The English Department's Honors Program is designed principally for undergraduates who, while pursuing the conventional English Major, would like to undertake an extended writing project during their senior year. Students who plan to pursue graduate work in English should seriously consider participating in this program.

In order to be considered for admission into the English Department Honors Program, an applicant to the program normally will have a 3.6 grade point average (in English courses, excluding core) at the end of the first semester of the junior year. Normally an applicant will have completed at least three EN courses, at least one of which should be Studies in Poetry or Narrative and Interpretation. Additional stipulations for writers of Creative Honors Projects appear in the Guidelines. Juniors who are on campus spring semester apply mid-semester; juniors spending their spring semester abroad apply at the start of fall semester senior year.

The Program offers two options for a written project in senior year: a CRITICAL HONORS THESIS, and a CREATIVE HONORS PROJECT. In both cases, it is the responsibility of the student to seek out a qualified faculty member who will agree to supervise the project. The earlier in junior year that students set about this task, the better their chances of engaging a thesis advisor. It is especially important that students who plan to study off campus during the second semester should make arrangements for an advisor during the fall semester of their junior year. Normally thesis advising is done only by full-time faculty of the English department.

Successful completion of the written project is the single requirement for receiving English Honors. The department offers a Junior Honors Seminar EN 654 that will help prepare students to research and write a long critical paper. Though not required, the seminar is highly recommended for students considering the Honors Program.

Students in the Program enroll in EN 600.01 both semesters senior year. This is a graded course and will count as two of the five unspecified electives required for the major. The grade for the first semester normally will be either "J" (which designates the first semester grade of a two-semester course graded only at the end of the second semester) or one of the conventional letter grades. The grade awarded at the end of the second semester is agreed upon by readers of the written project. The project director will be one reader; the director of the Honors Program will choose the other reader. A grade of at least A- from each reader is required for Honors designation. (If readers disagree regarding whether the project should be awarded Honors, a third reader will resolve the matter.)

Students in the Program will meet frequently as a group to discuss common concerns; they may also be invited to attend special lectures and events.

Members of the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program may, if they wish, fulfill their honors requirements through the English Department. Those students must go through the regular EN Honors application and thesis evaluation process, however.

For application instructions and the application form, consult the Honors Program Guidelines.

Upcoming Deadline:

• Senior Theses due: TBA
  
• Application deadline: TBA