unc honors essay

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College Essays

If you're applying for admission to UNC Chapel Hill , you'll have to write a total of three essays as part of your application. Your UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays are a great way to tell the admissions committee more about yourself while also showing your interest in UNC and your dedication to your education.

In this article, we'll break down what the UNC essay prompts are, what you should talk about in each, and offer tips for writing great UNC supplemental essays.

What Are the UNC Essay Prompts?

UNC Chapel Hill uses the Common Application for its admissions process. As a first-year applicant, you'll be required to write a total of three essays: one Common Application essay and two UNC-specific essays.

The UNC supplemental essays are two 200-250 word essays that respond to UNC-specific questions. There are a total of four UNC supplemental essays to choose from; you get to pick whichever two you would like to answer.

Here are the four UNC essay prompts:

• Describe an aspect of your identity and how this has shaped your life experiences or impacted your daily interactions with others?
• Describe a peer who is making a difference in your school or community. What actions has that peer taken? How has their work made a difference in your life?
• If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Please explain.
• Former UNC-Chapel Hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist Esphur Foster once said, “We are nothing without our history.” Her words are memorialized on the Northside Neighborhood Freedom Fighters monument. How does history shape who you are?

In the next section, we'll talk about how to answer each of the UNC supplemental essays.

UNC Supplemental Essays, Analyzed

Each of the four UNC essay prompts asks you to share about something in your life that the admissions committee wouldn't know from reading the rest of your application. The key to writing great UNC supplemental essays is to be personal and specific.

Let's take a look at what the admissions committee wants to know in each prompt.

Describe an aspect of your identity and how this has shaped your life experiences or impacted your daily interactions with others? (200-250 words)

To answer this prompt, you'll have to do three things. First, you need to identify a peer who's active in your community and making a difference. You can interpret the word “peer” loosely here if you want to. It could be someone your age or someone from your school, or just another person in your social group you’ve seen making a difference. 

No matter who you choose, you'll have to briefly explain who they are and what they're doing. This will help your readers contextualize why this person is important! And, as usual, it's even better if you can do this in a story format. Maybe you volunteered with someone from your dance class who also happens to be one of the most outspoken advocates for climate change in your city. Telling a story about your personal experience with them would take your essay to another level.

Finally, you need to be very specific about how the community builder you've chosen has impacted your life. While it's great if you have a close relationship with this person, you don't have to in order to write a great essay! Maybe your school’s student body president organized a group that cleans litter out of neighborhoods. While you don't know her personally, her group's hard work makes your life cleaner, and it helps people have more pride in their city.

Keep in mind that even though you're talking about another person, this essay should still showcase something about you. Pick a person who inspires you or shares your values, and explain why you think their work matters. Don't miss the chance to help admissions counselors get to know you better!

Describe an aspect of your identity (for example, your religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, affinity group, etc.). How has this aspect of your identity shaped your life experiences thus far? (200-250 words)

To answer this prompt, you're going to have to do a little introspection. The admissions counselors want you to write about one aspect of who you are , then explain how it has impacted your values, ideas, and experiences.

The good news (and maybe bad news?) is that there are tons of facets to your personality. The prompt gives you a few big areas you can focus on, but the trick is going to be to pick an element of your identity that you can tell a story about.

Let's say you identify as trans. That's probably a huge part of who you are! To write this essay, start by telling a story about how your trans identity has shaped you. Maybe you were elected homecoming queen after you transitioned, and it showed you how accepting yourself was the first step in being accepted by others. Whatever the case may be, using a story will be key to connecting with your audience.

And of course, don't forget to answer the second part of the prompt about how this part of your identity has shaped you as a person. Make sure you're making the connection for your reader! Don't just say you're the child of Palestinian immigrants. Explain how that has solidified your commitment to humanitarianism and economic equality.

If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Please explain. (200-250 words)

While this prompt may seem serious, it doesn't have to be. You don't need to do in-depth research into your neighborhood and your city's politics, but you do need to pick a change that has personal meaning for you.

For instance, maybe you and your neighbors don't know each other well and you'd like to have a greater feeling of community with the people you live nearby. That reason has nothing to do with legislation, but would still make a big impact!

The key here is to identify the thing you would change, then explain why you would make that change. Going back to our example about neighborhood community, maybe the "why" is because it would help you support one another. Your neighbors could help each other with yard work, child care, and maybe even after school tutoring! By bringing people together, not only do you take some of the burden off of individuals, but it would form the bonds that help make neighborhoods happy, healthy, and safe places to live.

The last crucial detail you need to discuss in your response is how you would contribute to this change. Don't be afraid of dreaming big! You can easily integrate your explanation of how you’d contribute into your description of the change that you want to see. 

To the extent that you can, give concrete details about what you’d do to support this change . As much as this prompt is asking about your community, it’s even more interested in finding out how you perceive your role in your community--and whether you take that responsibility seriously. 

Former UNC-Chapel Hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist Esphur Foster once said, “We are nothing without our history.” Her words are memorialized on the Northside Neighborhood Freedom Fighters monument. How does history shape who you are? (200-250 words)

This prompt is asking you to show your awareness of your place in the world beyond the things that are local to you, like your family, school, and hometown. Understanding how history has shaped who you are helps you be an ethical citizen and member of your communities--qualities that UNC is looking for in its applicants!

But “history” seems a little broad, right? The good news about that is that you can bring your own interpretation of the term “history” to your response here. You could look reflect on aspects of U.S. history, world history, or the history of a set of religious beliefs. You could write about something more personal, like your family history, or something pertaining to your academic interests, like the history of women in computer science!

The key here is to make sure you explain how a specific piece of history has shaped who you are --your identity and your views of the world. To do this effectively, you won’t be able to summarize the entire history of the United States or the legacies of second-wave feminism. You’ll have to incorporate one or two historical details into your story and dive deep into how they have shaped who you are. Because as the prompt says, we are nothing without our history!

3 Tips For Mastering Your UNC Essays

Hoping to write two amazing UNC supplemental essays? Follow these key tips to do so!

#1: Use Your Own Voice

The point of a college essay is for the admissions committee to have the chance to get to know you beyond what's featured in other parts of your application. Your admissions essays are your chance to become more than just a collection of statistics—to really come alive for your application readers.

Make sure that the person you're presenting in your college essays is yourself. Don't just write what you think the committee wants to hear or try to act like someone you're not—it will be really easy for the committee to tell you're lying.

If you lie or exaggerate, your essay will come across as insincere, which will at best diminish its effectiveness and at worst make the admissions committee think twice on accepting you. Stick to telling real stories about the person you really are, not who you think UNC wants you to be.

#2: Avoid Cliches and Overused Phrases

When writing your UNC essays, don't use cliches or overused quotes or phrases. The college admissions committee has probably seen numerous essays that state, "Be the change you want to see in the world." You can write something more original than that!

Each of the UNC essays asks you something specific about your experience or background. Your essay should be 100% you—you don't want the admissions committee to think, "Anyone could have written this essay."

#3: Check Your Work

Your UNC essays should be the strongest example of your work possible. Before you turn in your UNC Chapel Hill application, edit and proofread your essays.

Run your essays through a spelling and grammar check before you submit and ask someone else to read your essays. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend. Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Have them check and make sure you haven't missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it possibly can be.

Final Thoughts

Your UNC supplemental essays are your chance to show the admissions committee what makes you special and different from the other tens of thousands of students applying for admission at UNC.

In your essays, make sure you are authentic, well-spoken, and polished so you give the admissions committee the best possible understanding of who you are as a person.

What's Next?

Need more help with your scholarship search? Read our expert guide on how to find college scholarships .

Need help writing your Common App essay? Our tips will show you how to write a Common App essay guaranteed to make you stand out from other applicants!

How does UNC's selectivity compare with those of other top colleges? Get the answer in our guide to the most selective schools in the nation !

Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

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On the Criteria for Admission to the Honors College as a First-Year Student

"Our goal every year is to have a diverse population of incoming future students who see themselves as fitting and growing within an Honors community that is inclusive. Consequently, our approach when reading and considering Honors applications is holistic.

No GPA or testing score will guarantee you acceptance to the Honors College or automatically exclude you. Outstanding applicants for the Honors College are defined by a wide range of other qualitative characteristics. We are aware that not all students can participate in high school gifted programs or take a long list of AP or honors classes;  what we value most is your story.

If you are academically motivated, curious, creative, and want to take advantage of all the opportunities that the Honors College will offer you, you are encouraged to apply. An application that displays reflection and authenticity about your academic and extra-curricular accomplishments, your interests, your plans for the future, and even your failures will take you further than any scores."

- Dr. Eva Mehl, Interim Director of the UNCW Honors College

Here's How to Apply as a First-Year Student

Step one of any major life decision is to learn more about that decision! Browse our website, email our Honors Ambassadors, peruse our social media, and stop by our office if you come to Wilmington.

Visit the Honors College

The CommonApp will ask you if you are interested in applying to Honors. If you are, click "yes." Once you click "yes" to apply to Honors, you will be prompted to complete an Honors Essay (350 words) on one of two following prompts: 

A. Intellectual curiosity is a distinguishing characteristic of an Honors student. It doesn't matter what fascinates you, as long as something does!  In what ways have you followed your curiosity in the past and how do you want to continue to follow your intellectual curiosity during your time at UNCW?

B. The Honors College encourages interdisciplinarity--interacting with and intertwining multiple subjects and disciplines. We often offer classes that lay on the intersections between art and science, literature and sociology, or religion and technology, to name a few.  What interdisciplinarity have you found in your own life and academic interests? 

All essays must be original content written for the purpose of the Honors essay. Plagiarizing yourself or others will result in an immediate "deny" decision being returned. 

The Honors College cannot admit you until after the Office of Admissions has done so. Please hold inquiries about your Honors status until after you've received an acceptance from UNCW.  

Please feel free to email [email protected]  with questions if you have not received a decision by the noted dates or with other questions about Honors. 

For early action applicants: Honors College decisions will be rendered by February 1. 

For regular decision applicants: Honors College decisions will be rendered by April 1. 

You will receive an email in your UNCW inbox about your Honors admissions decision and you can choose to receive a letter in the mail (later). Checking your UNCW email is the most reliable way to keep track of your UNCW Honors admissions decision.

Scholarship offers will not be made in the same letter as the Honors acceptance letter. Please continue to monitor your UNCW email inbox to learn about your financial aid package.

All admitted students must accept their invitation to join Honors by April 15th  using the link emailed in their acceptance letter to be guaranteed admission to Honors for their intended year. Failure to do so by the priority deadline can result in having your admission revoked due to high demand. 

Application Recommendations

Here are the application recommendations for applying to Honors:

• Honors is attentive to academic background, essays, extracurricular activities (including work), and leadership. Not all students will have test scores, due to the UNC System's test-optional status due to COVID. 
• UNCW merit scholarships and Honors College scholarships are typically awarded on a rolling basis, not at admission to Honors
• Due to deadlines, all students interested in Honors Scholarships must apply early action
• All students must submit the UNCW Scholarship Application to be considered for scholarships, including Honors scholarships (due March 1st)
• GPA (weighted): 4.31
• 11% of students were in the top 20 of their high school
• 87% of admitted students were ranked as having strong leadership and involvement
• Please remember these are averages : honors students had scores both above and below these numbers. The Honors College at UNCW prides itself on a holistic approach to admissions and considers many aspects of candidates

Honors Theses

What this handout is about.

