Departmental Honors Sequence

As part of the University Honors Program, Departmental Honors in History is designed to give high-achieving students the opportunity to cultivate and develop talents and abilities to best prepare them to secure post-baccalaureate goals. It establishes an intense short-term and committed long-term relationship between participating students and faculty, tracking participants’ post-baccalaureate study and careers to encourage connections with subsequent participants. The program demands much from the student, but it also entails a commitment from the Department of History to provide essential resources – networks, internships, funding, and job prospects. Departmental Honors have traditionally symbolized high academic distinction and thus the program also commits the Department to provide a rigorous and demanding course of study. Successful students will engage in personal academic growth through individual responsibility and initiative under the guidance of a Faculty Mentor. Faculty mentors will advise students on the Departmental Honors track to ensure compatibility of student choices with career goals.

Desired Student Outcomes

Publicly present original research
Experience an internship and/or study abroad
Enhance skills relevant to History from outside the Department

Desired Program Outcomes

Provide exceptional students with extra-curricular opportunities
Place students beyond undergraduate degree
Build alumni support base from Departmental Honors Graduates
Enhance distinctiveness of History Undergraduate Program

Requirements

Be a declared History Major and admitted into the University Honors Program
Complete the requirements of the University Honors Program
Complete HIST 2630 Historical Methods with a minimum grade of B
Be a member of Phi Alpha Theta (History Honorary) at the time of graduation
Presentation of Original Research: Must publically present original research beyond the required Honors Research Symposium. This may be satisfied by one of the following:

Presenting a paper at an approved scholarly conference, which might include:

Regional or National Phi Alpha Theta Conference
CLASS Undergraduate Research Symposium

Submitting a manuscript to be considered for publication in an approved refereed scholarly journal
Curating a museum exhibit at an approved museum or other public history institution
Curating a web-based exhibit for an approved museum or other public history institution

Undergraduate Research: Must apply for research support from CLASS Undergraduate Research Office. This can be done in conjunction with study abroad, if appropriate.
Additional Learning Experience: In accordance with requirements of the University Honors Program, History Honors students complete one semester-long learning experience from one of the following:
Semester Study Abroad - A minimum of one semester (not simply a 3-week summer program) spent in a foreign country:

It is preferred that this semester abroad be coupled with either language learning or archival work for a senior thesis. Students choosing this option should be advised accordingly.
Each participating student will submit a letter from the study abroad director as part of a personal report of how the experience enhanced of a particular field and of the importance of history.

Internship - An internship with an organization relevant to the historical profession:

Each participating student will submit a letter from the internship supervisor as part of a personal report of how the experience enhanced of a particular field and of the importance of history
The history department will work to develop relationships with organizations to help facilitate these programs.

Skill Set Enhancement: Must complete 6 credit hours of elective credit from the following suggested list of areas, with Faculty Mentor’s approval:

Upper-Level Foreign Language, beyond requirements for the BA in History
Web Design or related Computer Literacy
Technical Writing
Archeology Mapping
Documentary Film Studies

Honors History Seminars:

History Honors students will complete 6 hours of special topics seminars for History Honors as part of the 24 hours of upper-level history requirement.
History Honors Seminars will be listed as HIST 3030H Special Topics.
In the event no HIST 3030H is offered, Honors Students may contract with a professor for Honors credit in another upper-level history course, with approval from both the instructor of record and the student’s mentor.

Departmental Honors Thesis:

The Departmental Honors Thesis is completed while enrolled in the HIST 3111/4111 (Fall Semester) and HIST 3112/4112 (Spring Semester) Honors sections. These sections will be one-on-one instruction with their Faculty Mentor, similar to thesis hours at the graduate level.
Taking the HIST 3111/3112/4111/4112 sequence substitutes for the HIST 4635 Senior Seminar required for History Majors.
The senior thesis should be a mixture of research and historiography, including a minimum number of primary sources and requiring engagement with recognized (i.e. well-reviewed in relevant field journals) traditional and recent (i.e. past 5 years) scholarship in the field.
The topic will be approved by the student’s Faculty Mentor.
Minimum length of 30 manuscript pages that demonstrate technical proficiency (proper Chicago-style citations, bibliography, prose, and grammar).
Thesis Defense before a committee consisting of the Faculty Mentor and one other faculty member.
Submission of three final, corrected copies to the Honors Program Office, per specified guidelines and deadlines of the Honors Program Office.

Maintain and complete a Portfolio providing evidence of all requirements, in addition to the portfolio required of every History Major – to be submitted to the Department of History the semester of graduation.

Responsibilities

Student is responsible for:

Arranging for and maintaining contact with Faculty Mentor
Seeking Faculty Mentor approval of and arranging for Presentation of Original Research
Seeking Faculty Mentor approval of and arranging for Experiential Learning component
Seeking approvals and making arrangements for all requirements for Senior Thesis
Compiling and submitting Departmental Honors portfolio

The Faculty Mentor will:

Advise the student on all requirements Assist the student in seeking internship or study abroad opportunities
Direct the student’s Honors Thesis through HIST 3111/3112, HIST 4111/4112
Keep the History Department Office and University Honors Program Office informed of any issues that may arise

History Department Office will:

Maintain files and monitor progress for each student on the Departmental Honors track
Maintain contact with Departmental Honors graduates to build an alumni base
Coordinate program as appropriate, in consultation with the University Honors Program

Advisory Committee for Departmental Honors in History

Departmental Honors in History will have an advisory committee consisting of the following members who will be appointed by the Chair of the Department of History in consultation with the Faculty of the Department of History:

Chair of the Department of History (ex officio)
Chair of the Department of History Undergraduate Committee (ex officio)
Faculty members from the Department of History
Faculty member from a College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences discipline other than History
Representative from a museum, public history institution, or historical society from the region
Representative from the Statesboro/Bulloch County community
Alumnus who graduated with Departmental Honors in History
University Honors Program Director, or designated representative (ex officio)

The advisory committee will meet once during the calendar year to review the program and offer guidance. A subcommittee of the committee will periodically assess portfolios.