College of Liberal Arts
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Honors Program

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AADS majors with distinguished academic records may choose to conduct original research with an AADS faculty member and complete an honors thesis. Completing an AADS honors thesis is a good choice for motivated students who are interested in further developing their critical reading, writing and thinking skills, or who wish to continue their studies in a graduate program, in law school, or in another research-based field. Students are encouraged to seek out professors with whom they have already worked as they will work closely with their faculty mentor over the course of two semesters.

Application for Honors Admission

Majors who plan to seek special honors in African and African Diaspora Studies should submit the Honors Program Application and to the department advisor (lucy.velez@austin.utexas.edu) no later than two semesters before they expect to graduate. A cumulative GPA of at least 3.00, and a major GPA of at least 3.5 is required. 

Students who are admitted to the AADS honors program must identify a thesis faculty advisor and, with that faculty member's assistance, complete and submit the honors study form by the 4th class day of each semester. Students should submit the appropriate form via email, lucy.velez@austin.utexas.edu and enroll in the appropriate honors course (AFR 679HA first semester; AFR 679HB second semester). The first, AFR 679HA, is a guided reading course, and the second, AFR 679HB, is a guided writing course.

Requirements for Graduation

  • African and African Diaspora Studies 679H, Honors Tutorial Course, with a grade of at least B in each half of the two course-sequence.
  • A university grade point average of at least 3.00 and a grade point average of at least 3.50 in the coursework required for the major and for honors.
  • Complete AFR 679HA and AFR 679HB with grades of "B" or higher.
  • Completion in residence at the university of at least sixty semester hours of coursework counted toward the degree.
  • Participate in the College of Liberal Art’s Research Week during the spring semester.
  • Write on a specialized topic relevant to African and African Diaspora Studies and submit a thesis that ranges between 60 and 80 pages in length. 

Request for Research Funding

AADS departmental funds may be available to assist with research costs. Students are eligible to apply for up to $500 in funding. AADS honors students should submit the funding application along with a detailed budget by sending it via email, afr@austin.utexas.edu.