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Anthropology Honors Program

Anthropology Honors Application

Effective Spring 2011

OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Students in the Anthropology Honors Program must meet the following requirements:

  1. Overall GPA of 3.0.

  2. Anthropology GPA of 3.2.

  3. Form a thesis committee of two faculty members at Purdue (a primary advisor and second committee member). Outside committee members are welcome, but the primary thesis advisor must be an Anthropology faculty member.

  4. Complete Anthropology Honors Application form with proposed advisor and topic and provide a copy to the Undergraduate Committee Chair in Anthropology as well as the Anthropology advisor.

  5. Enroll in a 300-level or above course related to selected thesis topic as Anthropology 497H (see below), and receive an A or B in this course.

  6. After completing Anth 497H, enroll in Anth 498H which will entail writing a senior thesis under the guidance of the thesis committee, and receive an A or B in this course.

Students satisfying all of these requirements will be awarded Departmental Honors in Anthropology, which will be noted on their official Purdue University transcript.

ANTHROPOLOGY 497H:

To graduate with honors in anthropology, a student must take one course at the 300-level or higher that serves as a foundation to the thesis research. This can be any course in anthropology that is appropriate for the thesis topic, but the course must be approved by the thesis advisor. The student shall enroll in the course as Anthropology 497H, and the title of the course will be the catalog course title + the honor's designation. The course load will entail all normal work for the selected class, plus an extra honors assignment developed in coordination with the instructor and thesis advisor designed to help student prepare for writing the senior thesis in Anth 498H.

For example, a student could take Anth 327 (Environment and Culture) as a 497H called "Environment and Culture Honors". This would provide the foundation for the thesis, including completing an extra assignment (e.g., annotated bibliography or other project) that will help sharpen the focus of the student's honors thesis in environmental anthropology.

If a student has already taken a 300-level or higher course that is appropriate for the thesis topic, the student shall take a directed reading with any faculty (most likely the thesis advisor) as a 497H. In the 497H, the student should have an assignment to prepare them for writing the honors thesis (e.g., annotated bibliography or background research paper).

ANTHROPOLOGY 498H:

This is the second course in the Honors sequence, during which the student will complete the thesis under the scope and parameters established under the guidance of the faculty thesis committee. Typically this will be taken in the semester following the student's Anth 497H, but this is not essential. Student must receive an A or B in the course (based on the quality of the thesis) to receive departmental honors.

ESTABLISHING ELIGIBILITY:

Only students with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher and an Anthropology GPA of 3.2 or higher will be eligible to participate in the Anthropology Honors Program. Students with a sufficient GPA will receive an email invitation from the undergraduate advising office to participate in the Anthropology Honors Program during their 5th semester . Those who successfully complete all requirements will receive appropriate recognition at graduation.