Honors Program
The Honors Program in Anthropology is administered by the Department of Anthropology and the UConn Honors Program. Honors students get access to a range of challenging courses and conduct independent research in close collaboration with a faculty member.
Program Options
The UConn Honors Program offers two graduation awards. Students can pursue one or both honors awards, and you can work toward the awards simultaneously.
University Honors Laureate
University Honors Laureate is designed to encompass a three or four-year honors experience. It requires you to complete the Honors Scholar in the Major award plus an additional 15 honors credits, a breadth of study across all 30 honors credits, and additional co-curricular experiences.
Honors Scholar in the Major
Honors Scholar in the Major represents in-depth study in your field. It requires honors work in your major (or related), an approved thesis, engagement in your major field outside of the classroom, and a minimum GPA. This 15-credit award is designed to be completed in approximately two years.
If you did not join UConn with honors and would like to apply for the Honors Program in Anthropology, it is not too late! Please review the application guidelines and deadlines for current UConn or transfer students.
Honors Scholar in Anthropology Requirements
Honors Credits
Students must complete at least 15 honors credits. These must include at least 12 anthropology credits at the 2000 level or above. Courses can include anthropology honors courses, honors conversions, or any graduate level (5000-level) anthropology course. Three additional honors credits can be earned in the major, a related field, and/or at any level.
Thesis
Within the 15 credits, students must take at least three credits toward a supervised honors thesis/project. The thesis is typically conducted under the direct supervision of a faculty member who shares an interest in the thesis project topic. You should reach out to faculty early on to find a suitable thesis advisor.
Some students choose to conduct the thesis over two semesters using an honors level independent study (ANTH 3098) to conduct the research, followed by an honors thesis course (ANTH 4097W) to write the findings. It is also possible to work intensively on a thesis in one semester by signing up for ANTH 4097W with a faculty member.
Note: it is possible to use ANTH 4097W to satisfy the writing (W) requirement for the major.
Completion of Engagement in the Major
This requirement is tailored to each individual student. Previous examples include interning for an eco-friendly fashion company, participating in an excavation project, attending a series of professional lectures and reflecting on the experience, volunteering at a museum, or presenting research at a conference.
GPA and Grade Requirements
- Courses must be graded (no P/F and no S/U) with a B- or above to be eligible for honors credits.
- Students must earn a cumulative degree GPA of at least a 3.4.
For more information, please review the UConn Honors Program’s Graduation Requirements.
Contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies
For more information about the anthropology honors program and opportunities in our department, please contact: