The Honors Program

In addition to the courses required for a rite major, candidates for the honors of distinction and high distinction in German Literature or German Studies must complete German 498 and present a thesis on a topic chosen in consultation with an advisor in the Department. The aim of Honors work in German is

  1. To consolidate general knowledge of the history and development of German language, culture, and history;
  2. To explore a chosen subject through a more intensive program of readings and research than is possible in course work;
  3. To present material along historical, theoretical or analytical lines, in the form of a scholarly thesis.

Honors students who major with a concentration in German Studies will be encouraged to arrange for the writing of their theses and the supervision of a committee comprised of faculty members from various departments, to be chaired by the German Department advisor. The quality of the Honors thesis, the result of the Comprehensive Examination (or GERM 495), together with the overall college grade average, will determine the level of Honors recommended by the Department.