Honours Program

THE HONOURS PROGRAM IN THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT: A BRIEF DESCRIPTION

The Admission Process

The requirements for admission to the Honours program include two components:

1. A student’s grade point average. In general, the GPA should be at least 3.3 (the higher the better) in history courses above the 1000 level;

2. The availability of a prospective academic advisor who would be willing to supervise your work on the Honours thesis. Under normal circumstances, the academic advisor should be a professor with a tenured or tenure-track appointment in the History Department, whose research specialization is in the field of your prospective thesis research. In exceptional cases, professors outside the History Department may act as thesis supervisors, but this is limited to cases when a research field is not covered by the faculty resources of the History Department. Such matters are decided on a case-by-case basis.

Before applying for admission to the Honours program, you should secure the agreement of a prospective thesis supervisor to work with you. Start these conversations in advance: the fall or winter term of your third year of university studies is a good time. It is advisable to approach a professor with whom you have taken one or more courses, preferably at an advanced (3rd- or 4th-year) level, and who thus knows your academic work well. It is recommended that you consult with the department’s Undergraduate Coordinator about the selection of a prospective thesis supervisor.

Applications to the Honours Program normally are submitted to the History Department in the winter term of your third year of university studies. Every year, the department establishes a deadline for these applications. You need to fill out two admission forms, the links to which are posted on the department’s website: https://www.dal.ca/faculty/arts/history/programs/undergraduate-programs/undergraduate-degree-options.html.

After You Are Admitted: Working on the Honours Thesis

Once (hopefully) you are admitted, the Honours program takes place in your fourth and final year of university studies. The research and writing for the Honours thesis requires registration in the HIST4981/4982 course, which is titled The Honours Essay and is worth 6 credits. In addition, students are required to take a year-long course titled the History Honours Seminar, HIST4971/4972, which is worth 3 credits. The total credit value of the Honours program is thus 9 credits.

The Honours Seminar is taught by the Undergraduate Coordinator who works closely with every student’s thesis supervisor throughout the year. This ensures that students progress successfully toward the completion of their theses, and that any issues are addressed in a timely fashion. Most of the students’ written work is graded by their thesis supervisors, since they specialize in the respective topics of thesis research. Some of the written work is graded by the Undergraduate Coordinator.

The seminar familiarizes students with the practice of doing extensive research and writing in history. At the center of attention is the production of a thesis as a high-quality work of historical research. Students go through several stages of working on their theses. In the first two months of the fall term, they do preliminary work, such as sources and methodology exercises as well as the writing and revising of a thesis proposal. The late fall and winter terms are dedicated to the production of the thesis itself. Students write a historiographical review and then proceed to writing draft chapters of their theses. In the process of research and writing, students benefit from the advice of their faculty supervisors with whom they remain in close contact throughout the year. They also benefit from the advice of the Undergraduate Coordinator, occasional guest speakers, and their student peers. Thesis proposals and chapter drafts are posted on the seminar’s website in Brightspace, with every member of the seminar then reading and commenting on each other's writing in a workshop format.

The final, revised and polished copy of your entire thesis is normally due on the last day of classes in the winter term. For the best result, it is highly recommended (not required, but do heed this advice) that you submit a draft of the entire thesis to your supervisor a few weeks before the deadline. The supervisor will then be able to offer comments and suggestions for revision, which you will incorporate in a revised version of the thesis. The supervisor, together with a second reader, assigns the final grade for your thesis. The Undergraduate Coordinator assigns the final grade for the Honours Seminar. After that, you are done – hopefully, passing toward graduation with flying colours.