Hutton Honors College

Contact:
Robert Terrill
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Ashton-Mottier 204
855-0118
rterrill@indiana.edu

1. How is your honors degree program administered? Is there a specific person who acts as coordinator? Is there a faculty committee?

Our honors program is administered by the director of undergraduate studies, with support from our undergraduate advisors. But, because our honors program is highly individualized, students working on fulfilling the requirements for departmental honors work most closely with the faculty member supervising their project.

2. What are the requirements for admission into your honors program? How are students recruited for your program? May students recommend themselves?

Students are eligible for CMCL departmental honors if they are of junior standing or have completed at least 15 hours in the department of communication & culture, have earned an overall GPA of at least 3.3, and have earned a GPA within CMCL of at least 3.5. Students generally recommend themselves, though faculty members may encourage exceptional students to pursue departmental honors.

3. How does a student graduate with honors from your department?

Eligible students interested in pursuing departmental honors in CMCL should arrange to meet with a faculty member whose area of academic interest fits the proposed project well. Together the student and the faculty member develop a suitable honors project. The student and the faculty member then fill out a brief form describing the project and submit the form to the director of undergraduate studies. The student is then given authorization to register for the appropriate course (see below).

4. What courses do students take as juniors and before in order to prepare for working on the senior project? How are these honors seminars and courses typically conducted? What are the usual requirements in such courses?

All majors in the department are required to take C205 and C109. If there are honors sections of these courses offered, then students interested in pursuring departmental honors would be expected (but not required) to enroll in those sections. The two courses required for departmental honors are C399 and C499. It is recommended that C399 be taken during the junior year, and C499 be taken during the senior year. These courses each take the form of closely supervised independent study that culminates in the honors project.

5. Are there departmental resources available to support internships or research projects related to the senior project?

Departmental resources in this area are limited. Students interested in producing an honors project incorporating film or video, for example, might be granted access to the departmental editing equipment, if scheduling allows.

6. What is the nature of the senior project and what are the requirements for completing it?

Honors projects generally consist of a 30 to 50 page thesis. The project may take other forms, however, at the discretion of the faculty member who is supervising the project.

7. How might the work required for earning a honors degree be particularly beneficial in future endeavors?

Completing an honors project requires self-discipline, intellectual curiosity, and perservance - all qualities that are useful in almost any situation. For students who are interested in pursuing an advanced degree, the experience of doing independent scholarly research is an excellent preparation for the sort of work expected in graduate school or law school. The resulting thesis also can be an impressive writing sample for inclusion with application materials.

8. What are the advantages for students who pursue the honors degree compared to a regular degree in your area?

The honors project offers exceptional students the opportunity to work closely with a faculty member on a research project aligned with the faculty member's area of expertise and with the student's own interests. The student receives individualized attention, advice, and encouragement, and has a chance to learn what it means to do scholarly research.

9. Please list suggestions for other departments based on activities that have worked well for your students?

Students seem energized by the prospect of completing a individualized project, one developed through conversation between them and a faculty member. But many qualified students may not realize that there is a departmental honors program, so a special effort has to be made to get the word out.

10. Explain the background of honors course offerings in your discipline. When were honors courses or sections first offered?
Honors course offerings stretch back to the early days of the program. We think the first courses were offered in the mid-1960's.