Honors in Your CAS Major

Qualified CAS students may apply to pursue a course of study leading to graduation with honors in their chosen major or minor. Each department faculty has designed one or more honors options to reflect the challenges, opportunities, and measures of excellence most centrally associated with that academic discipline. All honors options require at least 8 credits of specially designated honors courses, seminars, and/or Directed Studies, including a substantial research project conducted under the supervision of a faculty member. Required related activities foster connections among honors program students, with experts in the field, and with the world beyond academia. In some relevant cases, preparation for honors projects can be undertaken through Study Abroad or summer fieldwork.

Specific criteria for admission to departmental honors programs vary by department, as do application processes and deadlines. In no case do students apply earlier than the second semester of their freshman year or later than as second-semester juniors. Interested students should consult the director of undergraduate studies or the Honors Program director in their major department or program. Successful completion of a departmental honors program, as determined by the department faculty, signifies outstanding achievement in undergraduate scholarship. Graduation with honors in the major is a factor in the election to Phi Beta Kappa and is noted on the student’s transcript and diploma.

Honors Research Travel Awards

CAS students whose honors projects require travel to conduct research may apply for funding from the Honors Research Travel Award program.