Departmental Honors

Any student with a strong academic background may apply to complete an honors project in the department or program of her major. A successfully completed thesis project leads to the awarding of the bachelor of arts degree with the notation “honors," "high honors” or “highest honors” in the student’s major subject. Honors students’ names and the titles of their thesis projects are listed in the Commencement program. You may only earn honors in one major.

General Information

Eligibility

Eligibility for admission to the honors program is determined by each department or program and students must be seniors. Consult the director of honors in your department or program about eligibility and deadlines before submitting a proposal and application. Please note: students who are on probation the semester prior to applying for honors are not eligible and students need to have been enrolled at Smith the semester prior to applying for honors.

Residency Requirement

You must be in residence in Northampton for the duration of the honors thesis project.

Honor Board Sanctions

To be enrolled in departmental honors you must certify that you have not been sanctioned by the Honor Board at a serious level (one-third-step grade reduction or more) for a violation in your sophomore, junior or senior year.

If you receive a sanction from the Honor Board during your senior year you must convert your honors project to a special studies.

Project Advisers

You will need a faculty adviser for your thesis project. Consult with the director of honors in your department if you are unsure about whom to ask.

The primary adviser of your thesis project must be a member of the Smith faculty in your major department or program; faculty at other Five College institutions may serve as second readers.

Course/Credit Load

Honors students must be enrolled in at least 12 credits (which may include the thesis). Ada Comstock Scholars are expected to consult with the Ada Comstock Scholar dean about credit.

More Information

The college-wide honors program is administered by SHIP under the Committee on Academic Priorities (CAP). Send questions to the dean of the senior class, who serves as chair of the subcommittee, at honors@smith.edu.

Timeline and Dates

If you are considering a thesis project, talk with the director of honors in your department or program during your junior year.

2023-2024 Departmental Honors Dates for Students Completing Degree Requirements in January

The dates below coincide with Registrar dates and deadlines.

September 2023

Thursday, September 7, 2023 - Fall classes begin. Class of 24J students proposing a one-semester honors thesis, based on spring work in a seminar or special studies in their major, should submit a completed honors application to honors director in their department in time for departmental meetings in September if they have not already done so during the summer. Students should email their department before the end of August.

Friday, September 15, 2023 - Deadline for Departmental Directors of Honors to submit completed honors applications to Dean of the Senior Class/Chair, Subcommittee on Honors and Independent Programs (S.H.I.P.)

October 2023

Friday, October 6, 2023 - Deadline for students to apply for Libraries Appointment - this is not required but recommended.

Friday, October 6, 2023 - Deadline for students, approved for funding, to return the Tomlinson Fund Reimbursement Form to Dean of Senior Class/Chair of S.H.I.P. (https://www.smith.edu/about-smith/class-deans/thesis-funding)

Monday, October 16, 2023 - Mid-semester grades due

Friday, October 20, 2023 - Deadline for students to turn in receipts for approved Tomlinson Fund Grants to Dean of the Senior Class/Director of S.H.I.P. (1st of 2 deadlines for receipts.)

November 2023

Friday, November 10, 2023 - Class of 25J students should consult the director of honors in their department or program about submitting their completed honors application in time for departmental meetings in December if they have not already done so.  Email your department before the end of November.

Monday, November 20, 2023 - Deadline for Class of 24J students to submit title page on Moodle at https://moodle.smith.edu, choose from “my courses” or “filtered courses list”: “Honors Project 2023-2024”.

Monday, November 20, 2023 - Deadline for Class of 24J students to submit signed Library Permission Form to Colin Van Alstine in the Libraries Dept, at cvanalstine@smith.edu *No extensions.

Wednesday, November 22, 2023-Sunday, November 26, 2023 - Thanksgiving Break 

Monday, November 27, 2023 - Deadline for Class of 24J to submit final honors project to adviser for editorial correction, unless required sooner by major department or program.

Monday, November 27, 2023 - Deadline for Class of 24J students to convert to special studies (if withdrawing from honors program - forms available by meeting with senior class dean).

December 2023

Friday, December 1, 2023 - Deadline for students to turn in receipts for approved Tomlinson Fund Grants to Dean of the Senior Class/Director of S.H.I.P. (2nd and final deadline for receipts)

Thursday, December 14, 2023 – Classes end 

Thursday, December 14, 2023 - Last day for Departments to administer oral exams. *No extensions.

January 2024

Friday, January 5, 2024 - Fall Grades due 

Monday, January 8, 2024 - Deadline for 24J students to submit final corrected copy of Honors Project in PDF (this includes the title page, body of work, bibliography, and any jpg files) on moodle at https://moodle.smith.edu, choose from “my courses” or “filtered courses list”: “Honors Project 2023-2024”. *No extensions.

