The request to revise the History Department’s Honors Program

Date: January 18, 2011
To: College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
From: Clarence Greene, Faculty Governance Assistant
Approved On: December 8, 2010
Implementation Date: 2011

Note: Deletions are strikethroughs. Insertions are underlined.

Catalog Copy

HONORS PROGRAM IN HISTORYBACHELORS IN ARTS WITH HISTORY HONORS

The Program. The Department of History offers an Honors Program that consists of a three two course sequence: HIST 3795 Honors Seminar;HIST 37974797 Honors Methods and Practice; and HIST 3799 4799 Honors Research and Thesis. HIST 3799 4799 is normally taken in the semester before graduation. Candidates may elect however to take HIST 3798, Preliminary Honors Research (pass/fail) in the semester prior to taking HIST 3799.Students considering Honors in History should note that HIST 3795 will fulfill the requirement for HIST 2600, HIST 37974797 will fulfill the requirement for HIST 4000, and completion of either HIST 3798 or 3799 HIST 4799 will fulfill the requirement for HIST 4600. Successful candidates will receive a BA in History with Honors in History upon graduation

Admission. Entry into all honors courses is by permission of the department only, and requires the completion of HIST 2600 Historical Skills Seminar with a grade of “A,” as well as a GPA of 3.25 3.50 in History and 3.0 overall. Because HIST 3795 and 3797 are taught in sequence History 4797 is taught in the fall only, students must complete their application to the History Honors Program well before their expected graduation. For this reason, qualified students are urged to discuss the History Honors Program with the Department’s Honors Director early in their career. Students must also formally apply and be approved for Honors Candidacy by the University Honors Council, a process which will be initiated as part of the HIST 3797 4797 course.

Certification Requirements. To be awarded a degree in history with Honors in History, candidates must write an Honors thesis of A quality (and thus a grade of A for Hist 4799) as judged by a committee of readers. In addition, the student must complete HIST 3795, HIST 3797, HIST 3799, HIST 4797 and 4799with a 3.2 GPA3.50 GPA or better,and course grades of B or better, obtain a GPA of 3.25 3.50or better in History courses, and an overall GPA of at least 3.0.

Proposed Course Descriptions

HIST 3795. Honors Seminar. (3) (W, O) Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Honors level examination of a particular topic. The first course in a required three-course sequence for Honors in History. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Required of Davenport Scholars. Completion of this course with a grade of C or better meets the requirement for a 2100 course in the major. (Fall)

HIST 37974797. Honors Methods and Practice. (3) Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. The second firstcourse in a required three-course two-coursesequence for Honors in History. Prepares students for the research and writing of an honors thesis by providing training in historiography, research methods, source development, and writing. During the course, students meet separately with their thesis advisor to craft their prospectus. (Fall) Includes meetings with a range of faculty in the department, preparation of an honors thesis prospectus, and training in research methods and practices. (Spring)

HIST 3798. Preliminary Honors Research. (3) (W) Prerequisite: HIST 3797 and permission of the instructor. Optional course that allows thesis candidates to conduct preliminary research the semester prior to writing their honors thesis (HIST 3799). Requires written evidence of sufficient research progress equivalent to a regular senior thesis. A passing grade in this course meets the requirement for a 4000 level course in the major. Graded on a Pass/Fail basis. (On demand)

HIST 3799 4799. Honors Research and Thesis. (3) (W) Prerequisites: HIST 3797 4797 with grade of “A”, or with a grade of “B” and permission of the Honors Director. The preparation and presentation of an acceptable Honors thesis or its equivalent. The final course in a required threetwo-course sequence for Honors in History. Completion of a thesis earning a passing grade meets the requirement for a 4000 level course in the major HIST 4600; a grade of “A” is required to earn honors. (On demand)