Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major in Gender and Women’s Studies is intended for students who are eager to experience the excitement of original research and who wish to graduate with the best possible undergraduate training in the discipline. Honors in the Major is especially appropriate for those who are considering graduate work in gender and women’s studies or who want rigorous training in research, reasoning, and writing skills useful to a wide range of career choices. Students should consult with the department advisor to determine the best way to fulfill honors requirements and how to make the most out of the Honors in the Major experience in the field.
In order to develop a working relationship that may lead to thesis supervision, interested students should identify area of interest, possible thesis advisors, and relevant course work early in their major.
To earn the B.A. or B.S. with Honors in the Major in Gender and Women’s Studies, students must satisfy both the requirements for the Research Track in the major and the following additional requirements:
- Achieve a GPA of at least 3.3 out of 4.0 in all gender and women’s studies courses at the time of graduation.
- Achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 in all courses taken at UW–Madison at the time of graduation.
- Complete a two-semester senior honors thesis sequence, 681 and 682, for a total of 6 credits of thesis work.
- Complete at least two courses, 6 credits, for Honors in Gender and Women’s Studies.
Interested and eligible students should submit a letter of application in spring of their junior year to the undergraduate advisor providing the following information:
- If completing more than one major, department(s) of additional major(s)
- Area(s) of interest within gender and women’s studies
- Tentative ideas for an honor’s thesis and a letter from a faculty member agreeing to supervise the project
- In addition, a copy of the student’s transcript, indicating course work and GPA, should be submitted at the time of application.