Honors Program

Overview

The Honors Program is a senior thesis project intended for history majors who demonstrate exceptional academic skills as well as a comprehensive background in a particular field of historical study. The senior thesis is a major essay grounded in original research, typically fifty to seventy pages of text plus a bibliography. The program requires eight hours to be taken during the senior year, four in the first semester (HIST 4498) and four in the second semester (HIST 4499).

Requirements

University Requirements 

Completion of all university requirements. 

Departmental Requirements 

Admission to the program 

To apply for a Senior Thesis with Departmental Honors, a student must secure the guidance of a department faculty member who will serve as Thesis Advisor and work in close consultation with the student. This is normally a faculty member with whom the student has already worked. In order to secure the approval of their Thesis Advisor, a student must meet the following requirements: 

1. 3.33 overall Trinity University G.P.A. 
2. 3.66 average department G.P.A. 
3. 3.66 average in two upper-division courses in the student’s field of specialty 
4. An application for senior thesis, to be submitted by April 15 of their junior year and compiled in consultation with the proposed Thesis Advisor. The application should include: 
   1. Abstract of the project (150-250 words) 
   2. Rationale for the project (150-250 words) 
   3. Working bibliography
   4. Draft of thesis work plan
   5. Proof of necessary skills (such as language or archival experience)
   6. Potential members of the thesis committee (three faculty members who will read and evaluate the thesis upon submission; one may be outside the History Department, if appropriate) 

Students will be notified of their acceptance to the program by May 5 of their junior year. Students are then responsible for completing the required paperwork to register for HIST 4498 and HIST 4499. 

Requirements

Upon acceptance by the Thesis Advisor, a student will create a detailed schedule for completion of the Thesis. Usually this will include meeting regularly with the advisor during both semesters in order to receive feedback on Thesis progress. This schedule should be completed by the first week of HIST 4498. 

The Thesis will be read and evaluated for Honors distinction by the three-person thesis committee. The Thesis Advisor shall recommend the committee to the Department Chair for appointment; the Thesis Advisor will be an ex-officio member of that committee. The sole duty of the three-person faculty committee is to determine whether the Thesis is worthy of Departmental Honors. The student must submit one copy of the final draft of the thesis to each member of the committee by the University deadline. 

The Thesis Advisor is responsible for grading the student’s performance in HIST 4498 and HIST 4499. If a student fails to make sufficient progress in HIST 4498, as determined by the Thesis Advisor, they may be denied the opportunity to register for HIST 4499. In such cases, the student will receive a grade only for HIST 4498. 

Departmental Honors are awarded to students who successfully complete a senior thesis while enrolled in HIST 4498 and HIST 4499.