Departmental honors are awarded to Geography or Environmental Studies Majors who achieve either (1) a grade-point average (GPA) of 3.50 or higher within the major following the penultimate semester prior to graduation; or (2) a GPA lower than 3.50 within the major following the penultimate semester prior to graduation, but with an approved and completed honors thesis.

Highest honors are awarded to students who achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher within the major following the penultimate semester, and an approved honors thesis.

  

How do an Honors thesis in Geography or Environmental Studies

The honors thesis is produced under the supervision of a department faculty member. Choice of faculty supervisor will be made by the student, but the faculty has to agree to serve as honor thesis advisor. One additional faculty reader of the thesis is required. Thesis research and writing fulfills the requirements of honors courses 01:450/381:495 and 496 (one 3-credit honors course per semester). The student will be invited to give a presentation of their work and be prepared to respond to questions and requests for revisions from the faculty supervisor and reader.

 

Why do an Honors thesis in Geography or Environmental Studies

  • A chance to deep dive into upper-level Geography or Environmental Studies
  • Work one-on-one with a faculty advisor on a project of your choosing

 

How to sign up for the honors thesis course

  1. In the spring of your junior year
    • Identify which Geography core faculty member you would like as an honors thesis advisor. If you don't know, you might want to select an advisor who taught a course that you enjoyed. You can also explore the faculty profiles on this website and find a faculty member whose research interest align with yours. 
    • Contact the faculty member and see if they are available to do an honors thesis with you. The Geography/ENVS advising team can help you with this. 
    • Get a special permission number by the Geography/ENVS Advising team and sign up for the honors thesis course (01:450/381:495) for the fall
  2. In the fall of your senior year
    • Contact your faculty honors thesis advisor during the first week of classes and set up a meeting schedule, discuss how you will work together, define expectations and deliverables, and discuss how the grade will be set for the fall honors thesis course.
    • During registration, sign up for the spring honors thesis course (01:450/381:496). The Geography/ENVS advising team will help you get a SPN 
  3. In the spring of your senior year
    • Contact your faculty honors advisor during the first week of classes and set up a meeting schedule, discuss how you will work together, define expectations and deliverables, discuss how the grade will be set for the fall honors thesis course, set a deadline for handing in the final thesis, and a tentative date for the oral presentation.
    • Give an oral presentation about your honors thesis work for the department, and be prepared to respond to questions from the faculty supervisor and reader. 

 

To be considered for the Henry Rutgers Scholar Awards 

To be considered for a Henry Rutgers Scholar Award, a student must have presented his/her research at the Aresty Research Center Symposium, a department-based research event, or a professional conference. (The oral presentation does not satisfy this requirement.)