each of the student's drafts. After students revise these drafts, revised chapters should be submitted to the first reader only.

8. All honors candidates will participate in a year-long honors seminar which requires them to meet periodically to discuss their work and to attend departmental seminars and lectures.

9. In early May, the subcommittee and the additional reader will read the final project, prepare questions and a preliminary evaluation of the essay for the student, and then engage in a discussion with the student. After the discussion, the subcommittee will complete the evaluation for the student, and submit the evaluation and a grade to the Department. The committees will also recommend essays for prizes. The Department awards one level of honors for successful projects. Based on the subcommittee recommendations, the Department will also award the prizes in history. When more than one essay is recommended for a prize, the Department will decide (by reading the competing essays if necessary) whether to award the prize to one or more students.

10. After the subcommittee discussions are completed, and after grades and prizes have been determined, students will present their research and analysis to the entire department, other honors students, and invited guests.

Evaluation

A successful honors essay in history must include:

  • a clearly articulated thesis that advances the understanding of the subject in the context of the secondary literature
  • a careful mining of and grappling with primary sources or a critical reading of secondary sources (for topics in fields where primary sources are especially elusive)
  • a clear methodology and theoretical framework that the student has used to analyze the evidence that the essay presents
  • a well-argued, well-written essay
  • scholarly standards of presentation (includes table of contents, proper footnoting, bibliography; no typographical errors)

Click here to access the schedule for the 2006-07 academic year.

Click here for the College library's general guidelines for submission of final honors projects.