For graduation with honors in History of Art, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher in History of Art and successfully complete an honors thesis.
Honors Thesis
The Honors Thesis in History of Art offers an opportunity for students to explore research topics with the mentorship of a faculty member, culminating in an article-length paper, a piece of writing that might be suitable for publication in an undergraduate journal or used as a writing sample for graduate school or job applications. The thesis takes place in one semester, during which the student undertakes a significant revision and deepening of a seminar paper written in an earlier 400-level course. The resulting honors thesis is a 25-page paper (approx. 6000 words), with figures, footnotes/endnotes, bibliography, and any appendices constituting additional pages.
Students are responsible for securing a commitment from a History of Art faculty member to supervise the thesis. Usually the mentor will be the instructor for the 400-level seminar where the initial paper was written, but alternate arrangements can be made in the case of faculty leave or other exigencies. Students may seek approval from both faculty mentor and Director of Undergraduate Studies to build on alternative foundations for the thesis (e.g. a paper from a lower-level course, a research project developed via a summer internship, or a paper written in another department).
Students usually pursue the Honors Thesis in their senior year; in some cases students may opt to complete the thesis in their junior year. For students wishing to write a joint thesis with another department or program, please consult with the DUS for both History of Art and the other department/program as early as possible.
After securing a mentor for the thesis, students pursuing honors must make a formal request via the Honors Thesis Form. Forms must be submitted by April 15 (for those wishing to pursue a thesis the following Fall) or November 15 (for those wishing to pursue a thesis the following Spring). After submission, the Director of Undergraduate Studies will review the application, and students and faculty mentors will receive approval via email to register for the History of Art Honors Thesis (AS.010.521 or AS.010.522, 3 credits). These credits are in addition to the normal major requirements and do not count as an elective or advanced course. Note that in rare cases, and in consultation with the student and relevant faculty, the DUS may assign mentorship to a different faculty member than that proposed by the student.
As part of every student thesis, students must present their thesis via the Hopkins Office for Undergraduate Research (HOUR), which organizes a week of presentations each semester in October and April.
A full draft of the thesis is due to the faculty mentor by October 31 (Fall) or March 31 (Spring). Note that missing this draft deadline means that honors in the major cannot be certified by the DUS in time for commencement. The final honors thesis is due to the faculty mentor on the last day of classes in the relevant semester.
Honors Thesis Due Dates
Please plan well in advance of these deadlines, especially in cases where alternate approaches are being considered.
| Required deliverables | Fall Thesis (010.521) | Spring Thesis (010.522) |
| Honors Thesis Form | April 15 | November 15 |
| HOUR presentation | October | April |
| Full Draft to faculty mentor & DUS | October 31 | March 31 |
| Final Thesis due | First day of the final exam period | First day of the final exam period |