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Honors

College of Liberal Arts

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The Honors Thesis

The Departmental Honors Program in Middle Eastern Studies offers ambitious and academically talented students the opportunity to enhance their undergraduate curriculum with an Honors Thesis completed under the direction of a faculty member.

The Honor Thesis is a significant independent research project written on a topic of the student’s choosing in the field of Middle Eastern Studies. Students complete the thesis during their last two semester prior to graduation (whether fall/spring or spring/fall) while enrolled in the Thesis A and Thesis B courses.

Admission to the Honors Program does not guarantee graduation with Special Honors. This distinction is dependent on a student maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 and an in-major GPA of at least 3.5, as well as earning an “A” in both the 679HA and 679HB courses. Honors coursework may not fulfill major requirements.

There is no formal defense requirement, but students are required to present in the CMES Symposium, which is held each spring.

  • Eligibility

    Students interested in the honors program must have:

    • a minimum GPA of 3.00 or above,
    • in-major GPA of 3.50 or above
    • at least 60 hours in-residence on record
    • only two long semesters remaining before graduation
       

    Students may submit only one, original thesis to the honors program for our department. This means no student may submit the same thesis for two different programs. Plan II students, however, may choose to write an Honors Thesis for our department, and have this thesis satisfy their Plan II thesis requirement. Please be sure to discuss this plan with both your MES and Plan II advisors. 

    Students typically apply to the honors program in the spring of their junior year, or the equivalent semester when they have two remaining long semesters of study.

  • Application

    For students interested in pursuing honors, please schedule a meeting with the Honors Program Supervisor, Dr. Karen Grumberg. Students should have an idea of their topic and proposed faculty supervisors. However, students may not approach faculty to solicit their supervision until they have met with Dr. Grumberg.

    Following a successful meeting with Dr. Grumberg, students should approach their intended supervisor. Students are encouraged to review DMES faculty profiles to determine which faculty member’s area of expertise aligns with the proposed thesis topic.

    Students are not required to have second readers, but they may do so if they decide with their supervisor that additional supervision would be helpful for their project.

    Finally, students should submit the following materials to the MES Graduate Program Coordinator:

    • Honors application form: You must open and complete this form using Adobe Acrobat in order for all fields to load properly. Do not attempt to complete this form using your web browser.
    • Academic summary from the Registrar's Office (i.e. an unofficial transcript)
    • Thesis proposal: A one-page statement outlining your proposed research project, including a discussion of your preparation to complete the project.
    • Writing sample: A paper written for a course in the field of study selected above that demonstrates your skills in writing, critical thinking, and analysis.


    These materials will be reviewed by the Honors Advisor. Notification of acceptance to the Honors Program will come from the MES Graduate Program Coordinator.
     

    Deadlines:

    Students typically apply to the honors program in the spring of their junior year, or the equivalent semester when they have two remaining long semesters of study. Therefore, the deadline is the 10th class day of that semester.

  • Course Requirements

    Upon admission to the honors program, students must submit an Honors Registration Form to be cleared to register for the honors course (679HA & 679HB). Course requirements for the first semester will be arranged between the student and thesis supervisor, but typically students focus on research, and assignments often include an annotated bibliography, thesis outline, and/or a single chapter. During the second semester, the student focuses on writing, and a completed thesis must be submitted to the supervisor and undergraduate advisor by the end of the semester.

  • Requirements for Graduation with Departmental Honors

    In order to graduate with Departmental Honors, students must successfully complete an undergraduate Honors Thesis on a topic related to Middle Eastern Studies. The thesis should be at least 50 pages in length. Actual page length will be determined by the student and their advisor. Most thesis are between 50-80 pages.

    While completing their thesis, students are concurrently enrolled in Thesis A (MES 679HA) and Thesis B (MES 679HB). The student and their supervisor will determine assignments, deadlines, and a meeting schedule. The Honors Registration Form is available as a template for planning these courses. In Thesis A, supervisors typically require students to submit an annotated bibliography, a thesis outline, and possibly a draft of the first chapter. The Thesis B course continues with the student writing and completing the thesis. Each course is worth three upper-division hours.

    Each year in April, CDMES hosts a symposium where the majority of presentations are from graduating Master’s students. When an Honors student is also graduating, they will present at the symposium.

    Students graduating in spring are required to submit a complete draft of their project by April 1. Their final project will then be due April 15.

    Students graduating in fall are required to submit a complete draft of their project by November 1. Their final project will then be due November 15.

  • Rapoport-King Thesis Scholarships

    Students in Plan II who write a thesis as part of a Departmental Honors program are eligible to apply for the Rapoport-King Thesis Scholarship. The scholarship is $3,000 for the student and a $1,000 research stipend for the supervising faculty member. The application requires a thesis proposal, statement of financial need, and a letter of recommendation from your thesis supervisor, all of which should be submitted through the scholarship portal. Fellows will be chosen on basis of academic record, the quality of the thesis proposal, and financial need. The deadline for applications is usually the end of September.

  • When do I apply for admission into the Departmental Honors program?

    Students should apply for admission when they have only two long semesters remaining before graduation, typically in Spring of their Junior year. Students typically register for Thesis A course in the Fall, and the Thesis B course in the Spring of their senior year.

  • I'm graduating in a Fall semester. Can I pursue Departmental Honors?

    Yes. You could take the Thesis A course in the Spring, and the Thesis B course in the Fall. Students graduating in a Fall semester should apply for admission into the Departmental Honors program in the previous Fall semester.

  • What work do I complete in the Thesis A and Thesis B courses? 

    During the Thesis A course, the student typically focuses on compiling research. Supervisors often require students to submit an annotated bibliography, a thesis outline, and possibly a draft of the first chapter. During the Thesis B course, the student focuses on writing and completing the thesis. Each course is worth three upper-division hours.

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