Monday, January 15, 2024 – Martin Luther King Jr. holiday

Thursday, January 26, 2024 - Spring classes begin

February 2024

Monday, February 5, 2024 - Deadline for Departmental Directors of Honors to submit completed honors applications for Class of 25J to the dean of the senior class/Chair of S.H.I.P.

NOTE: Final Honors determination is decided in May.

Spring Honors deadlines that also apply to Students Completing Degree Requirements in January:

Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - S.H.I.P. reviews and approves Final Calculations of Honors (includes 24Js and 24s)

Sunday, May 19, 2024 - Commencement (includes 24Js and 24s)

2023-2024 Departmental Honors Dates for Students Completing Degree Requirements in May

The dates below coincide with Registrar dates and deadlines.

September 2023

Thursday, September 7, 2023 - Fall classes begin.  Class of 2024 Seniors should submit completed honors application to honors director in their department in time for 1st departmental meeting in September if they have not already done so during the summer. Student should email their department before the end of August.

Friday, September 15, 2023 - Deadline for Departmental Directors of Honors to submit completed honors applications to Dean of the Senior Class/Chair, Subcommittee on Honors and Independent Programs (S.H.I.P.).

October 2023

Friday, October 6, 2023 - Deadline for students to apply for Libraries Appointment - this is not required but recommended.

Friday, October 6, 2023 - Deadline for students, approved for funding, to return Tomlinson Fund Reimbursement form to Dean of Senior Class/Chair of S.H.I.P. (https://www.smith.edu/about-smith/class-deans/thesis-funding)

Monday, October 16, 2023 - Mid-semester grades due

Friday, October 20, 2023 - Deadline for students to turn in original receipts for approved Tomlinson Fund Grants to Dean of the Senior Class/Director of S.H.I.P. (1st of 3 deadlines throughout the year for receipts.)

November 2023

Friday, November 10, 2023 - Class of 2024 Seniors who are proposing a one semester honors thesis, based on fall work in a seminar or special studies in their major, should consult the director of honors in their department or program about submitting their completed honors application in time for departmental meetings in December if they have not already done so.  Students should email their department before the end of November.

Wednesday, November 22, 2023-Sunday, November 26, 2023 - Thanksgiving Break

December 2023

Thursday, December 14, 2023 – Classes end

January 2024

Wednesday, January 3-Tuesday, January 23, 2024 - Interterm 

Friday, January 5, 2024 - Fall Grades due 

Monday, January 15, 2024 – Martin Luther King Jr. holiday

Thursday, January 25, 2024 - Spring classes begin

February 2024

Monday, February 5, 2024 - Deadline for Departmental Director of Honors to submit completed honors applications for seniors (class of 2024) who are proposing a one semester honors thesis, based on fall work in a seminar or special studies in their major, to the Dean of the Senior Class (Chair of S.H.I.P.)

March 2024

Wednesday, March 6, 2024 - Deadline for students to turn in receipts and the Reimbursement form for approved Tomlinson Fund Grants to Dean of the Senior Class (Chair of S.H.I.P.) (2nd of 3 deadlines throughout year for receipts.)

Monday, March 25, 2024 - Mid-semester grades due

April 2024

Thursday, April 4, 2024 - Deadline for students to submit title page on Moodle at https://moodle.smith.edu, choose from “my courses” or “filtered courses list”: “Honors Project 2023-2024” - no extensions.

Thursday, April 4, 2024 - Deadline for students to submit signed Library Permission Form to Colin Van Alstine in the Libraries Dept, at cvanalstine@smith.edu - no extensions.

Thursday, April 11, 2024 - Deadline for students to submit final honors project to adviser for editorial correction ~ unless required sooner by major department or program.

Thursday, April 11, 2024 - Deadline for students to convert to special studies (if withdrawing from honors program - forms available by meeting with senior class dean).

Thursday, April 11, 2024 - Deadline for students to turn in receipts and the Reimbursement form for Tomlinson Fund Grants to Dean of the Senior Class/Director of S.H.I.P. (3rd and final deadline for receipts.)

May 2024

Thursday, May 2, 2024 – Classes end

Thursday, May 2, 2024 - Last day for Departments to administer oral exams - no extensions.

Friday, May 3, 2024 - Monday, May 6, 2024 - Pre-exam Study Period

Tuesday, May 7, 2024 - Friday, May 10, 2024 - Final Examinations 

Monday, May 13, 2024 - Grades due for seniors by noon 

Monday, May 13, 2024 - Deadline for students to submit final corrected copy of Honors Project in PDF (title page, body of work, bibliography, and any jpg files) on moodle at https://moodle.smith.edu , choose from “my courses” or “filtered courses list”: “Honors Project 2022-2023” - no extensions.

