Washington University in St. Louis Philosophy Department: Undergraduate Program

Honors in Philosophy

The Honors Thesis in Philosophy

The Honors Thesis is a particularly distinguished way to complete a B.A. degree. It also provides excellent preparation for those who intend to go on to graduate or professional schools. In the writing of the Honors Thesis, a student advances beyond the skills of writing papers to the ability to organize and complete a concentrated research project on a specialized topic. An Honors Thesis provides the opportunity to integrate much that you have learned in philosophy. The completed thesis is a solid statement of your status as a trained philosopher. Note also that at Washington University the only way to earn Latin Honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude) is by completing an Honors Thesis.
Typically, an Honors Thesis will consist of several chapters, totaling 40-60 pages. Alternatively, in consultation with your thesis advisor, you may elect to write an article-length essay that aims at the standards of professional philosophy journals. This can be particularly useful for those applying to graduate school in philosophy, since it can serve as the required writing sample. Whatever form it takes, your thesis is expected to undergo multiple revisions.

Eligibility
To be eligible to write an Honors Thesis, you must have the agreement of a faculty member to serve as Thesis Advisor. That agreement will depend on his or her assessment of the viability of your project, your preparation to carry out the project, and his or her availability during the semesters in question. In addition, students must have, at the end of the junior year, at least a 3.5 GPA in Philosophy, a 3.5 GPA in advanced philosophy courses (300-level and above), and a 3.5 overall GPA. It is strongly recommended that you complete three of the required core courses and one 400-level course by the end of your junior year.

You must submit an application by the last day of classes of the junior year. Forms are available in the Departmental Office. A one-paragraph description of the project is required at this point.

Note that if you will be studying abroad during the junior year, it is very important to plan ahead carefully. If possible, you should secure the agreement of a Thesis Advisor prior to departure.

The Final Product
On the basis of the Honors Thesis, the Thesis Defense, and your overall grade point average, the Thesis Committee will determine: (a) your grade for Phil 499 for the spring semester; (b) whether you will receive Latin Honors in Philosophy; and (c) the level of Latin Honors you will receive (cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude).

Honors Thesis Timetable

JUNIOR YEAR

In the Fall: Students interested in pursuing Senior Honors should begin their preparations in the fall of junior year, especially by taking advanced courses in areas of interest, taught by prospective faculty advisors.

In the Spring: The department surveys the majors to determine who is considering writing an Honors Thesis and with which faculty member. This helps the department ensure that individual faculty advisors are not overburdened. Students should begin to formulate a thesis topic, in consultation with faculty members. Students who are abroad should be in regular contact with the faculty member with whom they wish to work.

Last Day of Classes, Spring Semester: A student wishing to pursue honors must submit to the department an application for Honors Thesis, including a brief summary and an indication of the agreement of the faculty advisor. Without this application by this date, a student will not be allowed to do an Honors Thesis. Students planning to do an honors thesis should register for L30 499 (see department secretary for section number of your faculty advisor)

End of May: On the basis of spring semester grades and faculty assessments, initial approval of applications for Honors Thesis are sent to students and Thesis Advisors.

FALL SEMESTER, SENIOR YEAR

First day of classes: Thesis Committee members are appointed by the departmental chair.

Monday of the first full week of classes: Four copies of the Thesis Agreement and Thesis Prospectus due to members of the thesis committee and the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The Thesis Prospectus should be approximately 500 words in length (approximately 1 ½ pages, double-spaced) and should be a description of the topic of the Thesis and how the topic will be approached.

November: Students re-enroll in L30 499 for the spring semester (selecting the section number corresponding to your faculty advisor)

First day of the final exam period: All written work for the fall semester is due to the Thesis Advisor and the two other committee members. The committee as a whole will decide whether to approve continuation of the thesis for the spring semester and, if so, assign a grade for the fall semester of 499, or discontinue the Honors Thesis project. If the thesis is discontinued, the fall section of L30 499 will be converted to L30 500 (the number for ordinary independent studies). The faculty advisor will then assign a grade for Phil 500 (which will require a special grade report). This decision should be made as soon as possible after the work is turned in. A grade of at least B- is required for the student to continue the Honors Thesis in the spring.

SPRING SEMESTER, SENIOR YEAR

February 15th (or the following Monday, if on a weekend): A full penultimate draft of the Honors Thesis, including all chapters, is due to the Thesis Committee. The committee is encouraged to return the material to the student as soon as possible with final comments. The Thesis Defense should be scheduled at this time.

March 10th: Final versions of the Honors Thesis are due to members of the Thesis Committee as well as one copy to be kept in the philosophy department. Students are encouraged to have at least the departmental copy be spiral-bound and double-sided.

No later than March 22nd: The oral thesis defense takes place, lasting approximately one hour. At the conclusion, the candidate leaves the room, and the Thesis Committee determines both the grade for the thesis and the level of any Latin Honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude). The student is then informed of the result, and the relevant form is completed and submitted to the College office.

The College of Arts & Sciences recommends the following cut-offs, based on cumulative GPA:
Cum laude 3.5-3.65 Magna cum laude: 3.65-3.8 Summa cum laude: 3.8-4.0

In deciding the level of Latin Honors awarded, each thesis committee may assign a level of honors above or below those recommended ranges, on the basis of three further considerations:
(I) The quality of the Honors Thesis
(2) The student's performance in the oral thesis defense
(3) The student's cumulative GPA in advanced courses in the major at that time.

For example, by itself, neither a 3.8 G.P.A. nor an A on the thesis guarantees the awarding of summa cum laude.