Honors

Students who  demonstrate exceptional scholarship are recommended for honors in the  concentration. DS students do not have to apply for honors.

Guidelines for Graduating with Honors

1. a grade of "A" in 7 out of the 10 required DS concentration  courses. Grades of "S" are equivalent to a  "B"
2. a thesis judged by the advisor AND reader as meriting honors (a grade of "A").

Honors will not  be awarded by the University retroactively. Therefore, students who do not  complete their required work on schedule will not be able to receive honors,  even if all requirements are completed at a later time.

In addition to  graduating with honors, students who receive their degree in Development  Studies may be recommended to the Dean of the College to receive special prizes  upon graduation, typically consisting of modest monetary awards. These  recommendations are made by the DS Advisory Committee on the basis of (1) an evaluation of the overall work of the students in the concentration  (especially in the senior seminar), and (2) DS related extracurricular activities.

Theses  considered for a grade of "A" must follow these guidelines:

1. Systematic and extensive use of primary AND secondary sources.
2. Generally 60-100 pages, double-spaced.
3. Well-written  and makes a clear contribution to a debate.
4. The thesis  is considered by the committee to make a clear and important theoretical  and/or empirical contribution to the field of development studies.
5. Both readers must agree that the thesis deserves a grade of "A".
6. The first thesis draft is sent to the advisor, reader, AND Director by the deadline.
7. The final  thesis draft is sent to the advisor, reader, AND Director by the deadline. A bound hard copy must be provided to the Development Studies Program by the deadline.