Honors Program

Honors program

Our honors program offers talented students the intellectual challenge of independent research on any aspect of the ancient world—literature, art, architecture, history, or culture. Through this program, the Department of Classical Studies recognizes the academic achievements of its outstanding students and gives them the opportunity to excel.

Students wishing to join the honors program must do the following:

  1. Maintain a GPA of 3.3 overall and 3.5 in the major
  2. Research and complete an honors thesis or equivalent project under the close supervision of a committee of two faculty members during the senior year

We have developed comprehensive guidelines for completion of your honors thesis. Please review these carefully and contact your advisor with questions.

Read honors thesis guidelines

FAQs about departmental honors

Yes! Since a thesis may be written in one semester, you can participate even if you spend half of your senior year abroad. If you are planning to study abroad, you should begin the honors process before you leave for your travels, talking with a faculty advisor and planning some preliminary readings. If you return from a semester abroad inspired by your travels to undertake a thesis, meet with a faculty advisor as soon as you can to begin work.

Take College honors courses or course sections in your freshman and sophomore years. Take C494 Topics in Classical Studies as a junior along with other advanced courses in classical studies – you can use these courses to explore potential topics and practice the research and writing skills that a thesis requires. Do an internship in classical studies, CLAS-X473 or CLAS-X476, to learn more about an area of interest.

The Department of Classical Studies offers several scholarships that can be used to support work on your honors project, even for related travel! If you are at the Hutton Honors College, they offer grants for thesis writers; see their web site for details.

Hutton Honors College financial aid

C399 and C499 are designated for senior honors work. Students usually write a thesis over two semesters, registering for C399 (3 credits) for the first semester of work and C499 (3 credits) for the second. C399 Readings for Honors should be a tutorial focusing on the area/s which the thesis will explore. This course work (3 or 6 credits) is in addition to the 30 credit hours required of the regular major.

You can talk with a student who is currently writing an honors thesis, discuss your interests with a faculty member, consult with the Academic Advisor or Director of Undergraduate Studies in classical studies, and view the guidelines for honors theses.

Guidelines for honors theses