Earth and Environmental Sciences Programs

Honors Program

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University Honors Program

Students may graduate with one of three Honors designations by completing the following requirements. If you have questions about any of these requirements, please see your academic advisor. For university honors information, visit the University Honors Program website.

Apply to the University Honors Program for Departmental Honors

Applications to the university for departmental honors must be made in writing to the University Honors Program and should include the following:

Complete the university application for departmental honors prior to applying for graduation. Applications are available online on the University Honors Program website. For Departmental Honors only, students complete the personal data and the section on Departmental Honors Scholar located on page 2 of the Honors Degree Application.

Program Requirements

  • Students must complete seven Honors courses (as described above for "University Honors Scholars") with grades of "B" or better
  • Students must attain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better

Departmental Honors

Program Requirements

Students who have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better may apply at the end of their junior year for admission to the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department Honors Program. For University Honors, students must apply to the University Honors Program AND to the Departmental Honors Program; see below for instructions on how to apply.

  • Students must have a cumulative GPA of at least a 3.0
  • Students must have satisfactorily completed a Senior Thesis. The Senior Thesis requires between 4-6 credits in EES 4960 (see below for more information).

Apply to the Honors Program

Applications to the EES Department Honors Program should be made in writing to the chair of the Undergraduate Studies Committee and the application should include the following documents:

  • A departmental application
  • A summary proposal for a Senior Thesis research project
  • The endorsement of the student’s departmental academic advisor and that of the senior thesis advisor, if not the same individual.

Please note that your expected date of graduation must be at least 2 full semesters, not including the summer semester, after the date of the application.