Honors in Geosciences

Honors students carry out a program of independent geoscience research under the supervision of an individual faculty member during their senior year. In general, this means dedicating one full course each semester as well as Winter Term to the project, and most students begin their work in the summer between junior and senior years. The research project culminates in a thesis that is evaluated by a committee of department members and a public defense, generally in late April. Students who complete this program successfully are recognized at commencements as graduating with honors.

Any student interested in doing honors research should discuss their plans with a member of the department in their junior year.

To be accepted into the Honors Program, a student must have a GPA of 3.10 or higher in their geoscience coursework and submit a written proposal to the department.