Senior Honors Essay and Thesis
To be considered for honors in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, students are required to complete and defend a senior essay or thesis. Departmental honors are awarded on the basis of excellence in all courses applied to the major, as well as all courses taken in the program, including the senior essay or thesis, as determined by the program faculty.
We encourage rising seniors who are majoring in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and have a GPA of 3.5 or better in WGS courses to consider an honors degree. Students with a GPA below 3.5 should consult their adviser and the WGS chair to determine whether undertaking an honors essay or thesis is advisable. Please review the list of benchmarks associated with the process with your adviser before applying.
Students are encouraged to revise the essay or thesis based on the comments of their core faculty readers and submit the revised copy to be considered for the Giller-Sagan Prize at the end of the spring term. Both essays and theses require a defense. Two WGS core faculty, or one core and one affiliate, must sign off on the completed essay or thesis. Students must receive a "C" or higher on their senior thesis for credit towards the major.
Double-counting
Students pursuing honors in another department or program may petition to submit this thesis as a WGS thesis if the project has a significant focus on women and/or gender. Students should contact the WGS Department Office to submit this petition. At least one reader from the WGS core faculty is required in order to count the project for honors in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.