Writing a senior honors thesis, or any major research essay, can seem daunting at first. A thesis requires a reflective, multi-stage writing process. This handout will walk you through those stages. It is targeted at students in the humanities and social sciences, since their theses tend to involve more writing than projects in the hard sciences. Yet all thesis writers may find the organizational strategies helpful.

Introduction

What is an honors thesis.

That depends quite a bit on your field of study. However, all honors theses have at least two things in common:

• They are based on students’ original research.
• They take the form of a written manuscript, which presents the findings of that research. In the humanities, theses average 50-75 pages in length and consist of two or more chapters. In the social sciences, the manuscript may be shorter, depending on whether the project involves more quantitative than qualitative research. In the hard sciences, the manuscript may be shorter still, often taking the form of a sophisticated laboratory report.

Who can write an honors thesis?

In general, students who are at the end of their junior year, have an overall 3.2 GPA, and meet their departmental requirements can write a senior thesis. For information about your eligibility, contact:

• UNC Honors Program
• Your departmental administrators of undergraduate studies/honors

Why write an honors thesis?

Satisfy your intellectual curiosity This is the most compelling reason to write a thesis. Whether it’s the short stories of Flannery O’Connor or the challenges of urban poverty, you’ve studied topics in college that really piqued your interest. Now’s your chance to follow your passions, explore further, and contribute some original ideas and research in your field.

Develop transferable skills Whether you choose to stay in your field of study or not, the process of developing and crafting a feasible research project will hone skills that will serve you well in almost any future job. After all, most jobs require some form of problem solving and oral and written communication. Writing an honors thesis requires that you:

• ask smart questions
• acquire the investigative instincts needed to find answers
• navigate libraries, laboratories, archives, databases, and other research venues
• develop the flexibility to redirect your research if your initial plan flops
• master the art of time management
• hone your argumentation skills
• organize a lengthy piece of writing
• polish your oral communication skills by presenting and defending your project to faculty and peers

Work closely with faculty mentors At large research universities like Carolina, you’ve likely taken classes where you barely got to know your instructor. Writing a thesis offers the opportunity to work one-on-one with a with faculty adviser. Such mentors can enrich your intellectual development and later serve as invaluable references for graduate school and employment.

Open windows into future professions An honors thesis will give you a taste of what it’s like to do research in your field. Even if you’re a sociology major, you may not really know what it’s like to be a sociologist. Writing a sociology thesis would open a window into that world. It also might help you decide whether to pursue that field in graduate school or in your future career.

How do you write an honors thesis?

Get an idea of what’s expected.

It’s a good idea to review some of the honors theses other students have submitted to get a sense of what an honors thesis might look like and what kinds of things might be appropriate topics. Look for examples from the previous year in the Carolina Digital Repository. You may also be able to find past theses collected in your major department or at the North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library. Pay special attention to theses written by students who share your major.

Choose a topic

Ideally, you should start thinking about topics early in your junior year, so you can begin your research and writing quickly during your senior year. (Many departments require that you submit a proposal for an honors thesis project during the spring of your junior year.)

How should you choose a topic?

• Read widely in the fields that interest you. Make a habit of browsing professional journals to survey the “hot” areas of research and to familiarize yourself with your field’s stylistic conventions. (You’ll find the most recent issues of the major professional journals in the periodicals reading room on the first floor of Davis Library).
• Set up appointments to talk with faculty in your field. This is a good idea, since you’ll eventually need to select an advisor and a second reader. Faculty also can help you start narrowing down potential topics.
• Look at honors theses from the past. The North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library holds UNC honors theses. To get a sense of the typical scope of a thesis, take a look at a sampling from your field.

What makes a good topic?

• It’s fascinating. Above all, choose something that grips your imagination. If you don’t, the chances are good that you’ll struggle to finish.
• It’s doable. Even if a topic interests you, it won’t work out unless you have access to the materials you need to research it. Also be sure that your topic is narrow enough. Let’s take an example: Say you’re interested in the efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and early 1980s. That’s a big topic that probably can’t be adequately covered in a single thesis. You need to find a case study within that larger topic. For example, maybe you’re particularly interested in the states that did not ratify the ERA. Of those states, perhaps you’ll select North Carolina, since you’ll have ready access to local research materials. And maybe you want to focus primarily on the ERA’s opponents. Beyond that, maybe you’re particularly interested in female opponents of the ERA. Now you’ve got a much more manageable topic: Women in North Carolina Who Opposed the ERA in the 1970s and 1980s.
• It contains a question. There’s a big difference between having a topic and having a guiding research question. Taking the above topic, perhaps your main question is: Why did some women in North Carolina oppose the ERA? You will, of course, generate other questions: Who were the most outspoken opponents? White women? Middle-class women? How did they oppose the ERA? Public protests? Legislative petitions? etc. etc. Yet it’s good to start with a guiding question that will focus your research.

Goal-setting and time management

The senior year is an exceptionally busy time for college students. In addition to the usual load of courses and jobs, seniors have the daunting task of applying for jobs and/or graduate school. These demands are angst producing and time consuming If that scenario sounds familiar, don’t panic! Do start strategizing about how to make a time for your thesis. You may need to take a lighter course load or eliminate extracurricular activities. Even if the thesis is the only thing on your plate, you still need to make a systematic schedule for yourself. Most departments require that you take a class that guides you through the honors project, so deadlines likely will be set for you. Still, you should set your own goals for meeting those deadlines. Here are a few suggestions for goal setting and time management:

Start early. Keep in mind that many departments will require that you turn in your thesis sometime in early April, so don’t count on having the entire spring semester to finish your work. Ideally, you’ll start the research process the semester or summer before your senior year so that the writing process can begin early in the fall. Some goal-setting will be done for you if you are taking a required class that guides you through the honors project. But any substantive research project requires a clear timetable.

Set clear goals in making a timetable. Find out the final deadline for turning in your project to your department. Working backwards from that deadline, figure out how much time you can allow for the various stages of production.

Here is a sample timetable. Use it, however, with two caveats in mind:

• The timetable for your thesis might look very different depending on your departmental requirements.
• You may not wish to proceed through these stages in a linear fashion. You may want to revise chapter one before you write chapter two. Or you might want to write your introduction last, not first. This sample is designed simply to help you start thinking about how to customize your own schedule.

Sample timetable

Avoid falling into the trap of procrastination. Once you’ve set goals for yourself, stick to them! For some tips on how to do this, see our handout on procrastination .

Consistent production

It’s a good idea to try to squeeze in a bit of thesis work every day—even if it’s just fifteen minutes of journaling or brainstorming about your topic. Or maybe you’ll spend that fifteen minutes taking notes on a book. The important thing is to accomplish a bit of active production (i.e., putting words on paper) for your thesis every day. That way, you develop good writing habits that will help you keep your project moving forward.

Make yourself accountable to someone other than yourself

Since most of you will be taking a required thesis seminar, you will have deadlines. Yet you might want to form a writing group or enlist a peer reader, some person or people who can help you stick to your goals. Moreover, if your advisor encourages you to work mostly independently, don’t be afraid to ask them to set up periodic meetings at which you’ll turn in installments of your project.

Brainstorming and freewriting

One of the biggest challenges of a lengthy writing project is keeping the creative juices flowing. Here’s where freewriting can help. Try keeping a small notebook handy where you jot down stray ideas that pop into your head. Or schedule time to freewrite. You may find that such exercises “free” you up to articulate your argument and generate new ideas. Here are some questions to stimulate freewriting.

Questions for basic brainstorming at the beginning of your project:

• What do I already know about this topic?
• Why do I care about this topic?
• Why is this topic important to people other than myself
• What more do I want to learn about this topic?
• What is the main question that I am trying to answer?
• Where can I look for additional information?
• Who is my audience and how can I reach them?
• How will my work inform my larger field of study?
• What’s the main goal of my research project?

Questions for reflection throughout your project:

• What’s my main argument? How has it changed since I began the project?
• What’s the most important evidence that I have in support of my “big point”?
• What questions do my sources not answer?
• How does my case study inform or challenge my field writ large?
• Does my project reinforce or contradict noted scholars in my field? How?
• What is the most surprising finding of my research?
• What is the most frustrating part of this project?
• What is the most rewarding part of this project?
• What will be my work’s most important contribution?

Research and note-taking

In conducting research, you will need to find both primary sources (“firsthand” sources that come directly from the period/events/people you are studying) and secondary sources (“secondhand” sources that are filtered through the interpretations of experts in your field.) The nature of your research will vary tremendously, depending on what field you’re in. For some general suggestions on finding sources, consult the UNC Libraries tutorials . Whatever the exact nature of the research you’re conducting, you’ll be taking lots of notes and should reflect critically on how you do that. Too often it’s assumed that the research phase of a project involves very little substantive writing (i.e., writing that involves thinking). We sit down with our research materials and plunder them for basic facts and useful quotations. That mechanical type of information-recording is important. But a more thoughtful type of writing and analytical thinking is also essential at this stage. Some general guidelines for note-taking:

First of all, develop a research system. There are lots of ways to take and organize your notes. Whether you choose to use note cards, computer databases, or notebooks, follow two cardinal rules:

• Make careful distinctions between direct quotations and your paraphrasing! This is critical if you want to be sure to avoid accidentally plagiarizing someone else’s work. For more on this, see our handout on plagiarism .
• Record full citations for each source. Don’t get lazy here! It will be far more difficult to find the proper citation later than to write it down now.

Keeping those rules in mind, here’s a template for the types of information that your note cards/legal pad sheets/computer files should include for each of your sources:

Abbreviated subject heading: Include two or three words to remind you of what this sources is about (this shorthand categorization is essential for the later sorting of your sources).

Complete bibliographic citation:

• author, title, publisher, copyright date, and page numbers for published works
• box and folder numbers and document descriptions for archival sources
• complete web page title, author, address, and date accessed for online sources

Notes on facts, quotations, and arguments: Depending on the type of source you’re using, the content of your notes will vary. If, for example, you’re using US Census data, then you’ll mainly be writing down statistics and numbers. If you’re looking at someone else’s diary, you might jot down a number of quotations that illustrate the subject’s feelings and perspectives. If you’re looking at a secondary source, you’ll want to make note not just of factual information provided by the author but also of their key arguments.

Your interpretation of the source: This is the most important part of note-taking. Don’t just record facts. Go ahead and take a stab at interpreting them. As historians Jacques Barzun and Henry F. Graff insist, “A note is a thought.” So what do these thoughts entail? Ask yourself questions about the context and significance of each source.

Interpreting the context of a source:

• Who wrote/created the source?
• When, and under what circumstances, was it written/created?
• Why was it written/created? What was the agenda behind the source?
• How was it written/created?
• If using a secondary source: How does it speak to other scholarship in the field?

Interpreting the significance of a source:

• How does this source answer (or complicate) my guiding research questions?
• Does it pose new questions for my project? What are they?
• Does it challenge my fundamental argument? If so, how?
• Given the source’s context, how reliable is it?

