Each department has the option to alter the requirements for Honors in the Major, as long as the stated minimums remain in effect.

Below, you will find the things you need to know about how Honors in the Major works in your department.

• The most important aspect of the Women's Studies thesis is that it must be interdisciplinary. It should draw on the resources in the various departments in the Humanities and Social Sciences (and in other schools and departments) that offer courses approved for cross-listing with Women's Studies. The length of the thesis should be around 50 pages, and it should involve library research and in some cases may include practical field research. The thesis project might include elements from the performing and visual arts. Topics will vary widely depending on the particular focus of the individual. Examples of interdisciplinary topics are: Crime Among Women in Greek Tragedy; Themes of Illness in Women's Writings of the Nineteenth Century; A Psychological Study of Women Painters of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries; Women and Birth in Art, Literature and Law. The thesis may utilize either quantitative or qualitative methodologies, or may utilize both.
• The course you register for, for Honors Thesis credit, is WST4970r, Honors Work in Women's Studies.
• Students take six hours of Honors Thesis credit, typically over two semesters, to graduate With Honors.
• Three of these hours can count toward major elective requirements, with the approval of the Women's Studies Program Director.
• The student will receive a letter grade on the project for each semester in which he or she is enrolled.
• The three-person committee for the thesis must include two faculty members who teach core courses in Women's Studies. These faculty members must come from two different disciplines.
• Along with Honors Thesis hours, students will be required to complete the Women's Studies seminar, either before or concurrently with the first three hours of thesis work.
• Students are encouraged to make plans for Honors in the Major work in Women's Studies well in advance. Students should meet with Professor Joyce Carbonell to discuss the program at their earliest convenience.