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Undergraduate Honors Program

The Honors Program in the Department of Classics is designed for majors in Classics, Greek or Latin (the Classical Studies major does not qualify) who have satisfied the criteria for eligibility as detailed below and who wish to undertake a major project that requires a significant amount of independent work.  A more substantial undertaking than a Senior Essay, the Honors Thesis should demonstrate a high level of expertise in and deep engagement with the chosen area, the ability to conduct independent research, and an aptitude for articulate, persuasive writing.

You may graduate with Honors either in conjunction with the College Honors Program (for a B.A. with College Honors) or as a major in the department (for a B.A. with Honors in Classics [or Greek or Latin]). After you have filled out both the Honors Application and the Honors Check List (see bottom of this page), email both to the Honors Advisor, Prof. Catherine Connors (cconnors@uw.edu), and set up your first meeting.

Requirements and procedures for Honors in the Classics Department are as follows:

Requirements for entrance into the departmental Honors program:

1) A GPA of at least 3.7 in courses taken in the Classics Department and an overall GPA of 3.30.

2) Successful completion of at least one 400-level course in Greek or Latin, with a grade of 3.7 or higher.

Requirements for graduation with Honors:

1) Fulfillment of regular degree requirements for a major in Classics, Greek or Latin, except for the Senior Essay, which is replaced by the Honors thesis (below).

2) A GPA of at least 3.7 in courses taken in the Classics Department and an overall GPA of 3.30.

3) Submission of a proposal for a Mary Gates Scholarship or submission of a paper for presentation at the Undergraduate Research Symposium.  In both cases it is preferable that the submission involve the Honors Thesis.  In addition, if deemed appropriate by their mentor, students are strongly encouraged to submit completed theses for consideration for a Library Research Award (http://www.lib.washington.edu/researchaward).

4) An Honors thesis, i.e. a paper at least 30 pages long, double-spaced (excluding bibliography, contents, title page, etc.), resulting from substantial independent reading in primary and secondary resources and research on a topic of your choice, for a total of 9 credits in Classics 490H, Greek 490H, or Latin 490H.  The credits are taken with a faculty mentor and are normally spread out over 2 quarters. These credits may not replace the core 400-level credits in Greek or Latin required for your major, but they may be substituted for the additional required credits within the department.

5) Papers should adhere to the conventions of academic writing, and conform to the standard professional stylesheet approved by the Society for Classical Studies and found here (copies are also available in the Department of Classics office):

https://classicalstudies.org/sites/default/files/documents/TAPA_Style_Sheet.pdf

In accordance with this stylesheet, the paper should also be accompanied by a short abstract no more than 100 words in length.

Procedures

Upon completing the Honors Application and Honors Check List, the student should set up an in person meeting with the Classics Honors Advisor, Prof. Connors (cconnors@uw.edu), about their project.  Provided the student has met requirements for admission to the departmental Honors program and obtained the consent and approval of the Classics Honors Advisor, the student should then contact and obtain the consent of an appropriate faculty mentor to supervise the thesis.  At the beginning of the first of the two quarters for which one usually registers for Classics 490H, Greek 490H, or Latin 490H, the student will be expected to provide the faculty mentor with an outline of the proposed project and a schedule of study. At the beginning of the second quarter, s/he should provide a more detailed description of the paper, a progress report on the research, a bibliography of works read to date, and a schedule for completion. Because the paper is to undergo at least one revision until it reaches a form acceptable to the faculty mentor, students must submit a final draft no later than the beginning of the 7th week of the second quarter. Topics should require students to draw insights from, and make connections with, other related courses they have taken within and, where appropriate, outside of the Department. The scope of the topic should require the application of the student’s accumulated scholarship and demonstrate proficiency in research appropriate to an advanced undergraduate.

by Classics Faculty June 5, 2012 (updated November 21, 2019)

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