You don’t need to answer all of these questions for each source, but you should set a goal of engaging in at least one or two sentences of thoughtful, interpretative writing for each source. If you do so, you’ll make much easier the next task that awaits you: drafting.

The dread of drafting

Why do we often dread drafting? We dread drafting because it requires synthesis, one of the more difficult forms of thinking and interpretation. If you’ve been free-writing and taking thoughtful notes during the research phase of your project, then the drafting should be far less painful. Here are some tips on how to get started:

Sort your “evidence” or research into analytical categories:

• Some people file note cards into categories.
• The technologically-oriented among us take notes using computer database programs that have built-in sorting mechanisms.
• Others cut and paste evidence into detailed outlines on their computer.
• Still others stack books, notes, and photocopies into topically-arranged piles.There is not a single right way, but this step—in some form or fashion—is essential!

If you’ve been forcing yourself to put subject headings on your notes as you go along, you’ll have generated a number of important analytical categories. Now, you need to refine those categories and sort your evidence. Everyone has a different “sorting style.”

Formulate working arguments for your entire thesis and individual chapters. Once you’ve sorted your evidence, you need to spend some time thinking about your project’s “big picture.” You need to be able to answer two questions in specific terms:

• What is the overall argument of my thesis?
• What are the sub-arguments of each chapter and how do they relate to my main argument?

Keep in mind that “working arguments” may change after you start writing. But a senior thesis is big and potentially unwieldy. If you leave this business of argument to chance, you may end up with a tangle of ideas. See our handout on arguments and handout on thesis statements for some general advice on formulating arguments.

Divide your thesis into manageable chunks. The surest road to frustration at this stage is getting obsessed with the big picture. What? Didn’t we just say that you needed to focus on the big picture? Yes, by all means, yes. You do need to focus on the big picture in order to get a conceptual handle on your project, but you also need to break your thesis down into manageable chunks of writing. For example, take a small stack of note cards and flesh them out on paper. Or write through one point on a chapter outline. Those small bits of prose will add up quickly.

Just start! Even if it’s not at the beginning. Are you having trouble writing those first few pages of your chapter? Sometimes the introduction is the toughest place to start. You should have a rough idea of your overall argument before you begin writing one of the main chapters, but you might find it easier to start writing in the middle of a chapter of somewhere other than word one. Grab hold where you evidence is strongest and your ideas are clearest.

Keep up the momentum! Assuming the first draft won’t be your last draft, try to get your thoughts on paper without spending too much time fussing over minor stylistic concerns. At the drafting stage, it’s all about getting those ideas on paper. Once that task is done, you can turn your attention to revising.

Peter Elbow, in Writing With Power, suggests that writing is difficult because it requires two conflicting tasks: creating and criticizing. While these two tasks are intimately intertwined, the drafting stage focuses on creating, while revising requires criticizing. If you leave your revising to the last minute, then you’ve left out a crucial stage of the writing process. See our handout for some general tips on revising . The challenges of revising an honors thesis may include:

Juggling feedback from multiple readers

A senior thesis may mark the first time that you have had to juggle feedback from a wide range of readers:

• your adviser
• a second (and sometimes third) faculty reader
• the professor and students in your honors thesis seminar

You may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of incorporating all this advice. Keep in mind that some advice is better than others. You will probably want to take most seriously the advice of your adviser since they carry the most weight in giving your project a stamp of approval. But sometimes your adviser may give you more advice than you can digest. If so, don’t be afraid to approach them—in a polite and cooperative spirit, of course—and ask for some help in prioritizing that advice. See our handout for some tips on getting and receiving feedback .

Refining your argument

It’s especially easy in writing a lengthy work to lose sight of your main ideas. So spend some time after you’ve drafted to go back and clarify your overall argument and the individual chapter arguments and make sure they match the evidence you present.

Organizing and reorganizing

Again, in writing a 50-75 page thesis, things can get jumbled. You may find it particularly helpful to make a “reverse outline” of each of your chapters. That will help you to see the big sections in your work and move things around so there’s a logical flow of ideas. See our handout on  organization  for more organizational suggestions and tips on making a reverse outline

Plugging in holes in your evidence

It’s unlikely that you anticipated everything you needed to look up before you drafted your thesis. Save some time at the revising stage to plug in the holes in your research. Make sure that you have both primary and secondary evidence to support and contextualize your main ideas.

Saving time for the small stuff

Even though your argument, evidence, and organization are most important, leave plenty of time to polish your prose. At this point, you’ve spent a very long time on your thesis. Don’t let minor blemishes (misspellings and incorrect grammar) distract your readers!

Formatting and final touches

You’re almost done! You’ve researched, drafted, and revised your thesis; now you need to take care of those pesky little formatting matters. An honors thesis should replicate—on a smaller scale—the appearance of a dissertation or master’s thesis. So, you need to include the “trappings” of a formal piece of academic work. For specific questions on formatting matters, check with your department to see if it has a style guide that you should use. For general formatting guidelines, consult the Graduate School’s Guide to Dissertations and Theses . Keeping in mind the caveat that you should always check with your department first about its stylistic guidelines, here’s a brief overview of the final “finishing touches” that you’ll need to put on your honors thesis:

• Honors Thesis
• Name of Department
• University of North Carolina
• These parts of the thesis will vary in format depending on whether your discipline uses MLA, APA, CBE, or Chicago (also known in its shortened version as Turabian) style. Whichever style you’re using, stick to the rules and be consistent. It might be helpful to buy an appropriate style guide. Or consult the UNC LibrariesYear Citations/footnotes and works cited/reference pages  citation tutorial
• In addition, in the bottom left corner, you need to leave space for your adviser and faculty readers to sign their names. For example:

Approved by: _____________________

Adviser: Prof. Jane Doe

• This is not a required component of an honors thesis. However, if you want to thank particular librarians, archivists, interviewees, and advisers, here’s the place to do it. You should include an acknowledgments page if you received a grant from the university or an outside agency that supported your research. It’s a good idea to acknowledge folks who helped you with a major project, but do not feel the need to go overboard with copious and flowery expressions of gratitude. You can—and should—always write additional thank-you notes to people who gave you assistance.
• Formatted much like the table of contents.
• You’ll need to save this until the end, because it needs to reflect your final pagination. Once you’ve made all changes to the body of the thesis, then type up your table of contents with the titles of each section aligned on the left and the page numbers on which those sections begin flush right.
• Each page of your thesis needs a number, although not all page numbers are displayed. All pages that precede the first page of the main text (i.e., your introduction or chapter one) are numbered with small roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, v, etc.). All pages thereafter use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.).
• Your text should be double spaced (except, in some cases, long excerpts of quoted material), in a 12 point font and a standard font style (e.g., Times New Roman). An honors thesis isn’t the place to experiment with funky fonts—they won’t enhance your work, they’ll only distract your readers.
• In general, leave a one-inch inch margin on all sides. However, for the copy of your thesis that will be bound by the library, you need to leave a 1.25-inch margin on the left.

How do I defend my honors thesis?

Graciously, enthusiastically, and confidently. The term defense is scary and misleading—it conjures up images of a military exercise or an athletic maneuver. An academic defense ideally shouldn’t be a combative scene but a congenial conversation about the work’s merits and weaknesses. That said, the defense probably won’t be like the average conversation that you have with your friends. You’ll be the center of attention. And you may get some challenging questions. Thus, it’s a good idea to spend some time preparing yourself. First of all, you’ll want to prepare 5-10 minutes of opening comments. Here’s a good time to preempt some criticisms by frankly acknowledging what you think your work’s greatest strengths and weaknesses are. Then you may be asked some typical questions:

• What is the main argument of your thesis?
• How does it fit in with the work of Ms. Famous Scholar?
• Have you read the work of Mr. Important Author?

NOTE: Don’t get too flustered if you haven’t! Most scholars have their favorite authors and books and may bring one or more of them up, even if the person or book is only tangentially related to the topic at hand. Should you get this question, answer honestly and simply jot down the title or the author’s name for future reference. No one expects you to have read everything that’s out there.

• Why did you choose this particular case study to explore your topic?
• If you were to expand this project in graduate school, how would you do so?

Should you get some biting criticism of your work, try not to get defensive. Yes, this is a defense, but you’ll probably only fan the flames if you lose your cool. Keep in mind that all academic work has flaws or weaknesses, and you can be sure that your professors have received criticisms of their own work. It’s part of the academic enterprise. Accept criticism graciously and learn from it. If you receive criticism that is unfair, stand up for yourself confidently, but in a good spirit. Above all, try to have fun! A defense is a rare opportunity to have eminent scholars in your field focus on YOU and your ideas and work. And the defense marks the end of a long and arduous journey. You have every right to be proud of your accomplishments!

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Atchity, Kenneth. 1986. A Writer’s Time: A Guide to the Creative Process from Vision Through Revision . New York: W.W. Norton.

Barzun, Jacques, and Henry F. Graff. 2012. The Modern Researcher , 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Elbow, Peter. 1998. Writing With Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process . New York: Oxford University Press.

Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. 2014. “They Say/I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing , 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.

Lamott, Anne. 1994. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life . New York: Pantheon.

Lasch, Christopher. 2002. Plain Style: A Guide to Written English. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Turabian, Kate. 2018. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, Dissertations , 9th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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• Senior Honors Thesis
• Golding Fund for Study of Slavery and the African American Experience

Many Honors Carolina students cap their undergraduate experience with a Senior Honors Thesis, partnering with a faculty mentor to develop original research or creative work. Students who successfully defend their thesis before a faculty review panel graduate with Honors or Highest Honors.

Each year, approximately 350 students complete a Senior Honors Thesis. For many of those students, the thesis becomes a first publication or an important part of their application to graduate or professional school.

Students may undertake a Senior Honors Thesis project only in their major field of study (with an exception for students who minor in Creative Writing). Students with double majors may graduate with Honors or Highest Honors in both fields of study. To do so, they must complete a distinct project in each field. All Senior Honors Thesis projects must be completed under the direct supervision of a faculty advisor. Tenured and tenure-track faculty, postdoctoral fellows with teaching appointments, and fixed-term faculty who have been employed by an academic unit for at least one year may serve as thesis advisors. Retired faculty and graduate students may not serve as advisors for Senior Honors Thesis projects.

Eligibility

Students who wish to undertake a Senior Honors Thesis project must have a cumulative GPA of 3.300 or higher. Academic departments may set higher thresholds for course work within students’ major field of study.

Students enrolled in the final semester of their thesis course work must complete their project (including the oral defense) by the following deadlines:

• Fall 2023 : Monday, November 13, 2023 4:00 p.m.
• Spring 2024: Monday, April 8, 2024 4:00 p.m.

These dates are subject to change if adjustments are made to the University Registrar’s calendars.

Your department should report your name to the Honors Carolina office by the relevant deadline above to confirm that you have met the requirements to graduate with Honors or Highest Honors.

Students are required to upload the final version of their thesis to the  Carolina Digital Repository  by the final day of class in the semester in which they complete the thesis course work . Detailed instructions are included in the guidelines at the bottom of this page.

