The Honors Concentration
Archaeology and the Ancient World
(formerly Old World Archaeology and Art)
An Honors concentration in any of the tracks requires the successful completion of all the standard requirements with the addition of an Honors thesis. For the preparation of this thesis, students will ordinarily enroll in ARCH 1970 (formerly AE 191), during both semesters of the senior year (these courses may not be taken S/NC, nor may they be used to satisfy the standard requirements of the concentration). In order to qualify for honors, students must have received more A’s than B’s in concentration courses completed.
Honors concentrations are recommended for students considering graduate work in the discipline of archaeology. Any student interested in a course of graduate study should speak to the undergraduate concentration advisor as soon as possible, not least for advice about additional forms of preparation. Graduate work in the archaeology of the ancient world, for example, requires knowledge of appropriate ancient, as well as modern, languages. Students should start work on acquiring these skills as early as possible.
The Honors Thesis
The Honors thesis is an extended essay, usually of between 40 and 60 pages in length, researched and written under the supervision of a faculty advisor and second reader during the senior year (during which the student must be enrolled in both the Fall and Spring semesters for ARCH 1970).
Where appropriate, the advisor or the reader, but not both of them,
may be in a unit other than the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the
Ancient World. The specific topic and approach of the thesis are worked out
between the student and the thesis advisor, with assistance from the
student's second reader. This process should begin in the latter part of the
student's junior year.
A preliminary title and one page outline of the proposed honors thesis is due to the thesis advisor by May 15th of the junior year. The deadline for thesis drafts, and for final thesis submission, will be agreed between the student and the faculty advisors, but the latter can be no later than the beginning of Reading Period in the senior year. The completed thesis will be evaluated by the advisor and second reader, who will discuss its strengths and weaknesses in a joint meeting with the student; they will then make a recommendation concerning Honors, and also agree a grade for ARCH 1970. The honors concentrator will be asked to make a short public presentation about their work; this event will be organized by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Evaluation
The Director of Undergraduate Studies will review the student’s overall record, in addition to the thesis evaluations. If all requirements have been successfully met, the recommendation will be made that the student graduate with Honors.