Honors in Economics
Qualified students may graduate with honors in Economics by fulfilling the following requirements:
Honors Thesis: Students must complete an original honors thesis approved by the Department’s Undergraduate Committee. This requires careful academic planning to ensure the thesis is completed by the end of the final semester.
Faculty Mentorship: Students should take upper-division courses in areas of interest and identify faculty members willing to supervise a substantial research project.
Recommended Preparation: Completion of ECO 321 is strongly recommended prior to beginning honors thesis work. Students should collaborate closely with a faculty advisor and enroll in ECO 487 in a subsequent semester. Both the student and advisor are expected to dedicate sufficient time and effort to ensure the thesis meets the standards required for an honors distinction.
The thesis must be submitted by the end of the spring semester of the senior year. However, students are encouraged to initiate their research in the fall semester to allow ample time for developing a well-crafted and polished final project.
Eligibility Criteria
Honors in Economics will be awarded to graduating seniors who meet the following academic standards:
- Core Course GPA: Minimum 3.5 GPA across six core courses (ECO 110, ECO 111, ECO 303, ECO 305, ECO 320, ECO 321), with no grade lower than a B.
- Elective GPA: Minimum 3.5 GPA in five upper-division Economics electives.
- Advanced Coursework: Completion of six credits in 400-level Economics courses.
- Thesis Submission: A completed honors thesis submitted to the Director of Undergraduate Studies for evaluation by the Undergraduate Committee.