Graduation with Distinction

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Religion (RELIGION)

Procedure for selection of students

Religion majors with a GPA (overall and in Religion) of at least 3.5 may apply. The GPA must be maintained until graduation. Qualified students should complete an application form and submit it, along with supporting documents, to the director of undergraduate studies during pre-registration in the spring semester of the junior year.

Expected product

The honors thesis should constitute an original research paper investigating a significant subject in religious studies, normally 40-70 pages in length.

Evaluative body

A committee of three faculty members, including the student's thesis advisor.

Evaluation procedure

Copies of the thesis are to be turned over to the advisor for members of the committee at least one week prior to the scheduled defense. The student defends the thesis in an hour-long oral defense before the committee. An honors thesis must be outstanding in each of the following respects:

conception of a research problem;
thoroughness of research and effective use of appropriate sources;
originality and interest;
organization of the paper, clarity of expression, and prose style.

The student's work is the result of a full year of research in a course devoted entirely to the writing of the paper, so high expectations in all four of these areas are justified. We do not expect an honors thesis in religion to be of publishable quality, but it should be at the level of a graduate student seminar paper.

Levels of distinction

One level: Distinction. The three readers offer assessments as to whether the paper is of honors quality, and the majority decides. The committee may then recommend to the religion faculty that the student be approved for "Graduation with Distinction in Religion," or the committee may recommend that the student be granted passing grades for the honors courses but without distinction.

Special courses, other activities required, comments

Though not absolutely required, it is generally expected that students applying will have taken at least one course analyzing different methods for the study of religion, such as REL 212S: Theorizing Religion. This course may also be taken during the student's senior year.