Tuesday, May 16, 2024 - S.H.I.P. reviews and approves Final Calculations of Honors (includes 24s and 24Js)

Sunday, May 19, 2024 - Commencement (includes 24s and 24Js)

Monday, May 20, 2024 - Deadline for Directors of Honors to submit completed honors applications for rising seniors (class of 2025) to dean of the senior class/Chair, S.H.I.P. (Monday after Commencement)

Monday, May 20, 2024 - Non-Senior Grades due

For Academic Year 2023–24

AFR Africana Studies Sam Ng
AMS American Studies Christen Mucher
ANT Anthropology Colin Hoag
ARH Art: History Frazer Ward
ARS Art: Studio Alexis Callender
ARU Art: Architecture Elisa Kim
AST Astronomy James Lowenthal
BCH Biochemistry Nathan Derr
BIO Biological Sciences Nathan Derr
CHM Chemistry Andrew Berke
CLS, CST, GRK, LAT Classics, Classical Studies, Latin, Greek Thalia Pandiri
CSC Computer Science Alicia Grubb
DAN Dance Jake Meginsky
EALC East Asian Languages & Cultures Irhe Sohn
ECO & QEC Economics Mariyana Zapryanova
EDC Education & Child Study Shannon Audley
EGR Engineering Borjana Mikic
ENG English Language & Literature Lily Gurton-Wachter
ES&P Environmental Science & Policy Susan Sayre
FMS Film & Media Studies Jennifer Malkowski
FRN French Studies Theresa Brock & Eglal Doss-Quinby
GEO Geosciences Sarah Mazza
GER German Studies Joel Westerdale
GOV Government Erin Pineda
HST History Darcy Buerkle
ITS Italian Studies Michele Monserrati
JUD Jewish Studies Ernest Benz
LALS Latin American & Latino/a Studies Michelle Joffroy
LNG Linguistics  
MED Medieval Studies Craig Davis
MES Middle East Studies Susanna Ferguson
MTH Mathematics & Statistics Julianna Tymockzo
MUS Music Andrea Moore
NSC Neuroscience Michael Barresi
PHI Philosophy Jeffry Ramsey
PHY Physics Gary Felder
PSY Psychology Patty DiBartolo
REES Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies Sergey Glebov
REL Religion Vera Shevzov
SDS Statistical & Data Sciences Randi Garcia 
SOC Sociology Leslie King
SP & P Spanish & Portuguese Reyes Lázaro (Span)  Marguerite Harrison (PortBraz)
SWG Study of Women & Gender Carrie Baker
THE Theatre Len Berkman
WLT World Literatures Thomas Roberts

You must be enrolled in an honors course when you undertake a thesis project. There are three options for the course:

  1. One-semester course (431; 8 credits)—fall semester only of the senior year
  2. Yearlong course (430D; 8 credits)—4 credits each semester
  3. Yearlong course (432D; 12 credits)—6 credits in each semester

Not all departments offer all options; consult the course catalog or ask the director of honors in your department. 

Your completed application and proposal must be approved by your department or program and the Subcommittee on Honors and Independent Programs (SHIP) before you are officially registered in the course, usually during the third week of the semester in which you start your thesis.

Developing an Honors Thesis from a Special Studies or Senior Seminar Paper

You may, with the endorsement of your adviser, transform a successful first-semester project (4 credits) in your major into an honors thesis (4 credits) in your major in the second semester of your senior year. You will need to submit an honors proposal and completed application to your department by the first day of the second semester of your senior year or sooner if required by your department. If approved, you will have one semester of the thesis/project course on record in the semester in which you are officially enrolled as an honors student. There is no change to the first-semester special studies or seminar. This is not an option for continuing work undertaken at another institution (includes the 5-Colleges).

Consult the directors of honors list if you are interested in this possibility.

 

Library Permission Form

All thesis projects are archived electronically at the Smith Libraries. The library needs permission from you in order to catalog your thesis. You must sign the Smith College Libraries Permission Form for Honors Project. Email the completed permission form to Colin Van Alstine at cvanalstine@smith.edu.  If you do not submit the form your thesis project cannot be catalogued.

Library Permission Form for Honors (Word document)

The library offers a variety of resources to assist students with honors projects.

How to Apply

Second-Semester Juniors

Submit your honors application to the director of honors in your department or program before the last departmental meeting of the spring semester. Contact the director of honors to get the exact date.

The director of honors will forward approved applications to the Subcommittee on Honors and Independent Programs (SHIP) after graduation. You will be informed of the decision by late June.

First-Semester Seniors

Submit your honors application to your department or program before the first departmental meeting of the semester. Contact the director of honors to get the exact date.

