Hutton Honors College

Contact:
Luis Davila
Ballantine 850
855-5257
davilal@indiana.edu

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

There is an honors committee made up of a chairperson and three other faculty.

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

Students must (a) have an overall GPA of at least 3.35 and a 3.5 GPA in Spanish courses, and (b) have completed S310 or S311, S312, S331, and S332. Eligible students should get in touch with the chair of the Honors Committee for an application and interview. Students are recruited every semester by the chair of the committee, soliciting from the faculty nominations of excellent candidates. Students may also recommend themselves.

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

A student graduates with honors in the department of Spanish and Portuguese by taking an honors seminars and writing an honors thesis in addition to the requirements for graduation.

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?

Prior to being accepted into the honors program in the department of Spanish and Portuguese, the student must have completed S310 (or S311), S312, S331, and S332. Each honors student also takes S498, Readings for Honors. The requirements for S498 depend upon those set by each faculty member each semester.

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

The department has no resources to support internships or research projects.

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

The senior project consists of a honors thesis which is usually a minimum of thirty pages. The topic of the thesis can focus on any area of Hispanic literature, language, or culture and can also be designed to include interests in the student's minor field of study or second major. The requirements for completing it are set by the director and two readers.

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

The program will give the students an unusual opportunity to develop their ability to pursue a project under the personalized supervision of a faculty member especially interested in the project. The ability to carry through to completion a research and writing project of such length and sophistication illustrates to future employers, graduate, and professional schools, etc. that our honors students represent the best of the best: they are self-motivated, intellectually curious, talented as writers, and goal-oriented.