Honors Program

  • Junior Class Standing: 90 or more completed units of university level coursework
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.5 in coursework required for the major (excluding courses required as preparation for the major)
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all university level coursework (including courses required as preparation for the major)
  • Prior completion of Chicana/o Studies 10A, 10B, 101 and either 89/89HC or 189/189HC
  • Selection and agreement of a Faculty Sponsor (selected form among the core or affiliated faculty of the Department of Chicana/o Studies who should also be a member of the Academic Senate)
  • Faculty Sponsor’s approval of student’s research topic
  • Completion and submission to the Honors Committee of an Honors Thesis application in the Spring quarter of the year prior to admission to the program

The application for admission must be submitted in Spring Quarter of the year prior to admission to the program, with the advice and consent of a faculty sponsor. The proposal, research, data collection, analysis of writing of the thesis (or the creative equivalent to this process) take place in Chicana and Chicano Studies 198A, 198B, and 198C, which may not be applied toward the major requirements. An honors thesis of at least 30 pages or a significant creative project is required.

  • A grade of “B” or better in 198A, 198B, and 198C constitutes acceptable minimum progress towards completion of the Honors research project
  • Selection of second faculty reader before completing 198A
  • Chicana/o Studies 198A in the Spring Quarter: conceptualization and formulation of thesis proposal through preliminary research with Faculty sponsor
  • Chicana/o Studies 198B in the Fall Quarter: continued research, data collection and production of 3 annotated bibliographies/Literature Reviews with Faculty sponsor
  • Chicana/o Studies 198C in the Winter Quarter: writing, revision and completion of thesis with Faculty sponsor

The Honors Thesis can be either a piece of original research of at least 30 pages in length, or a creative project (in writing and/or the visual arts) of relevance to Chicana/os and Latino/as. The format of either the paper or the creative project should be determined by the student in consultation with his/her Faculty Sponsor. Typeset theses should be submitted as a loose leaf papers (not bound booklets). Visual art projects that are not typeset papers (namely portfolios or artistic media), must conform to the thesis format guidelines of his/her faculty sponsor. These visual arts projects, as well as typeset papers, must be submitted in finished form to the Student Advisor in 7351 Bunche Hall, on the first Monday of May, for approval by the faculty sponsor. With faculty sponsor final approval, these projects (paper and portfolio) must be bound in conformance with the Department of Chicana/o Studies guidelines 

A student’s Honors Committee consists of two members. The Chair of the committee will be the primary Faculty Sponsor, selected from the core or affiliated faculty of the Department of Chicana/o Studies (who should also be a member of the Academic Senate). The student must secure a Faculty Sponsor for his/her research project prior to admission to the program. Feedback from the second faculty reader on completed drafts of the Honors Thesis will be required. 

The student’s Committee will evaluate the student’s performance and the quality of the honors thesis. If the student meets the requirements satisfactorily, the Committee will recommend the awarding of the student’s degree with either Honors or Highest Honors. The Committee’s recommendation will then be reported to the Registrar’s Office. The Honors or Highest Honors designation will appear on the student’s diploma and transcript. 

  •  Completion of all requirements for the major 
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all university level course work
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.5 in course work in the major
  • Completion (and acceptance by the student’s Honors Committee) of an Honors Thesis; OR successful completion of some significant creative project carried out across the three quarters.
  • Granting of Honors or Highest Honors is at the discretion and recommendation of the student’s Honors Committee, who also establish the criteria for the distinctions.

Students who are currently undertaking the optional multidisciplinary senior thesis and who are eligible for the honors program may opt to switch to the honors program (provided it does not delay their progress toward the degree) with the approval of the department.