Research Awards Available

Honors Carolina offers financial awards to support Senior Honors Thesis research. These awards, up to $500, may be used to cover any legitimate cost directly connected to a thesis project: laboratory equipment and supplies, computer software and hardware, travel, artistic supplies, books and periodicals not available through normal library sources, illustrations and duplication, etc.

Students must apply through their major department’s Honors director or their faculty thesis advisor (for units without Honors directors). A Call for Applications is sent to departments early each semester. Students may not submit applications directly to Honors Carolina.

The Spring 2024 Call for Proposals was distributed to academic units on February 1, 2024. Applications for this round of awards will be due by Thursday, February 29 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time .

Additional funding is available through the  Office for Undergraduate Research  and individual academic units.

The following research awards are made possible through gifts to Honors Carolina and are awarded annually:

• The Michael P. and Jean W. Carter Research Award
• The Gillian T. Cell Senior Thesis Research Award in the College of Arts & Sciences
• The Sarah Steele Danhoff Undergraduate Research Award
• The Dunlevie Honors Undergraduate Research Award
• The Gordon P. Golding Senior Honors Thesis Award
• The Gump Family Undergraduate Research Award
• The Honors Undergraduate Research Award
• The Rodney F. Hood Undergraduate Research Award
• The Kimball King Undergraduate Research Award
• The William F. Little Prize for Creative Research in Honors

Helpful Resources

• Senior Honors Thesis Guidelines for Academic Units, Faculty Advisors, and Students
• Senior Honors Thesis Learning Contract (forms for Computer Science majors are here )
• Sample Senior Honors Thesis title page

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Strong UNC Chapel Hill Essay Example

UNC Chapel Hill is a pretty selective school, especially for out-of-state students, so it’s important to write strong essays to help your application stand out. In this post, we’ll share an essay a real student has submitted to UNC Chapel Hill. (Names and identifying information have been changed, but all other details are preserved).

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Read our UNC Chapel Hill es say breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

Prompt: If you could change one thing about where you live, what would it be and why? (200-250 words).

Sitting behind the loaded plates on our dinner table, I predicted my mom’s first question with 100% accuracy: “So, how did you do on the trigonometry test today?” Notorious for failing math classes, my brother paused from chewing his chicken wing. 

I knew he’d be in trouble. 

Indeed, after hearing his grade, my mom scolded: “Look at our neighbor’s kid; then look at you! She never gets anything below a 90!”

There it is again: “the neighbor’s kid,” a Chinese concept that I wish would serve a different purpose. Upon learning about their children’s unsatisfactory academic performance, Chinese parents often bring up a so-called perfect neighbor’s kid for comparison. It saddens me to see individuals raised under the shadow of “the neighbor’s kid” not able to simply enjoy exploring knowledge. They toil through years of schooling for good grades and a prestigious college’s acceptance letter at the cost of their mental well-being. Worse, some measure their self-worth by grades alone: my brother believes he’s not good enough, despite all his admirable traits outside of academics. 

Instead of “the neighbor’s kid who got a good grade” at the dinner table, I suggested my parents discuss “the neighbor’s kid who sells bracelets to raise money for charity”  or “who had a hot discussion with the teacher about whether animals have consciousness.” I look forward to a more vibrant and colorful dinner conversation, where families talk about their roses and thorns of the day, rather than a neighbor’s kid defined by numbers.

What the Essay Did Well

This essay does a great job of opening with a strong anecdote and seamlessly transitioning the anecdote into an answer to the prompt. The reader feels the suspense of sitting at the dinner table with the student and their family waiting for the response to their mom’s question, and might even relate to hearing the student’s parents complain about their grade. It’s a simple and quick story, but everyone can find something in it they relate to, which makes the reader want to keep reading.

The essay was also successful at transitioning from a personal anecdote to a broader topic that addresses the prompt. The anecdote is connected to the larger issue the student has with their home environment and provides context for their reasoning that growing up surrounded by this mentality is harmful. The use of the anecdote bolsters the entire essay by perfectly setting up the student’s response to the prompt, rather than being an out-of-place inclusion to add some empathy or imagery, which is a common mistake with anecdotes.

Another positive aspect of this essay is how the student’s passion for the issue shines through. The reader learns a good deal about the student’s family life and familiarity with the “the neighbor’s kid.” The student’s expressed sadness and disapproval at not being able to enjoy learning because the immense amount of stress their parents place on them to get good grades is evident when they said, “ They toil through years of schooling for good grades and a prestigious college’s acceptance letter at the cost of their mental well-being.” The inclusion of the student’s brother also shows how close this issue is to the student’s heart because they are watching stereotypes harm someone they love. The details and direct language included provide strong evidence for why the student wants to change this aspect of where they live, which is the most important part of the prompt to address.

What Could Be Improved

For the most part, this is a great essay. The one thing that could be improved is the last paragraph that explains what the student wants to change. As far as the reader knows, the suggestions the student makes to discuss “the neighbor’s kid who sells bracelets” or “the neighbor’s kid who had a hot discussion with the teacher” are random topics the student chose to contrast with the idea of valuing a kid for a numerical grade. Since these appear as random topics, it distracts from other qualities the student and their brother might possess and want to showcase to their parents.

In an essay that is focused on changing the norm of equating worth with a grade, it would reveal more about what the student wants to be recognized for if they mentioned topics of conversation that related back to their interests. For example, if the student liked to ice skate and play the trumpet they could say: “Instead of the dreaded question about my grades, my parents would ask about how my axel is coming along or what new song I’m considering for the winter concert.” An ending more like this, that discusses the student’s interests rather than randomly mentioning other students, still achieves the same goal of the student not wanting to solely be measured by a number, but conveys the idea while also providing more insight into the student and what they value.

Where to Get Your UNC Chapel Hill  Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your UNC Chapel Hill essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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Lloyd International Honors College

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How do I know if I am eligible for an Honors Scholars Program Scholarship?

To be eligible for an Honors Scholars Program Scholarship, you must have at least a 3.8 weighted high school GPA or a 1270 Math + Evidence Based Reading and Writing SAT score or a 26 ACT score.  Reynolds Scholarships have the added requirement of North Carolina residency. Scholarships are only awarded to incoming first-year students.

How do I apply for an Honors Scholars Program Scholarship?

Honors Scholars Program Scholarships are awarded by Lloyd International Honors College . If a student meets the eligibility criteria, they will be invited to apply to the Global Honors Program in Lloyd International Honors College through their Student Portal once they have begun their application to UNCG. The Honors College application requires students to upload a detailed résumé and an essay. Prospective Scholars will be evaluated based on several factors: high school GPA, test scores, evidence of leadership, community service, engagement in extracurricular endeavors, and writing ability. Careful preparation of the résumé and essay is encouraged. There is no additional application beyond the Honors College application.

Do I need to apply to the Honors College to win an Honors Scholars Program Scholarship?

Yes. These scholarships are housed in the Honors College and awarded to accepted Honors College applicants.

What are the amounts of the Honors Scholars Program Scholarships?  Are they full scholarships?

Each Honors Scholars Program Scholarship is merit-based and is renewable for eight consecutive semesters of full-time enrollment at UNC Greensboro.  Each scholarship is meant to support a diverse body of students who are dedicated to academic achievement and community engagement.

• total award: $37,000
• for North Carolina residents
• $4,000 each semester for eight consecutive semesters
• additional stipends: $2,500 for study abroad; $1,250 for an internship; $1,250 for a community service project
• total award: $35,750
• additional stipends: $2,500 for study abroad; $1,250 for an internship
• total award: full cost of attendance minus the Pell grant and state grants
• for Pell-eligible applicants
• additional stipends for study abroad, an internship, and community service project
• total award: full cost of attendance
• for students majoring in math, physical or biological sciences, with preference given to applicants interested in teaching these subjects in secondary schools
• total award: $40,000
• $5,000 each semester for eight consecutive semesters
• total award: in-state tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies
• for North Carolina residents who identify as female and who are interested in fields other than nursing and education

You can review the costs associated with tuition, fees, housing, and meal plans at the Spartan Central website .

Will I be eligible for other scholarships besides the Honors Scholars Program Scholarships?

Yes! Students who apply to UNCG by the Dec. 1 UNCG priority deadline are also considered for the Blue and Gold Scholarships offered by UNCG. For more information on those scholarships, and other awards available to incoming UNCG students, please visit the Admissions Scholarships page . Once a student wins an Honors Scholars Program Scholarship and commits to UNCG, she or he will also be eligible for scholarships available to current UNCG students.

What are the requirements for keeping the Honors Scholars Program Scholarships?

Scholars must maintain a 3.0 GPA to retain the scholarship. GPAs are reviewed at the end of each academic year.

Do I have to live on campus to win an Honors Scholars Program Scholarship?

No! You are not required to live on campus at any point in your time at UNCG to win or retain your scholarship, though we do ask that if you do choose to live on campus, you live in our Honors Residence Hall in North and South Spencer.

How and when will I get my stipends for study abroad, community service, and internships?

Scholars will work with their Scholarship Coordinator to fill out the necessary paperwork for fund disbursement. Scholars will receive their study abroad stipends before they depart for their trip; they will receive their internship and community service stipends after they have completed the projects.

What kinds of students win the Honors Scholars Program Scholarships?

There is no typical Scholar. Scholars major in programs from every academic unit on campus, including the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the Bryan School of Economics, the School of Education, the School of Nursing, and the School of Health and Human Sciences. Scholars have studied abroad in Spain, China, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, Italy, England, and more. Both scholarships are open to students with any area of interest, and we take pride in the great variety of experiences and accomplishments Scholars achieve while pursuing their degrees.

Do the Scholars have a community on campus?

Scholars come together several times a semester for excursions around Greensboro, workshops, internship and community service opportunities, socials, and more.

Will I take classes with other Scholars?

There is no one course dedicated to either scholarship, but as members of Lloyd International Honors College, it is likely that Scholars will take classes together at some point during their time at UNCG.

Lloyd International Honors College UNC Greensboro

Physical Address: 205 Foust Building Greensboro, NC 27412

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 26170 Greensboro, NC 27402

Phone: 336.334.5538 Fax: 336.334.4199 Email: [email protected]

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Senior Honors Thesis

Each year, a select group of undergraduate students enroll in the History Senior Honors Thesis program that culminates in the writing of a substantial, original, and polished piece of historical research. If you plan to go to graduate school in history, attend law school, work in public history, or if you simply cannot get enough of historical research and writing, this is the program for you.

At the beginning of the spring semester, the department invites the application of rising seniors who have an overall academic average of 3.3 or better, an average of 3.4 or better in history courses, and will have successfully completed at least one Undergraduate Seminar in HIST 398. For the Spring 2024 application, click here . The deadline for applications is Friday, March 8th.

The basic structure for the senior honors program is provided by HIST 691H and 692H, an intensive, two-semester research and writing seminar conducted by the department’s honors director. In addition to weekly seminar meetings, each honors candidate holds regular meetings with an honors adviser, a faculty member with knowledge of the given field.

Click here to see the posters and abstracts of some of the excellent work done by past Senior Honors Thesis students.

