Honors may be earned by students who have at least a 3.5 GPA in upper-division courses and a 3.5 GPA in Anthropology courses. Students who seek High or Highest Honors engage in original research and write an honors thesis on a specific topic under the supervision of a faculty member. For High or Highest Honors, a student may enroll in an advanced seminar, conduct fieldwork or laboratory research to serve as the foundation for the thesis. Students enroll in ANT 4914 (3 hours, Departmental Honors in Anthropology) during the semester in which they complete the thesis.
Preparing an honors thesis is a demanding process; however, it is an excellent way for a student to have a richly rewarding academic experience. If you are interested in seeking High or Highest Honors, it is recommended that you discuss this option with a faculty member with whom you have taken classes and find their research to be of interest. Students interested in writing a thesis should begin to make plans for this program by the beginning of their junior year. Students often find that data collection and analysis take more than one semester; therefore, advance planning is a very important part of this experience. In addition to faculty mentors, the Anthropology Librarian is available to assist honors students in researching their topic.
Students in the Honors program may take the honors sections of ANT 2301 Human Sexuality and Culture, ANT 2410 Cultural Anthropology, ANT 3514 Biological Anthropology, and ANT 3620 Language and Culture. Honors students are also eligible at the sophomore level and above to take, with permission of the instructor, any graduate level course. Honors students are encouraged to continue in the department’s honors program.
Honors Thesis Coordinator: Dr. Richard Kernaghan
APY Honors Thesis Deadlines and Procedures Fall 2024