Revised August 2009

The departmental honors program is open to majors in the Department of Art History and Archaeology with a strong academic record and is particularly recommended for those planning to pursue graduate work.  The central requirement of the program is a substantial research paper on a topic of the student’s own choosing, written over the course of the senior year under the direction of a faculty member of the Department of Art History and Archaeology.

The honors thesis is an exciting and satisfying way to complete your undergraduate major.  The project allows you to delve deeply into a subject that interests you, to work closely with a faculty member, and to produce a substantial piece of research and polished writing.  Recent theses in the department have ranged in length from 40 to 70 pages, not including bibliography and illustrations.  Successful completion of the thesis brings with it six graded academic credits.  Students should anticipate the total commitment of the thesis to be equal to, if not more than, two 400-level seminar courses and should plan their senior year course schedule accordingly.

In general, a student should have had at least one course in the general area where she or he expects to pursue a thesis topic, although the course need not be at WU.  It is suggested but not required that the student take a course with the department professor they hope will serve as the thesis Advisor.  Reading abilities in the relevant foreign language(s) related to the topic of study are recommended but not required.  A faculty member is not obligated to accept a student for an honors thesis, even if the student meets the various criteria listed below.  It is therefore advisable for a student to consider more than one topic they might wish to pursue, and more than one Advisor with whom they might like to work.  Generally, faculty who will be on sabbatical during the student’s senior year are not available to advise honors theses.

Eligibility

To apply for honors, a student should have the following:

- Junior standing
- An overall cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher
- An average of A- or better in advanced courses (300-level or higher) in the department
- Signed agreement of a full-time faculty member of the Department of Art History and Archaeology to act as Principal Advisor of the thesis on the Honors Application Form
- Signed agreement of a faculty member to act as the 2^nd Reader of the thesis on the Honors Application Form.  Faculty with courtesy appointments in the Department are eligible to be second readers.
- Signed approval of the Chair of the department on the Honors Application Form

Application to the program, to be submitted to the Director of Undergraduate Studies
(click here for application)

The following items must be included in the application:
- A 1-2 page description of the project, with a preliminary bibliography
- Completed application form (available from Nancy Rubin or your advisor) with the signatures of the Principal Advisor, 2^nd Reader, Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) and Chair of the Department.
- Current copy of the transcript (an unofficial print out of the student record is acceptable), with cumulative GPA clearly indicated

Spring semester of the Junior year (students who will be abroad spring semester should begin this process in the fall semester of their Junior year, and be in contact with their potential thesis advisor during the spring semester):

In the early part of the semester, students should begin to develop a topic and should identify a faculty member who is willing to advise the thesis.  Securing a faculty member’s participation will involve submitting a preliminary draft of the project description for the Advisor’s comments and approval well in advance of submitting the thesis.

Two weeks before the final day of classes in Arts and Sciences:  complete application to the Honors Program due to the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Week when final exams begin:  decision on applications announced.

Summer between Junior and Senior years:

Student conducts preliminary reading and critical thinking on their own.  May involve some travel and research at museums and libraries, if possible.  Students are encouraged to apply for the Bemis travel fellowship, if relevant.  The Bemis fellowship of $2,500 is awarded every year for a rising senior to travel to Europe (Eastern or Western).  Deadlines are generally in early February of the junior year.  See the WU International Area Studies website, or contact Amy Suelzer at 935-8372, acsuelze@wustl.edu for current information.

Fall semester of the Senior year:

August:  Honors students enroll in Honors in Art History and Archaeology, L01 499 for 3 credits.

First week of classes:   meet with thesis Advisor to develop a schedule for the timely completion of the thesis. 

First day of exams:  all written work assigned for fall semester due to advisor.  The Advisor records a grade for the fall Honors course.  After the fall grades are in and the GPA is calculated, the Advisor then either approves continuation of the project into the spring semester; or, in consultation with the other committee member (and possibly the Chair), terminates the honors project.  Reasons for termination might be insufficient progress during the fall semester on the project, or a drop in the GPA below the threshold of 3.5.  A spring independent study may be signed up for (L01 500) if the student and Advisor wish to continue the research project on a non-Honors basis, and the student may then produce a final research paper called a Senior Project.  Students who do not earn Departmental Honors are still eligible for College Honors if they meet College GPA requirements (minimum 3.5). 

Spring semester of the Senior year:

January:  student enrolls again for L01 499 for three credits.

February 1:  complete draft of the thesis to be submitted to the thesis supervisor.

Friday before March Break:  final draft of the thesis, complete with all documentation, bibliography, and illustrations, to be submitted.  The draft should be prepared in two copies (for the advisor and the second reader).  The thesis must be double-spaced and printed on one side of the page only.  Both copies must be comb- or spiral-bound.  Illustrations may be in color or black and white.

Thesis defense: a brief oral presentation, followed by discussion with the thesis committee, normally during the week following spring break.  After the defense, the members of the committee discuss the thesis, assigning a grade and a recommendation for the level of honors; the candidate is informed of the committee’s decision immediately. The committee members return copies of the thesis, marked with corrections and revisions.  The student will then prepare the final version of the thesis. 

Ca. March 20 (date varies slightly from year to year): deadline for submission of honors level to the Registrar by the Department. The University will make the final determination for the level of honors based on the student’s cumulative GPA at the time of graduation. 

First week of April: final version of the thesis to be submitted for binding.  This official copy of the thesis must be typed double-spaced, single-sided on white paper.  The department will pay for the binding of two copies, so one may be kept in the department conference room for future students to consult.

Grading

The level of honors awarded will be recommended by the Department, based on an evaluation that considers the quality of the thesis in conjunction with the GPA.  The College of Arts and Sciences requires students meet the following GPA thresholds: 3.5 for cum laude; 3.65 for magna cum laude; 3.8 for summa cum laude.  However, merely attaining these grade levels and completing an Honors Thesis will not automatically ensure attaining Latin honors.  The faculty Advisor and Second Reader must concur that the quality of the completed thesis merits this level of distinction. 

The honors earned will be printed in the graduation program.

PLEASE NOTE: If the grades earned in the 8th semester bring the GPA below the College requirement of a minimum 3.5, Departmental and/or College Honors cannot be granted. However, a successfully completed thesis has its own satisfactions, and will remain a substantial personal achievement, whatever the final GPA is for a student's college career. Studetns who do not receive Latin Honors are still eligible for other forms of departmental recognition, including the Murphy Family Prize for Distinction in Art History and Archaeology, the Yale Book Prize for Distinction in Art History and Archaeology, and the Mark S. Weil Prize for Distinction in Art History and Museum Practice.