At the end of the spring semester, the honors prize committee makes the final determinations for Highest Honors and awards the Frank Ryan Prize to the best essay of the year. Awards are normally announced at a year-ending honors lunch celebrating the achievements of the department’s distinguished undergraduates.

Funding in support of research may be available through Honors Carolina and the Department of History’s Boyatt and Kusa awards .

Questions about the History Senior Honors Thesis should be directed to the current program director, Brett Whalen .

Department of Religious Studies

Awards & honors, halperin-schütz undergraduate essay award.

Deadline for 2024: entries due by March 8, 2024 to Professor Brandon Bayne ( [email protected] )

Named in honor of David J. Halperin (Rabbinic Judaism) and John Howard Schütz (New Testament), former faculty members of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Department of Religious Studies who were influential on a generation of students through their interdisciplinary and collaborative teaching, this essay competition recognizes undergraduate scholarship in the study of religion.

Up to two awards of $250 will be given annually for the best unpublished essay or research paper 10-20 pages written by an undergraduate in a Religious Studies or Jewish Studies class.

Eligibility Any undergraduate from any major can submit a paper written in a Religious Studies or Jewish Studies class, or a selection from an honors thesis in these departments. Prior winners are not eligible, and only one submission per student per annual competition.

Format The essay may address any topic in Religious Studies or Jewish Studies. Papers written for class must be 10-20 double-spaced pages; a selection from an honors thesis should be no more than twenty double-spaced pages.

Please identify on the title page the course name, professor, and semester taken for papers written for regular classes, or the advisor of the honors thesis. Revised versions of class papers based on feedback received at the end of the course from the professor are welcome.

Judging The essays will be judged by the Undergraduate Studies Committee of the Department of Religious Studies. Awards will be presented at the department’s annual awards ceremony.

Submissions Entries must be submitted by email by the student to Professor Brandon Bayne ( [email protected] ) on or before the due date.

Theta Alpha Kappa Honor Society

In 1976, Professor Albert Clark, F.S.C., established Theta Alpha Kappa at Manhattan College in Riverdale (the Bronx), New York for the purpose of recognizing the academic achievements of religion and theology students.  It is the only national honor society dedicated to recognizing academic excellence in baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate students and in scholars in the fields of Religious Studies and Theology.

Induction requires nomination by a local chapter and, to be eligible, students must have a 3.5 GPA in Religious Studies and/or Theology and a 3.0 GPA overall.  Residency, class ranking, and unit requirements must also be met. Inductees will be invited to the annual Religious Studies awards ceremony in April to receive the honor.

In addition to encouraging the activities of local chapters, Theta Alpha Kappa maintains a vigorous national program of scholarship awards and fellowship competitions; its primary publication, the Journal of Theta Alpha Kappa , offers an annual prize and the publication of outstanding student papers.

Theta Alpha Kappa is a related scholarly organization of the American Academy of Religion and is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies .

Bernard Boyd Memorial Fellowship

Deadline: March 8, 2024

The Boyd Fellowship is a $11,000 fellowship given annually to a major or double major in the Department of Religious Studies who plans to pursue either graduate or professional education in religion. Current majors, as well as those who graduated the preceding year but did not immediately enter graduate or professional school in religion, are eligible.

Individuals wishing to apply should submit the following documents:

• A statement (3-5 pages, typed, double-spaced) explaining the reasons for wanting to pursue advanced work in religious studies;
• A description of the educational program the award is to support;
• A transcript;
• Three letters of recommendation, including one from a professor outside the Department of Religious Studies. (Forms may be obtained from the Department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies or the Student Services Manager ( [email protected] ).

The Department may request additional documentation and personal interviews in the course of its deliberations.

A recipient must provide evidence that he or she has enrolled in an accredited graduate or professional program in religious studies, or the equivalent thereof, not later than the following fall semester. In the event that he or she does not, the award shall be reassigned to the next most qualified candidate. (A student who forfeits the fellowship may reapply without prejudice the following year if less than a year has elapsed since graduation from college.)

Priority shall be given to persons who have designated religious studies as their major or double major. Lacking a superior candidate, the Department may award the fellowship to a student entering the Department’s graduate program.

All documentation, including letters of recommendation, should be submitted to:

Director of Undergraduate Studies Department of Religious Studies 125 Carolina Hall CB#3225 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3225

Documents can also be emailed to the Director of Undergraduate Studies .

Bernard Boyd Memorial Prize

Deadline:  Not applicable

Students do not apply for this award. Instead, they are nominated by faculty members.

The Bernard Boyd Memorial Prize was established in 1979 by the Department of Religious Studies in memory of Bernard Boyd, who was James A. Gray Professor of Biblical Literature from 1950 to 1979. The prize is presented annually to the member of the senior class majoring in religious studies who has been selected by a faculty committee as most outstanding in academic achievement.

This award of $500 is given in recognition of academic achievement by a senior religious studies major or double major. Lacking a suitable candidate, persons who are effectively majors, either by virtue of the number of courses taken in the Department, or by virtue of participation in the common life of the Department, shall be eligible.

University of North Carolina at Wilmington | UNC Wilmington

• Cost & scholarships
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Want to see your chances of admission at University of North Carolina at Wilmington | UNC Wilmington?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

University of North Carolina at Wilmington | UNC Wilmington’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Select-a-prompt short response.

To be considered for the UNCW Honors College, please respond to an essay prompt below in 350 words or less.

Intellectual curiosity is a distinguishing characteristic of honors students. It doesn’t matter what fascinates you, so long as something does. In what ways have you followed your senses of exploration and fascination, and how do you want to follow this intellectual curiosity during your time at UNCW?

The Honors College encourages interdisciplinarity—the interaction and synergy of multiple subjects and disciplines. We often offer classes that intersect art and science, literature and sociology, or religion and technology—among others. What interdisciplinarity have you found in your own life and academic interests?

Identity Short Response

Reflect on your identity, including your background and experiences, and how you envision your identity contributing to the UNCW community.

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

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Honors College

Special note about the UNIVERSITY HONORS PROGRAM (UHP): Seats are filling fast! Less than 10 remain. If you have been accepted to UHP ( not AAHP or BHP ), secure your seat before it’s too late ! Refer to the welcome email you received from Ms. Lynch for details

Interested in learning more about the Honors College?

Click on the links below…

• LEARN MORE about the Honors College
• Learn HOW TO APPLY  to the Honors College
• REQUEST A TOUR   of the Honors College
• WATCH A WEBINAR   on how to apply. Please note this webinar is from a previous year’s application cycle, so the dates mentioned are no longer accurate. However, the information regarding what we are looking for is still applicable.
• Check out the Honors College EVENTS
• Already applied and have QUESTIONS ?

Welcome to our website! We’re so happy you found us, and encourage you to browse our pages for information on benefits, programs, advising, scholarships, and more!! The Honors College is the front door to all honors at UNC Charlotte, so we administer and/or support all 30 programs on campus.

On this page you’ll find answers to the question, “Why honors?” including several benefits ; as well as information about the 30 different honors programs we offer on campus, our honors advising options , and scholarships . Please keep scrolling to learn more.

Students: Apply to Honors

Faculty: Refer a Student

Faculty: Propose a Course

Curiosity Community City

As a UNC Charlotte Honors College student, you will enjoy innovative class topics that pique your curiosity . In honors courses with an average class size of 17, you will be an active partner in your learning experience.

Having a strong community is key for student success at Charlotte. By living in the honors residence hall, attending honors events, and forming relationships with your professors and advisors, you will make valuable connections and lasting friendships before stepping foot in the classroom.

You can explore many cultural and professional opportunities in the city of Charlotte. Honors students often take advantage of the many experiences that only a city can offer, all available from campus via the light rail.

why honors?

Working Closely with Professors

Honors classes allow students to have far more interaction with their professors and fellow students.

Access to Honors Housing in Levine Hall

Serving as both the honors residence hall and the home to the Honors College and Levine Scholars Program offices, Levine Hall connects students to important resources, classes, events, and the honors community. The residence side offers both suite and apartment-style rooms; the administrative wing offers academic advising, a quiet place to study, seminar rooms, and event and meeting spaces.

Graduation with Honors Distinction

When you graduate with University Honors distinction, you will receive a UHP graduation medallion to wear as part of your academic regalia at commencement. You may also receive other medallions and cords to wear from other programs and societies you are involved with. Your honors distinction will be noted in the commencement program, and your official UNC Charlotte transcript will bear the inscription “University Honors.” If you have participated in dual honors, the name of your secondary honors program will also be noted on your transcript.

Individualized Honors Advising and Mentoring

Advising in the Honors College is highly personalized to meet the needs of each student.

Internship and Research Experiences

Opportunities to travel to and present at honors conferences, as well as work closely with professionals in your field.

Average Honors Class Size of 16

The average size for an honors class is around 16 students, compared to the University average of around 35.

Stimulating Interdisciplinary Coursework

Honors classes provide a space for students to think critically, reflect deeply, ask questions, and find solutions.

Priority Class Registration

Students in every honors program have access to early registration for classes.

Additional Scholarship Opportunities

In addition to the merit scholars programs available to incoming freshmen, the Honors College offers several scholarships to continuing honors students. UNC Charlotte also offers hundreds of other scholarships for which honors students are excellent candidates.

Serving as both the honors residence hall and the home to the Honors College and Levine Scholars Program offices, Levine Hall connects students to important resources, classes, events, and the honors community. The residence side offers both suite and appartment-style rooms; the administrative wing offers academic advising, a quiet place to study, seminar rooms, and event and meeting spaces.

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honors programs

At UNC Charlotte we have 30 different honors programs, so you’re bound to find something that fits your interests.  Three of our programs are geared towards incoming freshmen and beyond: University Honors Program (UHP), Business Honors Program (BHP), and Arts+Architecture Honors Program (AAHP), while the 27 disciplinary honors programs are designed for juniors and seniors. 

Which Program is Right for You?

University Honors Program (UHP)

The University Honors Program (UHP) is UNC Charlotte’s only interdisciplinary, multiyear program, welcoming students from any major. The program emphasizes scholarship, leadership, and community engagement on campus, in the greater Charlotte region, and beyond. Honors courses stress collaborative and reflective practices with the goal of broadening perspectives and promoting open discussion as local and global issues are considered. We seek to inspire students to be intellectually curious, creative problem-solvers, and envoys of diverse and inclusive thinking in and outside of the classroom. LEARN MORE about UHP

Business Honors Program (BHP)

Members of the Business Honors Program (BHP) participate in stimulating coursework, leadership activities, career-building exercises, and community service endeavors designed to promote marketability after graduation. BHP students typically enroll in two Honors courses per year for the duration of their college career. Classes are kept small to facilitate faculty and student interaction. BHP members also have access to a specialized Academic Advisor who ensures correct progression toward the degree. Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive Honors commendation on their academic transcript. LEARN MORE about BHP

Arts + Architecture Honors Program (AAHP)

The Arts + Architecture Honors Program (AAHP) brings students together from all units of the CoA+A through coursework and extracurricular activities. AAHP furthers the CoA+A’s goals of providing creative leadership for the UNC Charlotte and greater Charlotte communities by encouraging and developing the full potential of its outstanding students. AAHP students take an active and engaged role in their own education within an interdisciplinary curriculum built on the shared nature of the built, visual, and performing arts. LEARN MORE about AAHP

Click on Each Green Bar for More Information

Disciplinary programs, honors in africana studies.

