Abbott English Honors Program

Before submitting an application, be sure that you meet these prerequisites:

• GPA 3.5 in major; 3.2 overall.
• Appropriate course work in proposed field.

• Review your transcript. Consider what you have studied, what you wish to pursue, and how your intellectual and creative interests might benefit from the Honors process.
• Talk with your adviser about whether Honors will complement your development as an English major, and seek guidance from the Program Director. These conversations might begin as soon as the sophomore year, but need to be begun by the Fall of the Junior year at the latest.
• When contemplating a thesis, remember that Honors English Theses take two forms: Critical or Creative.
• Discuss your ideas with a potential thesis Director.
• Attend one of the spring Honors Information sessions.

All applicants must demonstrate sufficient course work in the area of the proposed thesis; appropriate preparation in the field must be shown. Also, all applicants must have the support of an English Department faculty member—that is, a professor willing to direct and advise the project for its duration. Availability of faculty will also factor into Honors program acceptances.

If you wish to write a thesis about an existing literary work or works, conduct research, and pursue critical inquiry, you must complete and submit by announced due date:

• A maximum two-page (double-spaced) topic proposal plus a working bibliography.
• The appropriate Honors application form.
• Writing sample (maximum ten pages).
• A working bibliography.

Be clear and concrete, and use accessible language. Your writing sample should showcase your verbal abilities and reveal you at your intellectual and creative best.

Turn in the Honors Application Form, your proposal and bibliography, and your writing sample to the Program Director via email.

If you wish to hone your literary, film, or digital skills on a creative thesis, you must complete and submit by the announced due date:

• Maximum two-page (double-spaced) project proposal, in which you identify the genre(s) in which you propose to work, outline both the theme or issue you wish to explore and any aesthetic frameworks you hope to experiment with and/or apply.
• The appropriate Honors application form.
• Sample of your work in the proposed genre: five pages for poetry, ten pages for fiction/creative nonfiction; ten minutes max for a film; digital samples should include no more than 1000 words and/or take no more than fifteen minutes to read/use/interact with.

Be clear and concrete, and use accessible language. Your writing sample should showcase your verbal abilities and reveal you at your intellectual and creative best.

Turn in the Honors Application Form, your proposal, and your sample to the Program Director via email.

An evaluation meeting is conducted by the Honors Coordinator with an identical process for each applicant. The proposals are discussed and accepted using the following criteria:

• Prerequisite course work, including advanced study in the area (where possible).
• Quality of proposal and writing sample.
• Availability of faculty members to direct and advise.
• Willingness of a faculty member to direct the proposed project.
• Comments from faculty.

The Coordinator notifies those admitted to Honors by the end of May on the composition of their committee.

For a timetable of what happens if you are accepted as an Honors Candidate, refer to the “Approximate Timetable” in the Honors Curriculum and Designation section below.

For additional inspiration and clarification regarding potential theses, we encourage you to visit the College Archives, where all English theses are on file for your review.

Honors will be awarded on the following criteria:

• A thesis that makes a contribution to the field by demonstrating a sustained, sophisticated, and elegant exploration of a topic or in a creative discipline.
• A successful defense that shows mastery of the subject.
• A strong colloquium presentation to a mostly non-specialist audience.
• Active participation in all Honors-related activities, such as workshops.

All Honors candidates meet with their committee to discuss the specific parameters of what is expected out of the project in terms of length, research, etc. But some general guidelines are as follows:

• Critical theses usually range between forty and fifty double-spaced pages (or 10,000 to 12,500 words).
• Collections of poems usually range between twenty-four and forty-eight single-spaced pages.
• Fiction theses usually range between forty and eighty double-spaced pages (or 10,000 to 20,000 words).
• Creative nonfiction essays usually range between forty and eighty double-spaced pages (or 10,000 to 20,000 words).
• Theses in film could range from a series of thirty-second or non-narrative or experimental projects to a full-length feature and should include a process reflection essay (up to four pages) identifying initial goals, obstacles encountered, and insights gained.
• A thesis in digital scholarship (such as computational textual analysis, a podcast, data mining, or a digital archive) or a creative digital work (such as electronic literature, digital storytelling, or a video game) may have a considerably smaller word count and scope than print genres, but should include a process reflection essay (up to four pages) identifying initial goals, obstacles encountered, and insights gained.

The program coordinator meets regularly with the honors candidates enrolled in ENG 498 and ENG 499 to discuss progress, obstacles, and work in development.

May

The Coordinator notifies those admitted to Honors.

July 1

The Reader chooses two or three books, and the Director takes that number up to a minimum of ten. The Director sends the reading list to the student, Reader, and the Honors Coordinator during the first week of July.

Books are to be read during the summer and fall semester.

First Week of Classes

Director, Reader, and student meet to establish ground rules and establish weekly tutorials.

Fall and Spring Semester

The Honors Coordinator meets regularly with the honors candidates enrolled in ENG 498 and ENG 499 to discuss progress, obstacles, and work in development.

Mid-December

First one-third of thesis due; content to be determined by Director. This draft is read by the Director and the Reader.

Mid-February

Second one-third of thesis due.

Late March / Early April

Spring Colloquium for the creative writers (who read) and scholars (who either read the high points of their theses or extemporize); students give 7-10 minute presentations, followed by a question and answer period.

Mid-April

Final project is due.

May

Part of ENG 499, private, one-hour defenses of theses with the Director, Reader, and Honors Coordinator.

Honors are awarded at graduation time, at the discretion of the English Department, and provided ALL criteria below have been met by the candidate:

• 3.5 major GPA at the time of graduation and 3.2 overall GPA.
• 10 courses in the major (including courses required of all majors).
• Two additional courses: English 498 and 499.
• A grade of at least B+ in both English 498 and 499.