Honors in the Major

The Honors in the Major requirements vary by department, but all are approved by the College Honors Committee to include the following requirements:

• Be admitted to the CALS Honors Program
• Maintain a cumulative 3.25 GPA or higher with at least a 3.0 GPA in Honors (or equivalent) coursework.
• Communicate with the departmental advisor or advisory committee. The advisor/committee monitors progress toward Honors in the Major and will certify satisfactory completion prior to graduation.
• Complete at least 20 credits of courses taken for Honors (or equivalent) from a list of courses provided by the department. The list may include Honors and advanced non-Honors courses that add rigor to the undergraduate program in the major.
• Prepare a Senior Honors Thesis (including preparing a research proposal, conducting the research, and presenting the results orally and in writing). The student’s faculty advisor is responsible for approving the Senior Honors Thesis, in consultation with the student’s research mentor if different from the advisor. The department sets the number of Senior Honors Thesis credits (681-682) for the project. Thesis credits are not included in the 20 credits of Honors (or equivalent) course work required to earn Honors in the Major.
• Present the Senior Honors Thesis at the CALS Undergraduate Research Symposium or another public research arena.
• Electronically submit the thesis signed by the advisor and mentor (if different from the advisor) to CALS Academic Affairs.

If the thesis is made available to the public, Steenbock Library uploads the thesis to the CALS Honors and Undergraduate Research Program section of Minds@UW. This is an excellent way to showcase work to employers, graduate schools, family, and friends, and to provide examples of Honors theses to future Honors students.

Students are encouraged to submit their written work for publication in the UW-Madison Journal of Undergraduate Science and Technology after consultation with their mentor.

Upon successful completion of program requirements and graduation requirements, students are awarded the Bachelor of Science degree with Honors.

Questions about Honors in the Major? Contact the Honors Program Manager, Heather Mialik at heather.mialik@wisc.edu. Current UW-Madison students can schedule a meeting with Heather on Starfish.