Graduating with Honors
Students majoring in Environmental Studies (ENVS) and Environmental Science (ESCI) are encouraged to participate in the Environmental Studies Program Honors Program. Writing a senior thesis is good preparation for future professional positions and graduate studies. It provides an opportunity to develop your research and writing skills. Graduating with honors demonstrates a high level of initiative and ability to work independently. An honors thesis is a way to become an expert on a topic of interest and gain recognition for your outstanding academic work.
To graduate with departmental honors, a student must:
- Have a 3.3 overall GPA and a 3.5 GPA in classes required for the major.
- Complete a research-based thesis or creative project conducted under the direction of a faculty adviser. Due to the breadth of potential research topics, students can do original laboratory or field-based research, library-based research, or a terminal or creative project.
In summary, our requirements are:
- Meet with your academic adviser
- Complete your prospectus
- Take ENVS 401: Research (4 credits) (not required for Clark Honors College students)
- Take ENVS 403: Thesis (4 credits)
- Give a public presentation
- Submit your approved thesis to Scholar’s Bank
For more details, read our ENVS-ESCI Honors Thesis FAQ
Required: ENVS Honors Cover-Approval Pages
Timeline
Most students complete their research and writing during their senior year. However, the timeline is flexible if you are conducting research during the summer. Here is a typical schedule:
Fall Quarter
a. Determine your topic or area of interest
b. Meet with your academic advisor
c. Identify and secure your faculty adviser
Winter Quarter
a. Register for 4 credits of research (ENVS 401)
b. Submit prospectus to your faculty adviser
c. Complete research
Spring Quarter
a. Register for 4 credits of thesis (ENVS 403)
b. Make arrangements for oral presentation
c. Finalize and submit approved thesis to Scholar’s Bank