Director:  Dr. Oscar de la Torre

The Africana Studies Honors Program provides opportunities for exceptional achievement in the Africana Studies major. The goal is to deepen the understanding of self-motivated students in the interdisciplinary field of Africana Studies. 

When can I apply?

Students can apply after they have declared an Africana Studies major and completed at least 6 hours of AFRS courses with at least a “B” in each.

What are the GPA requirements?

You must maintain a 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.25 in all departmental courses.

What are the curricular requirements?

Students must enroll in either the honors section of AFRS 3290 or the honors section of AFRS 4010, along with completing AFRS 4790. Visit the program  website  to learn more about the required courses and thesis options. 

HONORS IN ANTHROPOLOGY 

Director: Dr. Lydia Light

The Department of Anthropology offers outstanding students the opportunity to earn Honors in Anthropology by completing a two-course research sequence that deepens their knowledge of the anthropological field.

When can I apply? 

Students may apply during the first semester of their junior year. 

You must maintain a 3.2 overall GPA and a 3.5 in anthropology departmental courses. 

Students must complete both ANTH 4601 and ANTH 4701. Students must also meet the internship or study abroad requirement, and must enroll in two (2) honors college courses. 

HONORS IN APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY, HEALTH, AND CLINICAL SCIENCES

Director: Dr. Luke Donovan

Students completing their degree in Kinesiology or Exercise Science can pursue honors through their department by completing well-articulated research and broadening their honors education through the enrollment in additional honors courses outside the department.

Students may apply during their sophomore or junior years.

What are the GPA requirements? 

You must maintain a 3.2 overall GPA and a 3.5 in your major courses.

What are the curricular requirements? 

Students must complete KNES 4700, along with six (6) hours of honors college coursework. 

HONORS IN ART HISTORY

Director: Dr. James Frakes

The Department of Art History offers an opportunity to graduate with honors for students who want to complete further well-articulated research in the department and pursue in-depth analysis of other topics in art history.

Students may apply during their junior year when registering for ARTH 3115.

You must maintain a 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.25 in art history departmental courses. 

Students must enroll in ARTH 3115 and the “Problems in Art History” seminar, and earn an A in both courses. Students must also complete ARTH 4700. Visit the program  website  to learn more about the required courses and thesis options.

HONORS IN BIOLOGY

Director: Dr. Didier Dreau

We live in a time where exciting discoveries in the biological sciences occur every day. Yet there are so many questions that remain unanswered. The overall goal of the Honors Program in the Department of Biological Sciences is to provide an in depth understanding of biology by having exceptional students participate in the process of scientific investigation under the tutelage of faculty researchers. 

Students may apply during the 1st semester of their junior year.

You must maintain a 3.2 overall GPA and a 3.4 in biological sciences departmental courses. 

Students will enroll in BIOL 4601, BIOL 4700 and BIOL 4701, and must earn an A or B in all four (4) courses. Please visit the website for more information.

Learn more 

HONORS IN CHEMISTRY

Director:  Dr. Jordan Poler

The Department of Chemistry offers students the opportunity to pursue an honors degree by completing directed honors research and presenting that research in a seminar setting within the department. While the Honors Program in Chemistry is intended primarily for chemistry majors, it is open to students in other majors who have the appropriate background in chemistry.

There are many benefits to being an honors student and you are encouraged to apply at any time if you meet the criteria.

You must maintain a 3.5 overall GPA and a 3.75 in honors chemistry courses.

Students will complete the honors sections of both CHEM 4900 and CHEM 4696 to earn the honors designation upon graduation. Please visit the  website  for more information.

HONORS IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES

Director: Dr. Ashli Stokes

The Honors Program in the Department of Communication Studies aims to identify, encourage, nurture and recognize students with exceptional analytical, creative and communicative skills potential.  The program stresses guided but self-directed independent study, and each honors student will be evaluated by a faculty committee based upon uniquely developed criteria for each student. To apply to the Communication Studies Honors Program, students must have an overall GPA of 3.3 or higher, have completed at least 30 credit hours, and must have taken at least 6 hours of COMM or Journalism courses. Accepted honors students will complete honors coursework and an honors thesis to graduate with departmental honors.

Students may apply during their sophomore year or the first semester of their junior year.

You must maintain a 3.3 overall GPA and a 3.3 in departmental and honors courses. 

Students must complete both COMM 3890 and COMM 3891 to fulfill the honors coursework requirements. Visit the program  website  to learn more about the required courses and thesis options.

COMPUTING AND INFORMATICS HONORS PROGRAM

Director: Dr. Xi “Sunshine” Niu

The Computing and Informatics Honors Program (CCI Honors) is a research-based experience designed to provide mentoring to our high-achieving students to better prepare them for post-graduate success.  CCI Honors students must complete a capstone research project under the supervision of a faculty member.  Upon the successful completion of the honors program in CCI, students receive honors commendations on their transcript and in the commencement program.

Students should apply in the semester prior to the semester they plan to graduate.

You must maintain a 3.2 overall GPA and a 3.4 in CCI departmental courses. 

Students must complete ITSC 4750 – Honors Thesis (3) and receive a grade of “A” to fulfill the honors coursework requirements. Visit the CCI  website for more info.

HONORS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Director:  Dr. John Stogner

The purpose of the Honors Program in Criminal Justice is to identify the creative, imaginative, and/or exceptional student and to encourage and recognize the development of this student’s potential. The Honors Program in Criminal Justice shall encourage independent study and shall evaluate each student’s achievement in terms of her or his ability to proceed as a self-directed learner.

Students can apply during their sophomore or junior year.

You must maintain a 3.2 overall GPA and a 3.5 in criminal justice departmental courses. 

• Complete CJUS 4700 and CJUS 4701 with a grade of A
• Complete 6 additional credit hours of Honors coursework, either in HONR courses or in designated Honors sections

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION HONORS PROGRAM

Co-Director: Dr. Cindy Gilson  Co-Director: Dr. Amy Good

The purpose of the Education Honors Program is to identify undergraduate candidates who have consistently OR who have the potential for demonstrated high task commitment, achievement, and/or creativity. Potential candidates may exhibit these behaviors in any area of study, research, leadership, or service. 

Secondly, the aim of the Education Honors Program is to provide these exceptional students with the opportunity to contribute productively and creatively to society through the field of education. The Honors Program is designed to further develop candidates’ scholarship, research, leadership, and advocacy skills through enrichment, mentorships, and the pursuit of an in-depth study of a candidate-selected topic of interest.

Students can apply after they have been admitted to a teacher education program and completed at least 30 semester hours of coursework. Students must apply at least three (3) semesters before the semester in which they will be student teaching.

You must maintain a 3.5 overall GPA and a 3.5 GPA in honors coursework.

Visit the program  website  to learn more about the required courses and thesis options.

Learn more   

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING HONORS PROGRAM

Director: Dr. Ron Smelser

The William States Lee College of Engineering Honors Program recognizes students who have excelled in their demanding undergraduate curricula.  The program expands their academic achievements and strives to develop the necessary skills to be reflective both personally and technically. This will enable students to achieve satisfaction and advancement in their careers as graduates with honors in engineering.

Students can apply during their senior year.

You must maintain a 3.5 overall GPA.

Students will complete ENGR 3790 and ENGR 3791 in order to fulfill their honors coursework requirements. Visit the program  website  to learn more about the required courses and thesis options. 

HONORS IN ENGLISH

Director: Dr. Matthew Rowney Assistant Director:  Dr. Juan Meneses

The English Honors program offers its outstanding undergraduate students the opportunity to conclude their degree with advanced coursework in a research-seminar setting; it also provides venues for the completion of a capstone project of their choosing under the direction of a faculty member. English Honors students are strongly encouraged to attend departmental talks and events in order to gain an appreciation of the discipline’s professional culture, and they are invited to optional English Honors outings at least once a year.

Students can apply during the first semester of their junior year. 

You must maintain a 3.0 overall GPA, a 3.5 GPA in English department courses and a 4.0 GPA in honors English courses. 

Students will complete their honors coursework by enrolling in ENGL 4750 and either ENGL 4751 or ENGL 4752. Visit the program  website  to learn more about the required courses and thesis options.  

HONORS IN GEOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, OR METEOROLOGY 

Director: Dr. Sandra Clinton

Students have the opportunity to earn honors in Geography & Earth Science by completing additional research that furthers their learning and understanding through a hands-on experience within a research group.

Students can apply at any time during their junior year.

You must maintain a 3.2 overall GPA and a 3.2 GPA in all geography, geology, earth science and meteorology courses.

Students must complete the honors section of the 4800 course within their major (geography, geology, earth science or meteorology), which will include the completion of research and the presentation of a thesis. Visit the program  website  to learn more about the required courses and thesis options.

Honors in Global Studies

Director: Dr. Charles Houck

The Department of Global Studies offers an Honors Program that provides select International Studies majors with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the field.  Students admitted to the program will conduct intensive research on a topic relevant to Global Studies and their concentration within the major, produce a thesis paper that demonstrates a high level of academic rigor and creative thinking, and present and defend it to a committee of Global Studies faculty for final evaluation.

International Studies majors who have completed their International Experience requirement and meet GPA requirements.

Students must hold at least a 3.5 major GPA and a 3.25 overall GPA to be eligible to apply for and graduate with departmental honors.

Students must complete INTL 4601 by producing a detailed research proposal and literature review, earning a grade of A. This will serve as a prerequisite for advancement to Honors Research (INTL 4701). Students must also complete INTL 4701 by writing an original research/thesis paper focused on their major concentration, and successfully defending it before a three-person Honors Committee of Global Studies faculty. The Honors project should produce a final paper of at least 20-25 pages and address a well-defined problem or research question with the goal of developing greater understanding of a theoretical or practical global issue. 

Honors in Health Systems Management

Director: Dr. Ludmila Balteanu

Honors programs are intended for academically talented and enthusiastic students. The Health Systems Management Honors Program allows these students to complete a healthcare analytics experience and internship/study abroad experience that will challenge students and strengthen their understanding of the healthcare field. 

Students may apply during their junior or senior year, after they have completed 60 hours of overall coursework and 15 hours of coursework within the Health Systems Management major.

You must maintain a 3.25 overall GPA and a 3.5 GPA within all HSMT courses. 

Students must complete both HSMT 4701 and HSMT 4702, along with an internship (HSMT 4700) or a study abroad experience (HSMT 4790). Visit the program  website  to learn more about the required courses and thesis options.

HONORS IN HISTORY

Director: Dr. Jill Massino (interim)

The B.A. with History Honors is the highest accolade UNC Charlotte History undergraduates can receive.  It attests to your advanced methodology training in History and the successful authorship of a publishable article-style thesis; as well as your exemplary grade point averages in your major and undergraduate courses.  History Honors is a great preparation for post baccalaureate/graduate training, and a stellar addition to your resume. History Honors Candidates may receive dual early-entry graduate credit for the History Master’s program. 

Students can apply during their junior or senior years.

