Graduation With Latin Honors and Distinction

The Department offers an Honors Program leading to Graduation with Distinction in Physics (there is only one level of distinction). 

To enter the program, a student must be part of the B.S. in Physics, have a Grade Point Average of 3.0 overall and in Physics at the beginning of the spring semester of the Junior Year, and identify a Faculty mentor with whom to conduct an extensive research project that will result in the writing and defense of an honors thesis.  A student planning to do an honors thesis should inform the Director of Undergraduate Studies   of her/his intentions no later than the spring semester of the junior year.

To complete the program, a student must:
  1. finish all of the requirements for the B.S. Degree in Physics,
  2. maintain a Grade Point Average of 3.0 overall and in Physics,
  3. complete an extensive research project supervised by a Faculty mentor,
  4. document the research in the form of a Honors Thesis that in the style of articles in The Physical Review and is of suitable quality to be published on the Physic Department's Web site,
  5. defend the Senior Thesis during an Oral Exam that is administered by a three-member Faculty Committee near the end of the Senior Year, and
  6. present a poster on the work at the annual department student poster session, which is held near the end of the spring semester.
Although it is not a requirement, students often complete the research project as part of the PHY 227 Thesis Independent Study course. The extensive research project may be a repetition of previous work, although a project on an original research topic is highly encouraged. It is expected that students will spend an entire year conducting the research project and writing the Honors Thesis with an effort of approximately 12 hours per week. Regular meetings with the faculty mentor should be scheduled (approximately once per week) and an interim progress report should be presented to the faculty mentor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies after the first semester of work. Additional details may be obtained from the Director of Undergrduate Studies .

Seniors wishing to do a thesis project with the aim of graduating with deparment distinction should complete the request form and submit it to Chrystal Stefani in room 107A of the physics building by the end of the add/drop period of the spring semester. If enrolling in PHY 227, you will be given a permission number when the request form is received.

Important links for students who are planning to defend an honors thesis