Honors in Italian Studies
All seniors majoring in Italian Studies must complete the Senior Seminar (ITAL 400). Students who wish to be considered for honors in Italian Studies must have an overall GPA of at least 3.40 and must complete an Independent Research Project (ITAL 550) in addition to the Senior Seminar. Students must identify a faculty member who is willing to serve as their Independent Research Project advisor, submit a proposal, and write a thesis, which will be evaluated by an honors committee appointed by the Italian Studies Chair. The final projects for the Independent Research Project and the Senior Seminar must be separate; students may not work on the same topic for both courses.
Normally, honors projects are completed during the spring semester of a student’s senior year, and ITAL 550 carries one academic credit. Honors is a separate designation that appears on the student’s transcript and diploma. If the final project is not deemed worthy of honors, the student will still receive academic credit for the Independent Research Project (ITAL 550).
Honors Timeline
1. Proposal — Fall Semester
The proposal must be submitted no later than two weeks before the end of fall-semester classes. The Italian Studies Department will announce the exact deadline. The proposal should be five to seven pages long, excluding the outline and bibliography, and provide a detailed description of the research project. It should explain the questions to be addressed, the current state of scholarship on the topic, the project’s contribution to current scholarship, and a tentative answer to the research question (i.e., a thesis statement).
A tentative outline of the thesis chapters (approximately one page, in Italian) should also be included. The proposal should also include a bibliography (one to two pages) listing primary and secondary sources under separate headings. In the bibliography, the student should indicate which studies and documents they have already consulted as well as the materials they plan to review. The proposal must be written entirely in Italian.
2. Proposal Approval
Before the last day of classes in the fall semester, the Italian Studies Chair will inform prospective honors students and their advisors whether their proposals have been approved and, if so, will provide feedback from the Italian Studies faculty.
3. Revised Proposal
By the end of the second week of the spring semester, students whose proposals have been approved must submit a revised proposal incorporating the faculty’s feedback.
4. Thesis Submission
Four weeks before the end of classes, students must submit a thesis written in Italian and approximately 30 pages in length, excluding the bibliography. The Italian Studies Chair will appoint the faculty members who will serve on the honors committee and evaluate the thesis.
5. Honors Defense
During the week of final examinations, the student will meet with the honors committee to present, discuss, and defend their work.
6. Final Thesis
On the Friday of the week before graduation, the student will submit a revised version of the thesis incorporating feedback provided during the defense.
7. Completion of Requirements
If a student fails to meet the deadlines, make the required revisions, or fulfill any of the requirements, they will forfeit the opportunity to receive honors. The grade for the Independent Research Project (ITAL 550) will be posted to the transcript even if the student does not earn honors.