Honors Program

Starting with December 2026 and May 2027 graduates, Latin honors will not be awarded at the department level. Students who successfully complete the honors program will receive 'Honors in Near Eastern Studies'.

The honors program is open to department majors who have done superior work and wish to devote a substantial portion of their senior year to advanced, specialized and independent study in Near Eastern studies.

Successfully completing an honors thesis will require sustained interest, exceptional ability, diligence, and enthusiasm. Students must also take two honors courses (NES 4998 in fall and NES 4999 in spring), in addition to the regular major requirements. While admission to the Honors Program and completion of a thesis do not guarantee that students will be awarded honors in Near Eastern Studies, most students find the experience as intellectually rewarding as it is rigorous.

Eligibility

For admission to the honors program, candidates must fulfill all of the following requirements:

Minimum grade point average of 3.5 in the Near Eastern studies major
Superior performance overall at Cornell (minimum 3.3 GPA)
Completion of at least 4 semesters or equivalent in a relevant Near Eastern language
Satisfactory completion of an NES research paper (marked as NES-RS in courses of study)
Completion of at least one course in the subfield relevant to the proposed thesis (e.g. early Islamic history, modern Hebrew literature, etc.)

Prospective honors students are strongly encouraged to take NES 4560 (NES Proseminar) in their junior year.

Application process

Honors program applications are available as a downloadable PDF.

Application Deadline: April 15 of the student's junior year

Identify a topic:

By the beginning of the spring semester of their junior year, students should have identified a topic or research question of abiding intellectual interest. Students should bear in mind that an honors thesis is far more than a research paper, and therefore should propose a topic based on original research using primary sources. Students should make sure that they have the appropriate language skills for their proposed thesis.

Select a thesis supervisor:

Once students have a thesis topic in mind, they should approach a faculty member to supervise their work on the honors thesis. The student's major advisor or director of undergraduate studies can help identify a thesis advisor appropriate to the topic. The student and the thesis advisor will then review the student's transcript to make sure that s/he is eligible for admission to the honors program (see admission requirements above). The thesis advisor should also ensure that the student has appropriate and sufficient language skills for the proposed topic.

Select a thesis committee:

The student and the thesis advisor will together identify two additional faculty members to serve on the thesis committee. It is the student's responsibility to contact (at least) one of these faculty members to request their participation on the committee before they submit their honors application.

Submit a thesis proposal:

After consulting with the prospective thesis advisor, the student must prepare a formal, well-thought-out proposal for honors research. The proposal must include a statement of the research question, discussion of the relevant methodology, and a preliminary bibliography of primary and secondary sources. Additional components of the proposal are outlined on the honors application cover sheet. The proposal and this cover sheet should be submitted to the thesis advisor, committee member(s), and the director of undergraduate studies by April 15 of the student's junior year.

Admission to candidacy:

At the end of the student's junior year, the director of undergraduate studies will notify students whether or not they have been admitted as candidates in the honors program.

Note to students studying abroad:

Students who are abroad during their junior year should correspond with the DUS early in the spring semester regarding application to the honors program. Students should plan ahead and make sure they begin the application in a timely manner in order to meet the April 15 deadline.

Note to December graduates:

If your final semester is the fall semester, you will need to start the application process during the previous fall semester, to give yourself one full year to complete the program. That will put your deadline for the application in mid-October of your junior year. Please consult with the DUS if this is the case.

First semester requirements

Regular meetings with the honors thesis advisor and committee member(s) throughout the year.
Participation in NES honors workshops organized by the director of undergraduate studies. The date of these workshops will be announced at the beginning of each semester.
Enrollment in NES 4998 in the fall semester. NES 4998 (part I) allows students to conduct research and begin writing the honors thesis.
- At the end of first semester, submission to the supervisor for evaluation 15-20 pages of the thesis along with an outline of the whole project.

Mid-year evaluation

The thesis advisor and committee member(s) evaluate the progress of each honors candidate in December/January and makes recommendations about continuation. Students will be apprised of the outcome of their evaluation by the beginning of the spring semester.

Students whose work is not progressing satisfactorily will be granted independent study units and a grade for their work in the fall semester but will no longer continue in the honors program.
Students who are progressing satisfactorily will register in NES 4999 in the spring semester.

Second semester requirements

The thesis, between 60-100 pages in length, is due on the Friday closest to April 7. Unbound copies should be prepared for the thesis advisor, committee member(s), and the director of undergraduate studies.

Final thesis evaluation

Students must successfully complete the NES major and must continue to maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA in the major and a minimum GPA of 3.3 overall.
After submitting the thesis draft, students will receive feedback from their advisors and other committee members about required revisions. Students will generally have two weeks to submit a final draft of the thesis.
In early to mid-May, a 'thesis defense' will be held with all committee members. The defense is a conversation between the honors candidate and her/his full committee. The defense provides the candidate with the opportunity formally to present her/his research in oral form and to address the substantive concerns of the committee.
Final evaluation of the thesis will be determined by the committee after the thesis defense, in consultation with the departmental honors committee.
- Students will be given a grade for NES 4999 based on their effort.
- Students may be awarded honors based on the committee's evaluation of the scholarly achievement represented in the thesis.

Determination of honors

In evaluating a thesis, faculty members take into consideration intellectual creativity, methodological innovation, scholarly rigor, and overall quality of presentation. Students should therefore ensure that the thesis is also well-written, impeccably edited, and abides by the footnote format conventional for their discipline of choice (e.g., Chicago, MLA, AP).

A student whose thesis is meritorious, well-argued, and relies ·on a methodologically sound use of primary sources may be awarded cum laude;
A student whose project shows considerable originality and scope, methodological sophistication, and uncommon quality may be awarded magna cum laude;
A student whose project is of truly exceptional quality, makes a real contribution to the field, and is deemed publishable may be awarded summa cum laude.

In deciding on the specific level of Latin honors, the committee may consider a candidate's complete academic record, not merely the thesis.

Submitting final thesis

Submit a final copy of your project (if copies can be made) to the administrator of the program Christianne Capalongo, in 409 White Hall.