The Abbott English Honors Program welcomes and promotes original work produced by senior majors in the Department of English, work of exceptional quality and polish that makes a contribution to the field.

Students admitted to the program may work either for one or two semesters on a single project, under the direction of a faculty member and with the insights of a faculty reader, and will participate fully in all Abbott Scholars Program events. Here are a few ways to pursue Honors in English:

  • A student may produce a scholarly or creative thesis in the senior year, and work over the course of both fall and spring semesters. To pursue this option, students enroll in English 498 in the fall and English 499 in the spring.
  • A student may produce a one-semester scholarly or creative thesis either semester in the senior year. To pursue this option, students enroll in English 499. This option is best reserved for a student with advanced preparation in the topic.
  • A student may extend work done in a 300- or 400-level course, and in the following semester produce a scholarly or creative thesis born of that course work.
  • A student may extend work done over the summer through such opportunities as the Davidson Research Initiative or an Abernethy Grant, and produce a scholarly or creative thesis born of that summer's work.

Each of these projects requires that students apply the semester prior to their Honors work.

Why Honors

Honors is an unparalleled opportunity to explore a research topic in depth, or draft a major work in the genre of your own choosing. At graduation, you will not only have the Honors designation, but a substantive work that you'll have created over an extended period of time.

We strongly encourage you to apply for Honors if you are:

  • Eager to pursue an extended independent research or creative project.
  • Considering applying to a graduate program. It will enhance your experiences, your candidacy, and may even help you decide whether to pursue graduate studies.
  • seeking to publish your creative work after graduation.

Important Dates & Deadlines

Fall Semester 2023

Friday, September 8 at 5 p.m.                                               Individual syllabi due to committees
Thursday, November 30 at 5:30 p.m.                                           Abbott Honors Program Dinner and Lecture
Monday, December 15 at 11:59 p.m.                                    Drafts of 1/3 of projects due to committees

Spring Semester 2024

Friday, February 16 at 5 p.m.                                          Drafts of second third (for year-long students) and the first half of thesis (for semester-long students) due
Friday, March 15 at 5 p.m.                                                  Complete drafts of the thesis
Friday, April 12 at 5 p.m. Revised and completed thesis due
Monday, April 22 at 7 p.m. Honors Colloquium
Wednesday, April 24 – Wednesday, May 1 Defenses
Monday, May 6 at 11 p.m.                                                      Final corrected and formatted thesis due

Applying For Honors

Prerequisites For Application

  • GPA 3.5 in major; 3.2 overall
  • Appropriate course work in proposed field

Preparing To Apply For Honors

  • Review your transcript. Consider what you have studied, what you wish to pursue, and how your intellectual and creative interests might benefit from the Honors process.
  • Talk with your adviser about whether Honors will complement your development as an English major and seek guidance from the Program Director.
  • When contemplating a thesis, remember that Honors English Theses take two forms—Critical and Creative—and be conducted over one semester (for candidates with considerable advanced preparation) or two semesters.
  • Discuss your ideas with a potential thesis Director.
  • Attend the spring Honors Information session.

All applicants must demonstrate sufficient course work in the area of the proposed thesis. Also, all applicants must have the support of an English Department faculty member—that is, a professor willing to direct and advise the project for its duration.

Application For Critical Theses

If you wish to write a thesis about an existing literary work or works and perform critical research and analysis you must complete and submit by announced due date:

  • A maximum two-page (double-spaced) topic proposal plus a working bibliography
  • The appropriate Honors application form
  • Writing sample (maximum five pages plus bibliography)
  • Due early May

Application For Creative Theses

If you wish to hone your literary, film or digital skills on a creative thesis, you must complete and submit by announced due date:

  • Maximum two-page (double-spaced) project proposal, in which you identify the genre(s) in which you propose to work, outline the theme or issue you wish to explore, and any aesthetic frameworks you hope to experiment with and/or apply.
  • The appropriate Honors application form.
  • Sample of your work in the proposed genre: 5 pages for poetry, 10 pages for fiction/creative nonfiction; 10 minutes max for a film; digital samples should include no more than 1000 words and/or take no more than 15 minutes to ready/use/interact with.
  • Due early May

Whether you draft a critical or creative proposal, remember it will be read by all English Department faculty, many of whom will not be familiar with your work or with the specifics of your proposed project. So be clear, concrete, and use accessible language. Equally, your writing sample should showcase your verbal abilities and reveal you at your intellectual and creative best.

Turn in the Honors Application Form, your proposal, and your sample to the Program Director via email.

