The Honors Program

In addition to the courses required for a rite major, candidates for Departmental Honors must also complete German 498  and 499 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 and critical 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 or project in another medium.

German majors who wish to graduate with Honors are encouraged to consult with their German major advisor about a possible thesis topic early in their junior year, and to submit to the Department a detailed thesis proposal by the end of the third week of classes in the second semester of their junior year. With departmental approval of the thesis proposal, the student will register for German 498 and 499 respectively in the two subsequent semesters of senior year. In consultation with the Department, the thesis committee will be chaired by the student's German major advisor, and the committee will be comprised of Amherst College German faculty who may or may not invite faculty from other departments, or from the Five Colleges, to participate as readers.