You must maintain a 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.5 GPA in history department courses.

What are the curricular requirements?  

Students must complete six (6) hours of honors coursework by enrolling in HIST 4797 and HIST 4799. Visit the program  website  to learn more about the required courses and thesis options.  

HONORS IN LANGUAGES & CULTURE STUDIES

Director: Dr. Phil Kaffen (interim)

Students who are pursuing a degree in any of the majors or minors offered in the Department of Languages and Culture Studies, have the option to earn honors by completing research within the department. This research, which can be completed in English or in the target language, will have to be successfully defended. Students who write a thesis will also enhance their undergraduate experience through internships and/or study abroad credit in order to develop additional language skills.

When can I apply?  

Students may apply at the beginning of their sophomore, junior or senior year.

What are the GPA requirements?  

You must maintain a 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.5 GPA in departmental courses.

The requirements for Honors are: completion of LACS 3700 and LACS 4700 plus a study abroad program through the Office of Education Abroad, or a program-approved internship (LACS 4410).

LACS 3700: Research Methods helps students identify a topic, conduct preliminary research on the topic, and elaborate a project or thesis proposal that must be approved by the Honors Committee. This class is writing intensive. All project and thesis proposals will contain: an abstract presenting a research question, a literature review, the research design (procedure for collecting evidence), and a statement of the significance of the project.

LACS 4700: Honors Project guides a student in the final preparation of the project, which may be a traditional written thesis or may take the form of a portfolio containing a variety of elements: translations, videos, power points, photos, reflections. All projects/theses must have clearly delineated written conclusions and be presented in a public forum such as: The Charlotte Research Symposium, The Global Scholars Symposium, or a departmental forum. 

To graduate with Honors, students must:

1. complete the Application to Candidacy through the Honors College. 

2. complete LACS 3700 with an A OR a grade of B with endorsement of director. 

3. complete a study abroad or program-approved internship experience of at least 3 hours (a spring break trip may meet this requirement). 

4. complete LACS 4700 with an A. 

5. present the written product of their research at an appropriate conference or public forum. 

6. have a GPA in the LACS major or minor of at least 3.5.

Visit the program website for more information.

HONORS IN LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

Director: Dr. Carlos Coria-Sánchez

The Latin American Studies department offers the opportunity to graduate with honors for students who wish to complete research and present a thesis on a well-articulated topic in the department. Students who successfully defend their thesis and meet the GPA requirements will be able to graduate with Honors in Latin American Studies.

Students may apply during their junior year.

You must maintain a 3.25 overall GPA and a 3.25 in departmental courses. 

Students must enroll in LTAM 4700 to complete their thesis, and must earn an A in this course to graduate with honors. Visit the program  website  to learn more about the required courses and thesis options. 

HONORS IN MATHEMATICS

Director: Dr. Arindam Roy

The purpose of the Honors Program in Mathematics is to stimulate the imagination and deepen the understanding of students by encouraging independent study, and to provide recognition of exceptional achievements in mathematics. Students who complete the requirements of the program graduate with Honors in Mathematics.

Students may apply during their junior or senior year.

Students must maintain a 3.0 overall GPA, a 3.25 GPA in departmental courses and a 3.5 GPA in the honors mathematics courses.  

Students complete six (6) hours of honors coursework by enrolling in MATH 3790 and MATH 3791. Visit the program  website  to learn more about the required courses and thesis options.

HONORS IN NURSING 

Director: Dr. Susan Lynch 

The School of Nursing offers an undergraduate nursing honors program beginning in the Fall of 2019. This academic honors program will emphasize scholarship and leadership activities such as identifying key issues impacting the nursing profession at the microsystem level, conducting a literature review to further define the issue, designing an evidence-based intervention with a strong theoretical foundation and disseminating findings through poster or podium presentation or other approved method.

When you receive unconditional admission into the Nursing upper division

You must maintain at least a 3.7 in nursing departmental courses.  

Students must complete NURS 3700-H and NURS 4203-H. Students must obtain a grade of A in NURS 4203-H

Visit the program website for more info.

HONORS IN PHILOSOPHY

Director: Dr. Martin Shuster

The Philosophy Honors Program is an intensive research experience. It is excellent preparation for the type of work students will need to do in graduate programs in philosophy and other humanities disciplines (such as literature, cultural studies, etc.). Given the interdisciplinary nature of our program and our faculty’s research, philosophy honors students can easily pursue interdisciplinary projects in areas such as practical and professional ethics, women’s and gender studies, and environmental studies.

Students can apply during their sophomore or junior years.

You must maintain a 3.5 GPA in departmental courses and a 3.5 GPA in all honors coursework. 

Students must complete six (6) hours of honors coursework: an honors college course and PHIL 3791. Visit the program  website  to learn more about the required courses and thesis options.

HONORS IN PHYSICS AND OPTICAL SCIENCE

Director: Dr. Nate Fried

Students have the opportunity to earn honors in Physics & Optical Science by completing additional research that furthers their learning and understanding through a hands-on experience within a research group.

Students can apply during the first semester of their senior year.

You must maintain a 3.0 GPA in all departmental courses.

Students must complete their final project in the honors section of PHYS 3900 and earn an A in this course. The research project typically takes two (2) semesters to complete. Visit the program  website  to learn more about the required courses and thesis options.

HONORS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE 

Director: Dr. Eric Heberlig 

Students can earn Honors in Political Science by writing a research-based honors thesis that deepens their understanding of a topic of their choice using appropriate methods of political analysis. Working under the supervision of faculty members, honors students also learn about potential graduate schools and career options in political science and related fields.

Students may apply after they have earned an “A” in POLS 2220.

You must maintain a 3.25 overall GPA and a 3.5 GPA in departmental courses.

The Political Science Honors Program consists of a two-course sequence:

• POLS 3700 Honors Research, in which the student writes a literature review and develops a research design; and     
• POLS 4700 Honors Thesis, in which the student completes the research and finalizes the thesis. The student must do an oral defense of the thesis in front of a committee that includes the topic advisor and two other faculty members.

HONORS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Director: Dr. Sara Levens Co-Director: Dr. Erika Montanaro

Students majoring in psychology have the opportunity to earn honors by completing a  two-semester thesis project that is designed to be similar to a master’s thesis. During the first semester, the student does a literature search of existing research on his or her topic, and uses that material as the basis for a Research Proposal.  There is a formal defense of the proposal before a committee of 3-4 faculty members at the end of the first semester.

You must maintain a 3.2 overall GPA and a 3.2 GPA in departmental courses.

Students complete six (6) hours of honors coursework through PSYC 4701 and PSYC 4702. Visit the program  website  to learn more about the required courses and thesis options.

HONORS IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Director: Dr. Alexandra Kaloyanides

The Department of Religious Studies offers an honors program that allows students to deepen their consideration of approaches to the study of religion and to explore a well-articulated question in a written thesis.

Students may apply during their junior year or first semester of senior year.

You must maintain a 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.2 GPA in departmental courses.

Students are required to take RELS 4400 and complete a honors thesis (RELS 4700). Visit the program  website  to learn more about the required courses and thesis options.

Honors in Social Work

Director: Mr. Roger Suclupe

Social Work students have the opportunity to pursue honors in their program by completing research and field experiences that will aid in the development of a thesis within their major to further their academic and career goals. 

Students may apply to the honors program when they are applying to the Upper Division Social Work program. 

You must have at least a 3.4 GPA when applying to the honors program.

Students enroll in SOWK 3900 and SOWK 3988 to complete their research, while also completing SOWK 3482 and SOWK 3484 to meet the requirements of their field experience. Visit the program  website  to learn more about the required courses and thesis options.

HONORS IN SOCIOLOGY 

Director: Dr. Victoria Rankin

The Sociology Honors Program aims to identify, encourage, and nurture students with exceptional analytical, creative, and communicative skills.  The program stresses guided, but self-directed, independent study culminating with an undergraduate thesis. Each honors student will be assisted and evaluated by a faculty committee. The Sociology Honors Program is great preparation for post baccalaureate/graduate training in Sociology and other social science fields, as well as a stellar addition to student resumés.

Students may apply during their sophomore or junior year.

You must maintain a 3.2 overall GPA and a 3.5 GPA in departmental courses.

Students take a total of 9 hours of honors courses, including up to six (6) hours in honors college courses and at least three (3) hours specifically in sociology. Of those sociology courses, one must be SOCY 3799, the thesis course.

honors advising & scholarships

Students in honors programs have more than one advisor. Your primary advisor(s) will be in your academic major(s). While you may rely on your academic advisor for guidance within your specific major, you also will need honors advising to ensure that you are on track, considering all possibilities for your senior honors requirements, and are knowledgeable about all scholarship opportunities.

Merit scholarships

University Libraries Annual Employee Awards

The Annual Awards Program recognizes Library employees’ efforts to advance the Library’s mission, goals, and strategic priorities. Employees may be nominated by co-workers within the Library, colleagues across campus, or Library users.

Find out more about the annual award categories, and then submit a nomination for an employee who has made an impact:

• Submit a n Annual Award nomination
• Tips for writing a strong nomination, and alternatives to written nominations.

University Librarian’s Award For Meritorious Service

The University Librarian’s Award for Meritorious Service is the University Libraries’ highest honor. It recognizes exceptionally meritorious and transformative excellence over time OR especially meritorious service in the face of exceptionally challenging, crisis, or emergency circumstances.

Eligibility

All University Libraries employees, except for the University Librarian, Associate University Librarians, and hourly students. No employee may receive the University Librarian’s Award for Meritorious Service more than one time.

Nominations should reflect the ways a nominee has met at least one of the following criteria:

• Demonstrated a sustained level of transformative excellence over time;
• Performed especially meritorious service in the face of an exceptionally challenging situation, a crisis, or an emergency.

Nominations are due by November 10. The University Librarian and Associate University Librarians will review award nominations and select recipients. Awards will be presented in December or January.

Annual Excellence Awards

The annual Excellence Awards recognize outstanding workplace effort or contributions in any of the five categories outlined below.

All University Libraries employees, except for hourly students. Current members of the awards committee are not eligible. After receiving an Annual Award in any category, an employee is not eligible to receive another Annual Award during the next two award cycles.

Nominations are due by November 10. The Annual Awards Committee will receive and review nominations and select up to three recipients. Awards will be presented in December or January.

There are five award categories for the Excellence Awards (you may select more than one category for your nomination):

1. Customer Service

For delivering outstanding service to University Libraries patrons (external service) or colleagues (internal service).

• Has consistently gone above and beyond to provide excellent service to University Libraries patrons;
• Has consistently gone above and beyond to provide excellent service to other University Libraries staff members.

2. Inclusive Excellence

For applying or embodying principles of inclusive excellence and making the University Libraries a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable organization.

• Has served as an outstanding advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion and/or accessibility at or on behalf of the University Libraries;
• Has demonstrated exceptional commitment to implementing the values of diversity, equity, inclusion and/or accessibility at the University Libraries;
• Has worked to dismantle bias in the University Libraries’ workplaces and/or in collections, services, or operations.

3. Innovation and Problem-Solving

For developing and implementing an innovation that transforms the experience of those who use or work at the University Libraries or that produces exceptional results, efficiencies, or improvements.

