Students have the opportunity to graduate with honors in the major. Honors students must maintain a grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.50 in work for the major and a cumulative University of Iowa GPA of at least 3.33; the UI cumulative GPA requirement is set by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In order to graduate with honors in the major, students must complete all work for the major and write an acceptable honors thesis on a significant topic related to the major. Students who write their honors thesis in philosophy should consider preparing for the thesis by taking PHIL:3950 Readings in Philosophy; students who write in economics should consult the coordinator of the Ethics and Public Policy Program for an appropriate course. Students who write in political science should take either POLI:4600 Honors Research Project or POLI:4601 Honors Senior Thesis. Students who write in sociology and criminology should consider taking SOC:4997 Honors Seminar. Contact the coordinator of the Ethics and Public Policy Program for more information.

Students who choose to write an honors thesis are required to schedule an oral discussion of their completed honors thesis, mainly to enrich the intellectual experience of its author. A student discusses the thesis with a faculty committee including the thesis director and the department's honors director or a faculty member designated by that official. The committee may withhold approval of fundamentally inadequate theses, but directors are to schedule theses for discussion only when they are ready. The discussion typically concentrates on exploring thesis ideas from several perspectives rather than whether to approve a thesis.

It is expected that students wishing to pursue the honors thesis (POLI:4601 Honors Senior Thesis) begin discussing the thesis with their thesis director one full semester prior to the semester in which they want to write the thesis. Students should consider enrolling in POLI:4700 Independent Study for 1 s.h. the semester before enrolling in the thesis seminar.

University of Iowa Honors Program

In addition to honors in the major, students may pursue honors study and activities through membership in the University of Iowa Honors Program. University honors students must maintain a 3.33 g.p.a., complete 12 s.h. of coursework designated as honors courses, and complete 12 s.h. of an experiential learning project. Visit Honors at Iowa to learn about the University's honors program.

NOTE: Membership in the UI Honors Program is not required to earn honors in the ethics and public policy major.