Hispanic Studies Honors Study

JUNIOR YEAR — Spring Semester

February-March —An Honors Study involves original analysis and research on a compelling, well-argued topic related to how knowledge is constructed and/or understood in Hispanic Studies. It complies with the MLA format and is generally between 75-100 pages all inclusive. Students should discuss their proposal with the proposed faculty advisor and submit the completed proposal to the department by April 15 for review. Students who are studying away should ideally discuss their proposal with the faculty adviser prior to leaving but continue to work with the faculty from abroad to meet the April 15 deadline.

Department Requirements for Honors Study

  • Complete one or more courses on the 300 level in the major related to your proposed field of studies
  • Maintain a 3.5 GPA in Hispanic Studies courses
  • Prepare a research proposal approved by the Adviser

The student should write a proposal (3-5 pages) for a senior project that outlines a yearlong research project. A research proposal might include:

    1. Purpose of the study.
    2. Relevance of the study.
    3. Brief review of the literature. The identification of the main question/hypotheses in the existing literature.
    4. Main questions to be addressed by this study.
    5. Interdisciplinary nature and language in which thesis will be completed.
    6. Preliminary timetable for completing the study.
    7. Comprehensive Bibliography.

Early May — The Hispanic Studies Department determines which applications to accept for Honors Study based on criteria developed in accordance with the standards of the discipline. The department along with the student candidate will approve the adviser, second reader, and any additional reader.

No students may be accepted for honors study after the beginning of their senior year.

SENIOR YEAR — Fall Semester

COURSE REGISTRATION - Students pursuing Honors Study must register for the first half of their Honors Study (Spa 497). The form to register for Spa 497 is available on the Registrar’s Office forms page. By end of the first semester — Students should have submitted to their thesis adviser an outline of the thesis with timeline and at least one chapter (for example, the methodology chapter) plus a bibliography of the sources cited and consulted in that chapter. It is strongly advised that students move beyond these minimal requirements by this mid-point in their senior year. Students will receive an “in progress” grade for Spa 497 if the requirements have been met to continue Honors Study.

SENIOR YEAR — Spring Semester

COURSE REGISTRATION - Students who will be continuing their Honors Study must register for the second half of their Honors Study (Spa 498). The form to register for Spa 498, or to indicate that a thesis will no longer be pursued in order to convert the honors study into an independent study, is available on the Registrar’s Office forms page. The Hispanic Studies Department generally requests submission of drafts three weeks before the Honors Study is uploaded to the site, leaving time for editing and outside readers to complete their reports. Advisers and readers should determine the best way to accomplish this.

One week prior to end of classes in the second semester of the senior year, the completed thesis is due. Late submissions will not be considered for Honors — the student will upload the thesis using a drop box on a Moodle site for course Honors Study students. At that time, the student will also submit their completed Honors Thesis Submission Form. After the conclusion of the academic year, the library will post the thesis to Digital Commons, granting the thesis the level of access requested by the student and adviser. Other copies will be distributed as the department/program or thesis adviser requires.

Public Presentation

The Hispanic Studies Department encourages a public presentation of the thesis for faculty and students.

Grading

Grading 497-498. Satisfactory progress by students enrolled in course 497 will be given a temporary mark “In Progress” by their thesis adviser at the end of the first semester. This mark will be changed to a letter grade when the Honors Study has been completed. The thesis adviser will assign the final grade after receiving evaluations from each reader. Departments or programs should determine whether adviser/reader evaluations may be submitted orally or in writing. A or A- work is the only work that may receive Honors. It goes beyond the norm in 400-level courses and should meet the highest standards of content and presentation. Work graded B+ and below will be changed from Honors Study to Individual Study 491-492.

Individual Study/Independent Study:

The typical form for an Individual Study, or undergraduate research project, is a one-semester research project on a compelling, special topic related to how knowledge is constructed and/or understood in Hispanic Studies, for which the student is uniquely qualified. Independent study courses are numbered 291, 292 (15-20 pages); 391, 392 (20-25 pages), and 491, 492 (25-30 pages all inclusive) depending on length and purpose. Prerequisites for the chosen level must be met prior to beginning the Individual Study. Students considering an Individual Study, including students studying abroad, must begin consultation with a member of the department the semester prior to taking the course so that they may meet the deadlines for submission and begin work promptly at the beginning of the next term.

An Individual Study associated with undergraduate research resembles an Honors Thesis, insofar as it typically involves original analysis and research. It provides students with the opportunity to explore a topic systematically, to establish their own reading list, and to work over a semester with guidance from the supervisor. It may be used in conjunction with requirements of Centers but must adhere to Hispanic Studies disciplinary research methods.

Students seeking to do Individual Studies should consult with the potential advisor to meet the following requirements:

(1) Prepare a 2-page formal proposal with bibliography describing the subject of the project, the research materials and methods to be used, and your preparation/ background to do the research.

(2) The formal proposal must be approved and signed by the member of the department who will supervise the work. No proposal can be considered without the approval of the supervisor. The circulated proposal must be approved by the department by November 15 for a spring semester project or April 15 for a fall project.