Undergraduate Program

Graduate Program

Course Information

Study Abroad

News

Resources

Employment

Directory

Contact Us

Return to Honors Program - Home Page

◊  Contents:

• Program Description

• Requirements for Admission to Program

• Application Process

• Requirements for Graduation with Honors in History

• Procedure for Admission to & Completion of 2-Semester Historical Research Course

• "Other" Honors Courses - Semester Offerings

• Online Application Forms:

  • Form 1 - Admission to Honors Program

  • Form 2 - Admission to 2nd Course  [Form 2 required for HIST 422 only.  Form 2 not required for HIST 421.]

  • Form 3 - Completion of Thesis

The Department of History's Honors Program offers students with a record of superior achievement in their initial History courses the opportunity to engage in challenging courses, research, and sustained historical writing beyond the work required of majors in the field.  The program's intent is to broaden and deepen the historical and historiographical understanding, critical thinking, and research abilities of history majors.  Course work within the program will emphasize the development of skills and engagement in the field within an environment that emphasizes discourse between students and faculty and independent student research with close faculty mentorship.  The Department believes that this program not only will enrich the Purdue undergraduate educational experience on an intellectual level, but that it will help better prepare history majors for graduate work in the field, legal studies, and other professional post-baccalaureate initiatives.  Students who demonstrate excellence by completing the Departmental Honors program should be competitive for admission to the finest post-graduate programs in History as well as have enhanced credentials for other candidacies.

This program is designed as a supplement to Purdue University's Liberal Arts and University Honors programs, rather than as a replacement for either or both of them.  Students can fulfill the requirements of the Department's Honors Program without completing either the Liberal Arts or University Honors program.  On the other hand, if they so choose, they can use work in the Departmental Honors Program towards the requirements for the Liberal Arts program.  Students eligible for the University Honors program may also earn Honors in History.

Students successfully completing the Departmental Honors Program will have this achievement indicated on their Bachelor of Arts transcripts.  This notation will serve as an instant alert to graduate programs, law schools, prospective employers, and others of the student's superior accomplishment in undergraduate studies.

1. A 3.3 grade point average at the moment of application to the History Honors Program.

2. A 3.5 grade point average in history at the moment of application to the History Honors Program.

3. Applicants must be history majors.

4. The completion of 12 prior credit hours in History at Purdue, of which 3 of the credits must be in a 400 or 500-level course.

Any student desiring to be admitted to the History Honors Program must fill out a short form (History Honors: Form 1) provided by the History Department's main office (UNIV Room 231) & online, and then submit this form, along with a grade transcript, to the History Department's Honors Director.  The documents can be hand-delivered to the Honors Director during the Director's office hours, or left in the Director's mailbox in the Department's main office.  Application can also be printed from online.  See the appropriate form on the Department's website.  The application process will be one of running admission.  That is, there will be no deadlines to meet in terms of submission of application.  [Print Online Form 1 - Program Application]

1. Completion of a minimum of 33 credit hours in History.

2. Completion of the 2-semester, sequential Honors Thesis in Historical Research course (HIST 421 and HIST 422).  Admission to HIST 422 is contingent upon earning a grade of B or better in HIST 421.

3. Completion of HIST 422 with a grade of B or better. Students completing HIST 422 with grades of C or D will get credit for the course, but will not graduate with honors.

The 2-semester Honors Thesis course sequence is intended to provide talented undergraduate history majors with a closely supervised and intensive experience of historical research, analysis, and writing.  Students will complete this course as an independent study under a faculty mentor.  Students will be able to apply the skills acquired from previous courses, especially the History Methods Course, in the research and writing of an approximately 50-page thesis (in Times New Roman 12-point font, or a comparable font), including notes and bibliography.  This thesis will be expected to demonstrate and incorporate familiarity with existing historiography and to utilize primary sources.  This significant project, including an oral defense, should prepare students for a variety of post-graduation options, including law or other professional schools, education, careers in the public sector, or graduate school.

1. Students should pick up the form (History Honors: Form 2) for admission to HIST 422 course at the History Department's main office (UNIV 231) & online.  (Form 2 not required for admission to HIST 421.)  [Print Online Form 2 - Course Application - HIST 422]

2. Students must submit the form, which includes the signature of the History faculty member agreeing to serve as mentor for the project, to the Department's Honors Director.  This form must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Friday of the fourth week of enrollment in HIST 421.

3. Students must submit to their mentor a preliminary paper or written overview of their projects by the last day of classes during the first semester in the 2-semester sequence.

4. Students must submit the final thesis by either November 15 (fall semester) or April 1 (spring semester) to his/her thesis mentor and one other permanent History faculty member who has agreed to read the thesis.

5. Students must schedule an oral 30-minute defense of the thesis with the two above-mentioned faculty members.  This defense must occur by December 1 (fall semester) or April 15 (spring semester).

6. The thesis mentor will submit copies of the completion of thesis form (History Honors: Form 3) available at the History Department's main office (UNIV 231) & online to the Honors Director.  [Print Online Form 3 - Completion of Thesis]

7. It will be the responsibility of the Honors Director to see to it that the student's final transcript notes the fulfillment of all requirements for graduate with Honors in History.