The Honors Program
East Asian Studies offers qualified students, in their senior year, the opportunity to undertake a sustained research and writing project that, ideally, will result not merely in a long term paper, but in a piece of original scholarship.
The awarding of Honors in East Asian Studies will occur only if the Honors Thesis receives a final grade of A. If an A is not received, the student will still receive academic credit for EAST 1930-1940.
2012 Annual Senior ForumTo enroll in the Honors Program, the student must be a senior East Asian Studies concentrator, with at least a high B average in concentration courses. Candidates for Honors are required to have developed a competence in an East Asian language sufficient to allow them to use East Asian language materials in carrying out their research. Students must also successfully obtain the support of at least two faculty members who will agree to serve as primary and secondary advisors for the thesis. Prospective writers submit a thesis prospectus, brief bibliography, and completed honors application form (with signatures) normally late in the student’s six semester, to the concentration advisor, who provides the final permission to proceed. Synopses of successful thesis proposals will be distributed to Department faculty.
Thesis writers enroll in advisor-specific sections of the thesis-writing course EAST 1930 (Fall) and EAST 1940 (Spring), meet regularly with their advisors over the course of both semesters, and submit final versions of their theses to the Department in mid-April. Advisors and students are required to provide updates on their progress to the concentration advisor at regular intervals.
The completed thesis is evaluated for Honors by the thesis director and by a second member of the East Asian Studies faculty. In case of a difference of judgment between the two readers, a third opinion may be sought. Students are notified in mid-May whether or not the Department has recommended the awarding of Honors. Copies of readers' comments are provided to the student.
2011 Senior ForumAll graduating concentrators will present the results of their senior theses in the department’s Senior Project Forum. The Forum will usually take place at the end of the spring semester, but may also occur at the end of the fall semester to accommodate mid-year graduates.