Students who have shown marked excellence in their major field may earn honors in the major.

The usual route to honors, offered by all departments and programs, involves writing an honors thesis and successfully passing an oral examination by a thesis committee. To be admitted to the thesis program, a student must have a grade point average of at least 3.5 in all work in the major field above the 100-level. Some departments and programs require a higher average. Departments may petition on behalf of exceptional students whose averages fall between 3.0 and 3.5. Students enroll in Senior Thesis Research (360) in the first semester and carry out independent work under the supervision of a faculty member. If sufficient progress is made, students continue with Senior Thesis (370) in the second semester. Specific requirements vary with departments and programs; see the relevant sections of the catalog for details. Some departments and programs offer other routes to honors in the major, and these are described in their Requirements for the Major, in the course catalog.