Honors in Literary and Cultural Studies allows students to work on a critical thesis in their chosen periods or areas of theoretical focus during their senior year, under the guidance of a faculty adviser.

Students are eligible if they meet the following requirements:

• have completed at least six major courses by the end of their junior year, and
• have a grade point average (GPA) in the major of 3.5 or higher, and an overall college GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Students apply by submitting the Literary and Cultural Studies Honors Thesis Application (which can be found in the
Guide to Honors in Literary and Cultural Studies) to the Department Administrator and Vice-Chair. For the 2026-27 honors cohort, this application is due at 4 p.m. on May 11, 2026.

Honors students are required to take the honors seminar, ENGL 097, in the fall of their senior year. This course will be mandatory for the honors sequence beginning in 2025-26. ENGL 97 will count as one of the eleven courses in the major. 

The thesis is to be completed during two terms of ENGL 98 and ENGL 99. ENGL 99 constitutes a twelfth course in the major.

Students must satisfy two further requirements in order to graduate with Honors in English:

• must complete a senior-level seminar in English and Creative Writing (ENGL 71-75) prior to the first term of ENGL 98/99 or advanced workshop (CRWT 60, 61, or 62) before CRWT 98/99, and
• must satisfy the theory requirement of the major (Course Group IV) before the term in which they complete the Honors thesis and submit it for evaluation.

For more information, including sample proposals, deadlines, and advice, please consult the
Guide to Honors in Literary and Cultural Studies and if you have any outstanding questions, please reach out to the Honors Director.

2025 Honors Director: Professor Matthew Ritger
2026 Honors Director: Professor Jessica Beckman

For the 2026-27 honors cycle, the Literary and Cultural Studies Honors Application is to be submitted to the Department Administrator and Vice Chair no later than 4 PM on May 11, 2026.