Honors Track in Russian

Russian majors are admitted into the Honors Track by invitation. To receive honors, a student must:

  1. complete all requirements for the major,
  2. maintain a GPA of at least 3.5 in the major, and
  3. receive a grade of A- or higher for a substantial Honors Thesis written in English.

Closely supervised by one of the Russian faculty in the Department of German and Russian Languages and Literatures, the Russian Honors Thesis is to be the product of a three-credit Honors Track Directed Readings Course taken in the senior year. The student will receive 1.5 credits in the Fall semester for preparation of the thesis and 1.5 credits in the Spring semester for writing the thesis.

Invitation Process
During Spring semester, the faculty of the Russian section will identify candidates from among Junior majors. Students receiving majority support (two members) from the Russian faculty will be informed of their eligibility to enter the Honors Track by April 15.

Timeline for Students Accepting an Invitation to Write an Honors Thesis

  • August 1:
    • To accept an invitation to join the Honors Track, students should submit a 250- to 300-word proposal to the Russian faculty. The proposal should define the topic of the essay and also outline what the student hopes to accomplish in the Honors Thesis. In addition, students should explain how the thesis topic relates to their intellectual interests more generally (Why is this topic an appropriate culmination to their undergraduate studies?) and, where appropriate, how the topic figures into future intellectual and academic plans. The proposal must be approved by a majority (two members) of the regular Russian faculty. (Although the deadline is August 1 of the Senior year for this requirement, students are encouraged to submit the proposal in the Spring semester of their Junior year.)

  • October 1:
    • submit a thesis statement along with a one-paragraph introduction to thesis advisor.

  • November 15:
    • submit a two-page prospectus of the project along with an annotated bibliography to thesis advisor.

  • Mid-March (first Monday after Spring Break):
    • submit completed thesis to advisor.

  • Late April (Monday of last full week of classes):
    • submit final draft of thesis incorporating revisions suggested by advisor.

  • Late April/Early May (approximately one week after submission of final draft of thesis):
    • candidate's oral defense of thesis before the Russian faculty

Parameters for the Honors Essay in Russian
Topic: a problem in Russian literary culture

Length: 25-35 pages (including notes and bibliography)

Language: English

Primary Sources: Russian

Secondary Sources: primarily in English; some in Russian

Format: journal article submission with bibliography and footnotes

Advisor: from Russian faculty of the Department of German and Russian Languages and Literatures

Grading: by the thesis advisor in consultation with a second faculty reader, normally also from the Russian section. Students fulfilling all requirements for the Honors Track who receive a grade of "A-" or higher on the thesis will graduate with honors. Students who fail to attain a grade of "A-" or better will not receive honors but will still receive credit for the thesis.

Group Activities: In addition to working closely with an advisor, students are required to enrich their experience by becoming involved in appropriate group activities. This may include attending lectures in the department and college and meeting periodically with other Honors Track students to discuss common problems. If the department has a minimum of three Honors Students in one year, it will convene a colloquium in the Spring where they can present their work.