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honors

The senior honors program  in SHC is for outstanding adjunct majors who wish to take on the challenge of actively conducting research on their own chosen topic. In three years of classroom learning, students will have acquired a great deal of information and a variety of interpretive skills. But for those with a passionate interest in treating science in context, there is no substitute for actually doing a sustained piece of research and writing.

The rewards they reap are many: the chance to work closely with a faculty advisor, to craft an original research project, to sample the pleasures of sustained intellectual study, and to sharpen their skills in writing and research.

FAQ: What are Honors and How to Apply?

Applying for the SHC 398 Honors Seminar

Outstanding SHC majors interested in honors must apply for admission to the SHC 398 Honors Seminar by the end of the sixth week of the spring quarter of their junior year. Student applicants must: 1) submit a two-page research proposal to the SHC director, 2) indicate that they have secured the assent of a faculty advisor, and 3) submit a transcript indicating that they have a minimum GPA of 3.5 overall and a minimum GPA of 3.5 within SHC. Based on this application (see below), the SHC director will admit qualified students into the honors program.

Basic Requirements

Students enrolled the SHC 398 Honors Seminar take the course for three quarters in their senior year, during which time they must complete a senior thesis. Students who complete their thesis with distinction as judged by the SHC honors committee may then be recommended for honors. The committee consists of the SHC director, the student’s faculty advisor, and (if needed) one other designated SHC faculty member. The final decision on the awarding of honors is made by the Committee on Honors of WCAS.  For more information on honors, see http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/advising/majors/honors/index.html

Writing a Research Proposal

Topic

Before they can begin, students will need to choose a topic, one that will hold their interest over the long haul. Think of the problems that have gotten under your skin in previous classes. What issues have interested you most? Do you have any special language skills? What kinds of materials do you most enjoy working with? Do you feel a special affinity with a particular place or epoch or issue? What sort of question would you like to answer?

Advisor

Statement

Based on this process of thinking, reading, and discussion, students should prepare a short (2 page) statement outlining their proposed topic. It is important to prepare as concise and coherent a statement as possible at this preliminary stage. Be sure to identify a specific problem or question the thesis will address. Indicate the method with which you will treat this problem. If possible, set your approach within the context of what other scholars working in related areas have written. A short bibliography is essential. Your objective is to demonstrate that you have begun to think through the research process, that you have acquainted yourself with your material and are aware of the issues at stake in your project. The proposal should also speak to the your abilities, drawing attention to relevant course work, previous research experience, language skills, or other factors relevant to the project. Be certain to include the name of a proposed advisor. No one will be admitted to the seminar without faculty sponsorship.

More help

An excellent guide to writing a senior thesis has been prepared by the History Department. Although there will of course be some differences for theses in different domains, this pamphlet should prove quite helpful.  LINK-TO-PDF

Writing a Senior Thesis

The SHC-398 Honors Seminar

The SHC-398 Honors Seminar is a three-quarter sequence (SHC-398-1,2,3) taken in the senior year, in which each honors student independently prepares a thesis under the guidance of his or her particular faculty advisor. Students will receive “K” grades at the end of the fall and winter quarters and then three letter grades at the end of the spring; these three letter grades need not be the same. Students also meet regularly with their faculty advisor throughout the year, but these arrangements are made between the student and his or her advisor.

The Thesis

A thesis makes some original contribution to the field. The variety of methods and approaches taught in SHC mean that no single type of thesis can be set as a definitive model. The originality of the thesis may lie in its explication of untapped materials, its reinterpretation of familiar problems, its new synthesis of existing interpretations, or some other novelty. A thesis will almost invariably include: 1) an introduction to set out the problem, limit the scope of the inquiry, and position the thesis in relation to the current state of opinion on the topic, 2) a set of chapters to present and analyze the relevant areas, and 3) a conclusion to summarize these findings and suggest future avenues of research. Theses are typically 40-60 pages in length and include a thorough bibliography.

Research help

The SHC program and Northwestern University are prepared to assist students financially in undertaking research for their senior thesis. Students may apply for grants from Northwestern University’s undergraduate research funds. They may also receive help from the SHC program for research directly relating to their thesis topic.
http://www.northwestern.edu/undergrad-research/

Due dates/Requirements

The final thesis is due in the second-to-last week of classes in the spring term. The student submits three bound copies: one for his or her advisor, one for the SHC director, and one for the SHC to keep on file. The thesis must include a title page, acknowledgments, a one-page summary with five keywords, the core text, endnotes (or footnotes), and a bibliography. The thesis must meet the highest standards of academic rules, carefully proofread and thoroughly referenced.  Students may use the referencing format that is appropriate to their field, so long as it is a consistent style.

Getting Honors

The Recommendation for Honors

Completion of the SHC-398 Honors Seminar is necessary to be eligible for departmental honors, but it does not assure the granting of honors. The SHC program merely recommends students for honors, and their recommendation is subject to approval by the WCAS Committee on Superior Students and Honors. SHC uses the following criteria in its deliberations:

1. Two readers of the thesis must judge it to be of very high quality. One will be the faculty advisor; the other is the director of the SHC. In all cases, both readers must submit a written evaluation of the thesis, explaining their recommendation for (or against) the granting of honors, and commenting on the originality and quality of the work. In cases where there is a division of opinion, the third faculty member of SHC will report on the thesis as well.
2.  The candidate should have a minimum GPA of 3.5 in SHC courses.
3.  The candidate should have a minimum GPA of 3.5 overall.
4.  Exceptions will be made to the minimum GPA requirement in items 2 and 3 if the thesis is judged of extraordinarily high quality.

The WCAS Committee on Superior Students then makes the final determination of honors.

Complaints

In the case of complaints or difficulties, students may address themselves to the director of SHC, and if they remain unsatisfied, to the director of undergraduate studies in their home department who will then resolve the issue.

Questions and Further Information