The director will forward all approved applications to SHIP by the end of the second week of the semester. The subcommittee will consider all applications, and the chair of SHIP will officially enroll you in the appropriate honors course by the end of the third week of the semester.

There are five steps to honors applications:

1. Request a form for a Calculation of Your Grade Point Average

  • Write to honors@smith.edu to request the form for calculation of your GPA.
  • Include your ID number and your major in the email (you can only pursue honors in one major).
  • The form will be sent to you as an email attachment.
     

2. Calculate your GPA with Your Adviser

Use the GPA form to calculate your GPA inside the major (and outside the major if required by your department). You should do this with your adviser. The minimum GPA to be eligible for a thesis is set by your department or program.

3. Submit Your Project Proposal and completed application by the Deadline

Be sure to submit your project proposal and completed application to the director of honors in your major department on time.

Your proposal should contain:

  • A signed Application with checklist to Enter Departmental Honors Form as a cover sheet (students should download Word to complete the application).

    Application to Enter Departmental Honors (Word Document)

     

  • a 500- to 1,000-word description of the broader scholarly issue you will investigate
  • the specific issue you will discuss or investigate
  • an explanation of your approach and evidence of your experience with this approach
  • an account of your relevant preparation and skills (previous coursework related to the project topic, quantitative skills, foreign language ability, etc.)
  • a bibliography
  • a copy of the completed and signed calculation of GPA requirements form
  • The application form is double-sided; the reverse side has a checklist of steps you must take to submit a proposal. Please complete all the steps and sign and date the checklist when you hand in your thesis project proposal. If your application is not signed by an adviser in your department, it cannot be considered.

 

4. Submit a Certification Letter

You must certify that you have not been sanctioned by the Honor Board at a serious level (one-third-step grade reduction or more) for a serious violation in your sophomore, junior or senior year.

Submit the Departmental Honors Certification Letter to the chair of SHIP by mail to College Hall 101, or attach it in an email to honors@smith.edu.

Honors Certification Letter

5. Submit Your Thesis Project Funding Request

If you are applying for funding through the Nancy Kershaw Tomlinson Memorial Fund, please submit your request with your thesis project proposal.

After your thesis project has been approved by SHIP and you have been enrolled in honors, you should discuss with your adviser whether or not you should participate in a meeting with the appropriate research librarian for your field. A consultation with the librarian can help you keep track of the documentation for your thesis. Meetings will take place in small groups of thesis writers with similar interests.

Moodle Site

All approved honors students, their thesis advisers and departmental directors of honors are automatically enrolled in a Moodle site for honors managed by the honors coordinator in the class deans office. It provides basic information, important deadlines, and is where students upload their honors thesis title page and a final PDF of their theses/projects for cataloging by the library.

See Departmental Honors for timeline and all important dates.

Thesis Project Funding

A memorial fund in honor of Nancy Kershaw Tomlinson was established to help student thesis writers pay for some of the expenses incurred in honors projects.

Tomlinson grants in any one year are limited and may not cover all of your expenses. Money is awarded as a reimbursement either to you or to your department here at Smith, so you will need to keep your original receipts. Awards are not always approved.

Application

To receive funding you must include:

  • A full explanation of how you will use the funds
  • An itemized budget for the honors project on either or both of the following forms:
  • The signature of the honors thesis adviser and the director of honors supporting your request certifying that departmental or grant funds and supplies have been used to the fullest extent possible in meeting the needs of the honors project.

The Subcommittee on Honors and Independent Programs (SHIP) will not consider late applications. Requests for funding must be made at the time students are applying for honors.

Tomlinson money cannot be supplemented with extra funding from the dean of the college.

The Tomlinson Memorial Fund does not give cash advances; it only reimburses expenses, either to you or your department.  

  • You must document all your expenses with original receipts and a completed reimbursement form.

    Tomlinson Reimbursement Form
     

  • If you are purchasing supplies through your department, you must speak to the administrative assistant in your program about reimbursement to the department.
  • Reimbursement is made in one of two ways:  through direct deposit into the student’s personal bank account OR through direct transfer to the departmental account of the student’s major department. In either case, original receipts are required for reimbursement as noted above.
  • If you are paying cash to participants who are in a study/survey you are conducting (only with permission from the Institutional Review Board first) the college requirement limits each participant to $25 or less and a receipt needs to be obtained for reimbursement purposes. Email the honors assistant for a receipt template if needed at honors@smith.edu.
  • The Tomlinson Fund cannot cover laptops or other computer equipment.
  • The Tomlinson Fund cannot cover tuition or room and board for summer school.
  • Anything you buy with Tomlinson money (equipment, books, DVDs or CDs or other unused supplies) becomes the property of Smith and should be turned in to the senior class dean no later than April 15.
  • You can only use Tomlinson money to help with honors theses projects.