The honors program in Jewish Studies promises to offer students many rewards but also requires considerable dedication on the part of a potential honors degree candidate. The principal advantage of the honors program and degree is the opportunity to carry out a substantial research project under the supervision of a Jewish Studies faculty member and to learn research skills. Undergraduate research is an advantage for any student seeking entrance into graduate school.

The honors process affords students more direct contact with faculty and leads to much more detailed letters of recommendation. The thesis can serve as a writing sample for a graduate school application. Along with the satisfaction of completing your thesis is the distinction of having honors noted on your B.A. degree and transcript—a distinction noted by employers and graduate and professional schools in search of first-rate students.

• In addition to completing the requirements for the Jewish Studies major, honors students must successfully complete two courses: first enrolling in JSTU-H 399 Readings for Honors in Jewish Studies (3 credits) and then completing the honors thesis with the course JSTU-H 499 Honors Thesis (3-6 credits).
• In the final semester, the student enrolls in JSTU-H 499 and completes a 25-50 page thesis, representing a significant proportion of original research. The thesis is defended before a committee made up of the thesis director and two other faculty members (chosen by the student in consultation with the thesis director).
• A thesis director of the student’s choice (from the Jewish Studies faculty) will serve as mentor throughout H 399/H 499. Students must fill out the appropriate contract for JSTU-H 399 or JSTU-H 499, and obtain the thesis director's signature as well as the approval of the Jewish Studies academic advisor before registering for these classes.

Guidelines for the honors thesis

Before beginning an honors thesis, you must consult with the Jewish Studies advisor, Dr. Carolyn Lipson-Walker. You will work closely with the advisor to identify the potential focus of your thesis and a possible Jewish Studies faculty member to serve as thesis director.

About an Honors thesis

An honors thesis demonstrates your ability to carry out independent research and to present an original analysis of that research in the form of a substantive formal paper, between 25-50 pages. Once written, the thesis is defended before a committee made up of the thesis director and two other faculty members (chosen by the student in consultation with the thesis director).

Prerequisites and Requirements

Students who wish to enroll in the Jewish Studies honors program must have a 3.5 GPA in Jewish Studies courses and a 3.3 GPA overall. To graduate with honors, you must:

• Be a Jewish Studies major
• Maintain these GPA minimums
• Successfully complete JSTU-H 399 Readings for Honors in Jewish Studies (3 credits) and JSTU-H 499 Honors Thesis (3-6 credits) with a grade of A- or higher in both honors courses

Honors program timeline and steps

Begin an honors thesis

The first step is to meet with honors advisor, Dr. Carolyn Lipson-Walker, to discuss your interest in the honors thesis, obtain the approval form, discuss the focus of your interest and a possible Jewish Studies faculty member to serve as thesis director.

In consultation with your thesis director, you will need to identify the general focus of your thesis, write a brief description of the thesis project, and compile a bibliography of potential readings for H 399.

Enroll in JSTU-H 399 Readings for Honors in Jewish Studies

Before enrolling in JSTU-H399, you will need to complete the approval form, have it signed by the thesis director, and return the contract to the Jewish Studies advisor. The approval form is available at the bottom of this page.

During JSTU-H 399, in consultation with the thesis director, you will select two faculty members to serve as readers for the candidate’s thesis committee. Additionally, you will work to complete a prospectus during the semester.

You must pass with an A- or higher in order to continue in the honors program. If by the middle of JSTU-H 399 progress remains unsatisfactory, you will be dropped from the honors program. In that case, credit for JSTU-H 399 will be given on completion of a certain amount of written work to be determined by the thesis director.

Complete a prospectus

During JSTU-H 399, you, in consultation with the thesis director, should conceive a method and structure for the thesis. By the middle of the semester of H399, you must complete a brief (2-3 page) prospectus. It should consist of a detailed statement of the aims of the thesis, developed by reading and discussion, (procedure rather than content may be emphasized) and should be accompanied by a bibliography of completed and projected reading.

By the end of JSTU-H 399, copies of the prospectus should be sent by the student to the thesis director, the two readers, and the Jewish Studies advisor. And in the final month of the semester of JSTU-H 399, after the prospectus has been distributed, the student should arrange to meet with the three faculty members, preferably all at the same time, to discuss the prospectus and the aims of the thesis. The student should notify the Jewish Studies advisor when this meeting is completed successfully.

Enroll in JSTU-H 499 Honors Thesis

Before registering for H 499, you must obtain a form from the Jewish Studies advisor. This form should be filled out by the student and thesis director, signed by the thesis director, and returned to the advisor before you may register for JSTU-H 499. The form should include confirmation by the thesis director stating that progress has been satisfactory on the prospectus, that a grade of A- or better is projected in H 399, and confirms the number of credit hours (3 to 6 credits) for H 499.

Before beginning JSTU-H 499, it is recommended that you meet with your thesis director and agree on a written timetable for drafts of the thesis. You should share this with the Jewish Studies advisor. Because the sheer act of polishing the writing and form of the thesis takes more time than students usually envision, honors students should present a draft of the completed thesis to the director at least a month before the deadline of submission of copies of the final version. An advanced draft of the thesis should be submitted to the thesis director by November 1 (for students enrolled in H 499 in fall semester) or March 1 (for students enrolled in H 499 in the spring semester).

Submit your honors thesis

You should submit copies of your thesis to each member of the committee no later than 4 weeks prior to your graduation. You must notify the Jewish Studies advisor when the copies have been distributed.

After your defense, you are responsible for submitting one final, revised copy of the thesis to the advisor. 

Defend your honors thesis

You are responsible for working with the thesis director to establish a date (at least 2 weeks prior to graduation or the end of the semester), time and place for the thesis defense. You are also responsible for informing the members of the committee and the honors advisor of the date, time, and place of the defense.

To receive an honors degree, you must present a thesis judged acceptable by the thesis committee. Based upon the committee’s evaluation, the thesis director will determine whether the candidate should graduate with honors in Jewish Studies. The thesis director is responsible for assigning a grade for JSTU-H 499 (an A- or higher to receive honors.) Students receiving a grade below A- will receive credit for the thesis course but will not graduate with honors in Jewish Studies.

After your defense, you are responsible for submitting one final, revised copy of the thesis to the advisor.