Evaluation Of Applications

An evaluation meeting is conducted by the Honors Coordinator with an identical process for each applicant. The proposals are discussed and accepted by departmental vote using the following criteria:

  • Prerequisite course work
  • Quality of proposal and writing sample
  • Willingness of a faculty member to direct the proposed project
  • Comments from faculty

The Coordinator notifies those admitted to Honors by the end of May on the composition of their committee.

For a timetable of what happens if you're accepted as an Honors Candidate, refer to the "Approximate Timetable" in the Honors Curriculum and Designation section below.

For additional inspiration and clarification regarding potential theses, we encourage you to visit the College Archives, where all English theses are on file for your review.

Honors Thesis Standards

Honors will be awarded on the following criteria:

  • A thesis that makes a contribution to the field by demonstrating a sustained, sophisticated, and elegant exploration of a topic or in a creative discipline.
  • A successful defense that shows mastery of the subject.
  • A strong colloquium presentation to a mostly non-specialist audience.
  • Active participation in all Honors-related activities, such as workshops.

Honors Curriculum and Designation

Once admitted as an Honors candidate, planning becomes an important part of completing the curriculum and achieving an Honors designation.

Establishing Guidelines

All Honors candidates meet with their committee to discuss the specific parameters of what is expected out of the project in terms of length, research, etc. But some general guidelines are as follows:

  • Critical theses usually range between twenty-five and thirty pages (or 6,250-7,500 words).
  • Collections of poems usually range between twenty-four and forty-eight single-spaced pages.
  • Fiction theses usually range between forty and eighty pages (or 10,000 to 20,000 words).
  • Creative nonfiction essays usually range between forty and eighty pages (or 10,000 to 20,000 words).
  • Theses in film could range from a series of thirty-second or non-narrative or experimental projects to a full-length feature and should include a process reflection essay (up to four pages) identifying initial goals, obstacles encountered, and insights gained.
  • A thesis in digital scholarship (such as computational textual analysis, a podcast, data mining, or a digital archive) or a creative digital work (such as electronic literature, digital storytelling, or a video game) may have a considerably smaller word count and scope than print genres, but should include a process reflection essay (up to four pages) identifying initial goals, obstacles encountered, and insights gained.

Approximate Timetable

The program coordinator meets regularly with the honors candidates enrolled in ENG 498 and ENG 499 to discuss progress, obstacles, and work in development.

May

The Coordinator notifies those admitted to Honors.

July 1

Reader chooses two-three books, and the Director can take that number up to 10; the Director sends the reading list to the Student, Reader, and Coordinator during the first week of July; the books are to be read during the summer and fall semester for two-semester projects, with an accelerated time-table for a single semester thesis.

First Week of Classes

Director, Reader, and Student meet to establish ground rules and establish weekly tutorials

Fall and Spring Semester

The program coordinator meets regularly with the honors candidates enrolled in ENG 498 and ENG 499 to discuss progress, obstacles, and work in development.

Early October

First half of thesis due for fall-semester projects.

Prior to Thanksgiving Break

Complete thesis due for fall-semester projects.

Late November to Early December

One-hour defenses of fall semester theses with Director, Reader, and Program Coordinator.

Mid-December

First third of thesis due for year-long projects; content to be determined by Director. This third project draft is read by the Director, the Reader, and the Honors Coordinator.

Mid-February

Second third of thesis due for year-long projects. First half of thesis is due for spring semester projects. First half of thesis due for spring semester projects.

Late March / Early April

Spring Colloquium for the creative writers (who read) and scholars (who either read the high points of their theses or extemporize); students give 7-10 minute presentations, followed by a question and answer period.

Mid-April

Final project is due.

May

Part of ENG 499, private, one-hour defenses of theses with the Director, Reader, and Program Coordinator for all year-long and spring projects.

To Qualify for Honors

Honors are awarded at graduation time, at the discretion of the English Department, and provided ALL criteria below have been met by the candidate:

  • 3.5 major GPA at the time of graduation and 3.2 overall GPA
  • 10 courses in the major (including courses required of all majors)
  • One or two additional courses: English 498 and/or 499 depending on enrollment in the one-year or one-semester options
  • Creative thesis writers are expected to take a writing course in the appropriate genre if one is offered in the senior year
  • A grade of at least B+ in both English 498 and/or 499 depending on enrollment in the one-year or one-semester options

 

Tony and Susan Abbott

The Abbott Scholars Program is named for Professor of English Emeritus Tony Abbott, a well-known poet, novelist, essayist, and literary critic, and his wife Susan.

Learn More About Tony Abbott's Legacy