Admission to the Honors Program requires approval of the department. Approval is based on an informal assessment of the student's academic ability and motivation to carry out a substantial independent project, the coherence and feasibility of the project, and the availability and willingness of an appropriate faculty advisor and supervisory committee. No student will be formally admitted to the Departmental Honors Program without these elements. Whenever possible, such contact should be made well in advance of the proposed starting date. Note that interdepartmental honors projects are encouraged, in which case there may be co-advisors.
Eligible students register for honors course credit during at least two semesters.
Students may enroll for honors course credit no earlier than the second semester of their junior year and no later than the last day for adding courses in the first semester of their senior year. However, in some cases groundwork for the honors project may be started in the fall of the junior year, or even earlier. Note that the optimal timing of the honors project varies by discipline. For instance, projects in the Humanities are normally carried out in the senior year with groundwork begun the preceding summer, whereas in the Sciences, an earlier start may be warranted. At the discretion of the department involved, the honors project may be included in the total hours requirement for the major.