Eligibility and Requirements

Honors in Italian Studies will be awarded to majors who maintain an overall grade point average of 3.65 and an average of 3.65 in the major and successfully complete the Honors program. 

Students will complete a 12-credit sequence consisting of the Junior Honors Proseminar (V59.0995), the Senior Honors Seminar (V59.0999), and the Honors Independent Study (V59.0990). Of these courses, only the first two may be counted as advanced courses for the major. The subject of the Junior Honors Proseminar and of the Senior Honors Seminar changes each year and is decided upon by the faculty member teaching the seminar. 
Students select and work on an individual basis with a departmental faculty member who becomes the honors thesis advisor. The advisor is chosen in consultation with the Director of the Honors Program. 

The Junior Honors Proseminar is normally taken in the spring semester of the junior year. The course introduces students to core readings in Italian Studies and provides intensive training in oral and written argumentation. Admission to this course requires a GPA, both overall and in Italian courses, of at least 3.65, and the permission of the Director of the Honors Program. The department will try to make alternative arrangements for students who wish to participate in the Honors Program but who will be studying abroad in this semester of their junior year.
The Senior Honors Seminar, a small class where students develop their honors thesis, is normally taken during the fall semester of the senior year. The primary focus of the seminar is on research and the application of critical methodologies. Students define a thesis topic of their choice, develop a bibliography, read broadly in their area, and begin their research. A substantial part of the research, usually including a rough draft of the thesis, should be completed by semester’s end. 

During the spring semester of the senior year, students should enroll in Honors Independent Study (V59.0990). In close consultation with the thesis advisor, students work on the revisions and final draft of the thesis. The finished thesis should be a work of scholarship and/or criticism in the field of Italian Studies and should be from 40 to 60 double-spaced typed pages in length. In consultation with an additional faculty member who also evaluates the thesis, the student’s advisor determines whether or not to recommend him or her for Honors. A grade of at least A- is required for the award of Honors in Italian. Students receiving a lower grade will simply be awarded 12 credits towards the major. 

Application Procedure

Applications for admission to the program are made to the Director of the Honors Program at the beginning of the fall semester of the junior year. The application form is available in the Department of Italian Studies. Interested students should attach to the application an unmarked copy of a paper that they have submitted in a CAS Italian course. The paper should demonstrate the student’s analytic abilities and application of critical methodology. A decision will be made once final grades have been submitted for the term in which the student applies. Accepted students should discuss registration with the Director of the Honors Program. For general requirements, please click here, or see the Honors and Awards section in the College of Arts and Science Bulletin.