Honors
Honors in Economics, Honors in Economics-Environmental Studies, Honors in Mathematics-Economics
The college requirements for Honors in Major Study are listed below –
Honors in Major Study are awarded to graduating seniors who show unusual ability in their major fields. To be eligible for candidacy a student must have accumulated at least 87 credits, and have completed two semesters of residence at Whitman College. Admission to candidacy begins with the student’s submitting a proposal describing his or her thesis or project to the appropriate academic department. Once the department (or departments, for combined majors, or major committee for individually planned majors) approves the proposal admitting the student to candidacy for Honors, the department must file an official notification with the Registrar. The application must be submitted to the major department (or departments for combined majors, or major committee for individually planned majors) within the first six weeks of the two-semester period in which the student is eligible. The student has the privilege of doing preliminary planning on the project or thesis during his or her third year.
A candidate must attain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.300 on all credits earned at Whitman and a GPA of at least 3.500 in the major, complete a written thesis or research project prepared exclusively for the satisfaction of this program, and file two acceptable copies of this thesis or report in the college library not later than Reading Day preceding the beginning of the final examination period in the semester in which the student is registered for the honors thesis course, earn a grade of at least A- on the honors thesis or project and the honors thesis course, and Pass with Distinction on the senior assessment in his or her major study.
In the College Catalog, Guidelines for Departmental Approval are found at the link - http://www.whitman.edu/content/registrar/students/honors. In addition to the guidelines of the Registrar's Office, the Economics department offers the following timetable for all honors candidates who intend to graduate in May 2013:
1) During the Junior Year Choose a topic, discuss your ideas with faculty members and arrange for a thesis advisor. Students planning to pursue honors in Economics or an Economics-related combined major are strongly encouraged to complete most of the coursework in Economics, including Econ 327 (Introduction to Econometrics), in preparation for the thesis.
2) During the Summer Commence work on the thesis. At a minimum have a complete bibliography by the first day of the following Fall semester.
3) During the First Six Weeks of the Fall Semester –Candidates work with their advisor(s) to fashion a thesis proposal for submission to the Economics Department.
4) By Friday, October 5, 2012--Submit an application for Admission to Candidacy for Honors in Major Study with the accompanying thesis proposal approved by the thesis advisors to the Economics Department Chair. The Economics Department (and the Environmental Studies advisor, for Economics-Environmental Studies candidates) may ask students for further revision of their thesis proposals. Economics-Environmental Studies Honors candidates should note that this deadline may precede a deadline to complete a thesis proposal as part of EnvS 486, Senior Project Preparation. Information on Honors in Mathematics-Economics is forthcoming.
5) By Wednesday November 14, 2012—The Economics Department forwards the approved applications to the Registrar’s Office. Economics candidates pre-register for Econ 498, Honors Thesis for the spring semester, and Econ-Environmental Studies candidates pre-register for EnvS 498, Honors Thesis (3 credits).
4) First Week of Spring Semester Submit the completed first draft to your thesis advisor(s).
5) First Day after Spring Break – By Monday March 25, 2013, submit the preliminary final draft to all members of the thesis defense committee and schedule a thesis defense to take place no later than Friday, April 12, 2013. For Economics honors candidates the committee consists of all members of the Economics department. For Economics-Environmental Studies honors candidates the committee includes at least two members of the Economics department and at least one faculty member from the Environmental Studies program.
6) Deliver the final draft to the Library within two weeks of the defense, and no later than Friday, April 26, 2013.