Program / Schedule / Application Procedures
What is Honors at the University of Florida?
The “honors” designation can be somewhat confusing at UF as it is used in a variety of different contexts. Briefly, there are three types of honors designations.
- There is a university-wide Honors Program, which presently is a two-year program for select students.
- “Honors” is also a designation for outstanding graduates of the university as a whole. Students with an upper-division GPA of 3.5 or higher (courses taken since achieving 3 LS status) are automatically graduated with honors (cum laude).
- Finally, individual departments also offer specialized honors tracks for their outstanding majors. The History Department is pleased to announce a new departmental honors program, beginning in fall 2009.
New History Honors Program
The History Honors Program is based around the writing of a thesis, which is a project of original historical research that is normally 40-50 pages in length. There are four components of the new program. Students who successfully complete the program will be graduated with either high (magna cum laude) or highest honors (summa cum laude).
- In fall semester all honors students must take the department’s new course, History Honors Seminar: Thesis Workshop (3 credits, S/U).
- In spring semester students continue with 3 credits of HIS 4970 (thesis research).
The honors thesis must be completed by the end of spring semester.
- All honors students participate in the History Department’s Spring Honors Conference.
Note: For those students planning to graduate in winter semester, it is still possible to participate in the Honors Program, but a special arrangement must be worked out with the undergraduate coordinator at least two semesters in advance of graduation.
Honors Schedule
Junior Year
- Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to take the History Research Seminar (4930) during their junior year. The majority of honors theses grow out of students’ involvement in their seminar. Though this is not the only way that students discover and develop a topic that becomes a thesis, the Research Seminar is an excellent way to begin working at greater depth in a specific field of interest. The History Research Seminar, however, is not a mandatory requirement.
- Students identify a faculty mentor and general area of research interest. Potential honors applicants should speak with their prospective advisor concerning the possibility of directing a thesis project.
Junior Year (spring semester)
- Students apply for admission to the History Honors Program
- Students are also encouraged to apply for funding to finance potential summer research. There are a number of resources available: University Scholars Program, Koleos Undergraduate Award, Bridget Phillips Award. For further information and resources see, the Undergraduate Awards page.
- Students enroll in the History Honors Seminar. Registration is controlled by the department. Students can only register in person in the departmental office.
Senior Year (fall semester)
- Complete History Honors Seminar
Senior Year (spring semester)
- Complete 3 credits of Thesis Research (HIS 4970)
- Participation in Spring Honors Program
- Complete Honors Thesis by the end of the semester. Thesis advisors may nominate outstanding theses to the Undergraduate Committee for consideration of highest honors. These papers must be completed approximately two weeks before the end of the semester.
Application Procedure
Students apply for admission to the History Honors Program in spring of their junior year. Though there is a rolling deadline for the program, students are strongly advised to submit an application by March 31. Students will not be allowed to enroll in the History Honors Seminar until an application has been filed and accepted. An application consists of three parts.
- Honors Statement: Student must submit a brief statement outlining a general area of thesis research as well as a faculty advisor who has agreed to work with the student on the project.
- Letter of Recommendation from Faculty Advisor
- GPA requirement: Upper-division GPA of 3.5 or higher
All materials must be submitted electronically to the Undergraduate Coordinator (Howard Louthan), preferably by March 31.
