Printer FriendlyThesis/Project Requirement
To graduate as a Commonwealth Honors Program Scholar, students must complete a thesis or project worth at least three credits and give a public presentation of the thesis or project, preferably at both the UML Student Research Symposium and the Massachusetts Undergraduate Conference on Research, Scholarly, Creative and Public Service Activities. The thesis or project is subject to final approval by the student's thesis committee, which shall consist of the student's thesis advisor and preferably two, but at least one, other faculty members. For more information, please download the Honors Project Handbook.
GPA Requirement
To remain in good academic standing with the Honors Program, students must maintain an overall cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or higher. The program staff reviews student records each June. Students whose GPA falls below 3.0 are withdrawn from the program, as are students whose GPA falls between 3.0 and 3.25 for two consecutive semesters. Students wishing to reapply to the program may do so when the minimum GPA is reached. Students still can take honors courses even if they are not enrolled in the Honors Program.
Five Ways to Earn Honors Credit:
1.Taking an honors course, which is a course specifically designed for honors students. All sections of an honors course are honors sections, designated by "300" section number, and all students enrolled in the course are trying to earn honors credit. The class size is usually smaller than that of a traditional course;typically there are no more than 20 students in an honors course.
2. Taking a dedicated honors section of a regular course, which is an honors '300" section of a non-honors course. A dedicated honors section is similar to an honors course in that all students in that section are striving to earn honors credit. However, there also are non-honors sections of the course. However, the honors section is smaller and the course content is enriched.
3. Taking a concurrent honors section of a course, which is an honors "300" section created to run in the same room at the same time as a regular section. Students who want to earn honors credit register for the honors section, where they will be required to complete additional or more substantive assignments than are required for students in the regular section. In concurrent sections the class size may be larger than in a dedicated honors section, but the honors students will nevertheless have opportunities to meet with the professor to discuss the material related to the honors component of the course.
Faculty create a separate syllabus for those students in the honors ("300") part of the section indicating what alternate assignments they must complete and how those assignments will be counted toward their course grade. Sample syllabi are available from the Honors Program office.
4. Participating in honors-by-contract, a way for students to obtain honors credit for a course that does not have a dedicated honors section or a concurrent honors section. The professor and student agree on a required project or set of assignments that must be completed to obtain honors credit. The student and professor meet periodically throughout the course of the semester to evaluate the student's progress. Honors-by-contract differs from a concurrent section in that there is usually only one student in a section of a course who is executing honors by contract.
Students are responsible for filing the honors by contract form with the Honors office before the end of the Add/Drop period. The Registrar's Office is then notified of the contract agreement for the course and a "300" section is created for the individual student. Faculty should create a separate syllabus for the honors-by-contract student indicating what alternate assignments must be completed and how those assignments will be counted toward the course grade. Sample syllabi are available from the Honors Program office.
5. Taking a graduate level course. Students may earn honors credit by completing a graduate course as an undergraduate. Students who earn a B or better in any graduate course while still an undergraduate may use that course for honors credit.
Students must earn a grade of B or higher to obtain honors credit. Any grade of D or above still earns regular credit, however.
Students who wish to change from a concurrent honors section to the non-honors section of the same course or who wish to drop an honors by contract agreement must do so by the end of the fifth week of the semester.
All students are required to complete a minimum of 18 credits of honors coursework and complete the following courses:
Honors Workshop 59.258: Generally taken sophomore or junior year. Course emphasizes critical thinking, interdisciplinary communication, and preparation for Project or thesis. 3 credits
Honors Project or Thesis (course number depends on department): An independent research or creative project completed in collaboration with a faculty advisor and additional faculty committee for support. 1-2 semesters; 3-6 credits.
Honors Writing Requirement: By the end of his or her junior year, an honors student should earn a grade of B or better in an honors-level course with a significant writing component. Please see the Honors Guidebook for more information. For students admitted to the Program in Fall, 2005 or thereafter.
Any course at the graduate level can be counted for honors credit toward an honors degree. No more than half of all honors coursework should be completed as honors-by-contract. A grade of 'B' or better is required in all course work counting toward an honors diploma.