• Has developed and/or implemented a project, program or service that transforms the experience of University Library users or staff for the better;
• Has developed and/or implemented a project, program or service that expands the reach or possibilities of the University Libraries;
• Has developed and/or implemented a process or procedure that produces exceptional results, efficiencies or improvements for the University Libraries, its users and/or its staff;
• Has developed and/or implemented a process or procedure that solves a difficult or long-standing problem.

4. Leadership

For demonstration of outstanding leadership of or mentorship within the University Libraries or toward library patrons.

• Has provided outstanding leadership of a department, team, committee, task force or other group of University Libraries employees;
• Has led unofficially—by example, by attitude, or in other ways—to move colleagues toward a strategic goal or improvement, or to improve workplace climate and well-being.
• Has demonstrated exemplary initiative or commitment in carrying out work of strategic or operational importance.
• Has provided exceptional mentorship to colleagues, student employees, or members of the University community.

5. One Library

For efforts that promote, improve and/or exhibit cross-library collaboration or mission integration or that bring the University Libraries together as a more united organization.

• Has successfully developed, led and/or implemented projects or initiatives that cross departmental boundaries within the University Libraries;
• Has developed, led and/or implemented programs that foster or embody a One Library culture.

• South Carolina Honors College
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• About the Honors College

Alumni News - Spring 2024

Robert Baumann, '75

Wake Forest-Asst. Prof., Northside Anesthesiology Consultants-Dir. Pede Anes Retired in 2020.

Kapauner Lewis, '78

Clinical Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical School, Washington University School of Medicine. Currently self-employed as a pediatric anesthesiologist with a clinical faculty appointment at the University of Louisville.

Jane Taylor, '89

Jane has been an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of South Carolina since January 1995. She spent most of her career prosecuting large scale drug organizations and more recently specialized in prosecuting dog fighting cases. Jane currently serves as the Chief of the Criminal Division and is also an adjunct professor at the Law School where she teaches a class on Animal Law.

Meredith Arnau (Thomason), '90

Meredith is a pediatric physical therapist and an adjunct professor for the DPT and Exercise Science department.

Misty Jordan (Spencer), '92

COO, Microsoft Federal

Heather Gleaton (Riley), '93

Heather recently sold her veterinary practice after 20 years and currently teaches classes to pre-veterinary students at Clemson University.

Sherry Boswell (Lamb), '94

After practicing law for 25 years, Sherry has gone in a new direction with her career and pursued something she adores: travel! She is happily planning trips all over the globe and loving every minute of this new adventure.

Kimberly Brown, '94

Kimberly lives in Charleston, S.C. Most of her career she has worked in medical settings from children's hospitals to the VA Medical Center. She enjoys her work in suicide prevention and spends a great deal of time in community outreach and partnership building and providing suicide prevention training. She has two sons and enjoys supporting their school community and activities.

Amy Bashor, '97

Founder and President, Standing Pines Resort

Kenley Young, '01

Assigning Editor, NerdWallet

Brandon Barr, '04

After practicing law for 12 years, Brandon moved to LA to work in Cybersecurity. He's now a Digital Forensic Analysis heading up west coast operations.

Amy Pasquet (Buchanan-Feinberg), '05

After earning tenure as an English professor at the University of Bordeaux, Amy took a sabbatical in 2017 to work with her husband, Jean, making cognac on his family's vineyards. She never went back to her teaching position, as she and Jean now run the distillery together.

Liz Catoe (Keller), '06

In 2023, Liz's department at Clover High School was awarded with the Exemplary Program with Honors award from the American Association of Teachers of French.

Alexis Stratton, '06

Alexis married Noell Rathbun in May 2023, and is the proud stepparent of at 10-year-old stepchild.

Christopher Yandel, '06

After graduating from USC in 2006, Christopher taught English in South Korea, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. In 2014, he moved back to the United States to attend Berkeley Law and graduated in 2017. After law school, he worked for a judge in Anchorage, returned to the Bay Area to work in private practice, and then moved back to Anchorage to work at the Alaska Attorney General's Office where he's been for almost five years now.

Arielle VanSyckel, '08

Arielle completed a Fellowship in Pediatric Radiology at McGaw Medical Center at Northwestern University in June of 2023.

Krystal Deiters (Webber), '09

Partner, IBM. Krystal married her husband, Kelly Deiters, on May 20, 2023.

Jordan Slomzenski, '09

Engineer IV, SSOE Group. Jordan got married on December 2, 2023.

John Warren, '09

After graduating from the Honors College in 2009, John took a year off and worked for a lawyer in Columbia. He soon decided that he wanted to be a lawyer and enrolled at Elon University School of Law in 2010. Since then, he's clerked for two federal judges and one S.C. Supreme Court Justice. He is now in private practice, and focus on white collar criminal defense, whistleblower litigation and appeals. John and his wife welcomed their daughter in September 2023 and have settled down in Columbia. He joined the faculty at USC School of Law as an adjunct professor and co-director of the USC Moot Court program.

Katherine Colburn, '10

Licensed Professional Civil Engineer (P.E.) in the State of Utah (March 2023) and active in the Utah Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, operating the I-15 Express Lanes, the longest continuous system of HOT (high-occupancy toll) managed lanes in North America.

Kurtyss Kasten, '11

Kurtyss moved to the Big Island last year with his wife. They are both National Service Corps Scholars, fulfilling their commitment of serving in high need clinics, providing primary care in Hilo, Hawaii. On their days off, are surfing or playing soccer, or taking their dog to the beach. They are working diligently to grow their own food in their garden.

Kyle Kemp, '11

On February 9, 2024, Kyle received the Navy Federal's President's Award for Service Excellence. This award recognizes employees who consistently contributed above and beyond what is normally expected during the previous calendar year.

David Prim, '13

After graduating from Honors in 2013, David stayed at USC to complete a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. He finished his Ph.D. in 2018 and moved to Boston, MA for his first "real job" in life science strategy consulting. He did strategy and advisory work at two firms - ClearView Healthcare Partners and Locust Walk Partners - before transitioning to venture capital investing. Since 2021, he's worked at Broadview Ventures, where they focus on early-stage medical device and biopharma investments in cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Rosanne Prim (Sullivan), '13

Associate II with Mass General Brigham’s Office for Interactions with Industry.

Laura Thorp, '13

After graduating from Honors in 2013, Laura moved to Raleigh, N.C. to pursue a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in poetry at North Carolina State University. She graduated in 2015 and returned to the University of South Carolina for a job opportunity. She worked in graduate student affairs for 8 years and decided to pursue a Ph.D. in American and African-American Literature. In June 2023, Laura returned to the Triangle area of North Carolina for an incredible opportunity to be the inaugural Director of Student Affairs for The Graduate School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dion de Jong, '17

After meeting each other through the Honors College, Rachel Beard ‘17 and Dion de Jong got married on 2/1/21.

Arianna Miskin, '17

Arianna recently became the Assistant Director of Health Policy at the (other) USC.

Jaclyn Nicklas, '17

Jaclyn is a small mammal and reptile exotic veterinarian at Animal House of Chicago.

Tyler Wagner, '17

Tyler was recently hired as the Associate Director of Research for the National Pharmaceutical Council. Tyler leads team efforts in value assessment for cell and gene therapies, health equity research, and the use of real-world data and evidence in health economics and outcomes research. Tyler was awarded a Distinguished Service Award from ISPOR for his service in 2022-2023.

Akilah Alwan, '18

During graduate school, Akilah was selected as an NSF GRFP, SREB Doctoral Scholar, UCAR Next Generation DEI Fellow, NSF FIELD Fellow, and a finalist for the TMCF/Sallie Mae Bridging the Gap Scholarship.

Emily Fisher, '19

After graduating, Emily completed a Fulbright as an English Teaching Assistant in La Rioja, Spain. Upon returning to the US, she received a masters in speech-language pathology at USC in August 2022. She is now a certified SLP working with autistic students and multilingual learners at an elementary school in Richland 2.

Megan Rigabar, '19

As the COVID-19 pandemic came to a close, Megan moved to the University of Cambridge where she completed a Masters in Public Policy. She then moved to London to work for the London Borough of Lambeth, where she created policy responses to poverty, violence, and ageing, among other topics. She has also been involved with the Aspen Institute UK through the Rising Leaders Fellowship.

Brian Youngblood, '20

Brian will attend Harvard Business School in fall 2024 after taking a break from work to volunteer and travel. He's spent the last year working at Mill, a start-up in the Bay Area focused on reducing food waste by cycling food back into the food system. He was the factory operations lead and developed the manufacturing process for the food recycling device primarily in Guadalajara, Mexico where the factory is located. Prior to Mill, he worked as a Product Quality Manager at Apple, leading the launches of multiple iPads.

Christopher Carter, '21

Christopher is a graduate student at MIT studying aerospace materials. Since leaving the Honors College, he's been working on a masters degree in Mechanical Engineering to be followed by a Ph.D.

Rachel Strieber, '21

Rachel will graduate ranked within the top 10 of the class from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, IL in May 2024! Rachel will be sitting for the July 2024 Illinois bar exam, and has a job offer at a private law firm that does personal injury, workers' compensation, and medical malpractice law. Stemming from her volunteer roots at the Honors College, Rachel is an active volunteer and Wish Granter for Make-A-Wish Illinois.

Davis Ivey, '23

Currently in a gap year working as a clinical research assistant before starting at MUSC's Physician Assistant program in May 2024.

Fay Hussain, '24

Fay will join the UVA Health System as a PGY1&2 HSPAL pharmacy resident.

Weston Watts, '24

Weston has accepted a 2-year appointment at the Board of Governors, which will serve as a predoctoral program before pursuing a Ph.D. in Economics.

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• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-statue-of-rev-billy-graham-unveiled-at-u-s-capitol

WATCH: Statue of Rev. Billy Graham unveiled at U.S. Capitol

A statue of the late Rev. Billy Graham was unveiled inside the U.S. Capitol in a ceremony on Thursday.

Watch in the player above.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, other congressional members and the family of the Charlotte-born evangelist attended the unveiling of the 7-foot (2.1-meter) tall bronze statue in the National Statuary Hall.

The North Carolina General Assembly approved legislation in 2015 asking a congressional committee to eventually approve a likeness of Graham for display in the hall. Rules say a person’s statue can only be installed posthumously. Graham, who lived most of his adult life in Montreat, died in 2018 at age 99.

Each state gets two statues. The Graham statue will replace one of early 20th-century Gov. Charles Aycock, who, while known as an education advocate, has fallen from favor because of his ties to the white supremacy movement at the time.

The Graham sculpture, created by Charlotte-based artist Chas Fagan, depicts Graham gesturing toward an open Bible in his hand, the association said. The statue was bronzed in Seagrove. The base, created from Rowan County granite, is inscribed with two Bible verses that highlight Graham’s evangelistic ministry.

The other North Carolina statue commissioned for the National Statuary Hall is a likeness of Civil War-era Gov. Zebulon Vance, who was also a Confederate military officer and U.S. senator.

Graham was the most widely heard Christian evangelist in history, preaching in person to more than 210 million people worldwide.

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