UG Programs Honors Program
Departmental Honors Program
The Department of English Honors Program is designed for English and American Literature and Culture majors interested in pursuing the extra challenges and rewards of the honors curriculum–a course of study that culminates in a substantial critical paper or creative project, the honors thesis. The program allows honors candidates to work individually with faculty members who are experts in the student’s field of interest. It is a particularly appropriate choice for those interested in graduate study in English.
The program is open to departmental majors with a 3.25 overall GPA and a major GPA of 3.5. Students with a lower GPA may petition for admission to the program, but the GPAs must be achieved by the time of graduation in order to qualify for departmental honors. Completion of at least one Critical Theory course (English 120-128) no later than the winter quarter in which the student applies for the departmental Honors Program is mandatory.
All Honors Program students must take the English 191H Honors Seminar in the spring quarter of their junior year. During the following two quarters, students research and write a thesis under the direction of a faculty member (as English 198A and 198B). An optional workshop (English 190H) is also offered in fall quarter, concurrently with 198A, to students seeking supplementary assistance in the early stages of drafting and revising the thesis. After the thesis is completed, the faculty advisor and a faculty reader review the thesis and award it highest honors, honors, or no honors.
Students interested in completing a Creative Writing honors project must complete two workshops in the same genre prior to or concurrent with enrollment in English 191H. The workshops must fall into the category of poetry (136A/B) or prose (137A/B,) and the second workshop must be an Advanced workshop (136B or 137B.)
Interested students should apply for the Honors Program in January of their junior year. The English Undergraduate Advising Office administers the application. Students who meet all of the admissions criteria (see above) will be automatically placed into their Spring 191H seminars; students who do not meet the admissions criteria will receive follow-up communication once their applications have been reviewed. All applicants can expect to hear from the undergraduate advising office or the Director of Departmental Honors by late March.
For more information on the program, please contact the Director of Departmental Honors, Professor Sarah Kareem.
Students who have already been admitted into the English Departmental Honors Program and who have completed the mandatory 191H seminar in spring quarter are reminded that they are responsible for enrolling in English 198A and 198B in the appropriate quarters. For 2024-25 instructions, please consult: Honors Program Instructions 24-25.
Students who are submitting an honors thesis in completion of English 198B, please fill out and submit a copy of this ERR release form with the PDF copy of your honors thesis to the three recipients designated in your thesis submission instructions.