Honors in the Major

Overview and Benefits

Students pursuing honors in the Anthropology major complete two courses. The first course is an honors section of one of the following: ANTH 496, 420, 430, 450, 495, or another course chosen in consultation with the undergraduate director. The second course is ANTH 499, in which students complete an honors paper written under the guidance of an anthropology faculty member. All candidates for honors in the major may participate in an honors colloquium. To graduate with honors in the major, students must complete the honors coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.50.

What are the benefits? Students have the opportunity to:

  • Examine an issue beyond what is required for a regular course
  • Collaborate one-on-one with a faculty member on a topic of mutual interest
  • Hone writing and presentation skills
  • Share the work by participating in the college's Undergraduate Research Symposium
  • Add a competitive edge to a resume and graduate school applications
  • Receive the honors designation on the final transcript and diploma

Eligibility

To qualify, students must have:

  • Completed at least 60 credits, with at least 15 in ANTH (including ANTH 114)
  • Taken ENGH 302 for the social sciences
  • Minimum GPA of 3.30 and a minimum grade of B+ in anthropology courses

Students should also identify an Anthropology faculty sponsor to supervise their work in the two courses. Learn more about the interests and research of the faculty and arrange a meeting with the faculty member who is the best fit for your project and take to that meeting a statement of your research interests. Once you have found a good match, you should be sure that the faculty member is willing to be your sponsor for the two semesters. 

Application

Ready to apply? Complete the Honors in the Major application and submit it to the Anthropology undergraduate program director, the faculty sponsor, and the undergraduate academic advisor.