Honors

The Religious Studies Honors Program provides majors who have demonstrated academic excellence with the opportunity to conduct original, in-depth research, culminating in a written honors thesis. A honors thesis is a sustained examination of a central idea or question, developed under the guidance of a Religious Studies faculty member– Thesis Advisor. Your thesis should grow out of your personal interests and passions as you have pursued them in courses, internships, travel, and experiences during your college years. The thesis should be on a topic relevant to Religious Studies and will be developed under the supervision of a Religious Studies faculty member with expertise in your area of interest..

Writing an honors thesis, which is both longer and more intellectually sophisticated than other college writing assignments, is for many honors students the most fulfilling experience of their undergraduate careers.

Interested students are encouraged to speak with the Academic Advisor regarding more information. Eligible students should apply for admissions to the Honors Program during the spring semester of their third year. Students will enroll in the Honors Tutorial Course 679HA and 679HB during the fall and spring semesters of their final year.

Admission Requirements

• Upper-division standing
• UT GPA of at least 3.0
• Religious Studies GPA of a least 3.5
• Strong research and writing skills. Completion of one, preferably two, writing intensive courses with a grade of B+ or higher is strongly preferred

Procedure

• Consult the Academic Advisor during the fall semester of your third year. The earlier you start thinking about your project the better.
• Find a Religious Studies faculty member who will agree to serve as your Thesis Advisor. Ideally this person should be a professor who shares your particular interests, and one with whom you have already developed a rapport. It is recommended for a Religious Studies faculty member to serve as the Second Reader, but the student may choose a faculty member outside the department.
• Submit an honors application by the deadline.
• When it is time to take R S 679HA, the Academic Advisor will reserve a seat in the course for the student. This is the first course of a six-hour class extending over two semesters. It is ultimately the student's responsibility to register for the course.
• When it is time to take R S 679HB, the Academic Advisor will reserve a seat in the course for the student. This is the second course of a six-hour class. It is ultimately the student's responsibility to register for the course. 

Special Circumstances:

• We discourage students from receiving special honors in two departments as this necessitates writing two theses.
• Plan II/ Religious Studies simultaneous majors wishing to write a Religious Studies thesis should apply. A Religious Studies thesis will satisfy the Plan II thesis requirement. Students pursuing this option will receive Special Honors in Religious Studies (not Plan II).
• It is possible to register for R S 679HA in the spring semester and R S 679HB in the fall. Occasionally, a student can enroll in either course over the summer. However, the student must receive approval from their Thesis Advisor and Second Reader to ensure the student will receive proper guidance and support. A student may also consult the Academic Advisor in these situations.

Requirements for Graduating with Honors:

Students must meet the following requirement to graduate with Honors:

• completion of Honors Tutorial Course R S 679HA with a grade of at B
• completion of Honors Tutorial Course R S 679HB with a grade of a A
• UT GPA of at least 3.00
• R S GPA of at least 3.50

 

 

Application Deadline

Students wishing to start Honors in the Fall semester should submit an application no later than August 1; for Spring semesters- January 1. However, it is strongly recommended for students to submit applications well before these dates to the Academic Advisor, Michelle D. Escalante; email: mdescalante@austin.utexas.edu 

• Honors Program Application