Honors Program

Honors students meet the same requirements as other English majors, but 5 of the courses in the major are designated honors courses. The 5 courses amount to 12 credits.

• Spring of junior year: enroll in ENGL370 (1 credit)     
• Fall of senior year: enroll in ENGL373 (2 credits)
• Spring of senior year: enroll in Honors Independent Study with a faculty advisor (3 credits)
• Anytime during the program: take an Honors Seminar ENGL428 (3 credits)
• Anytime during the program: take a second Honors Seminar ENGL428 (3 credits)

If you plan on studying abroad for the first semester of the Honors Program, please read the English Honors Study Abroad Policy to make sure you understand the expectations and requirements.

All honors students do a senior project, which can be a critical thesis or a creative work. A thesis is at least 20 pages and a creative work is at least 30 pages. Students plan for completing the senior project is as follows:

• ENGL370: Students select their topic in conversation with their faculty advisor and begin reading and planning their project.
• ENGL373: Students research, write and edit their thesis in a workshop environment.
• ENGL495: Students complete an independent study with their faculty advisor wherein they complete their project. They defend the project in a colloquium with three or four readers.

Every semester, at least one seminar (ENGL428) is offered. The seminars are limited to 20 students and are intended for honors students and other high-achieving students in the major. Non-honors students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0, have completed ENGL301 and have taken at least one 400-level English course.

The English Honors Program enrolls 10-20 students each year through a rigorous admissions process. There is no minimum GPA, but most applicants have established a strong track record in the English department, including ENGL301, the gateway course for the major. They have earned the support of an English professor and developed a clear sense of their goals for honors and beyond. Applicants must be able to commit three full semesters (spring-fall-spring) to the completion of the program.

Creative writers looking to write a play for the honors senior project should speak with the honors director in advance of the application deadline. Creative writers looking to write poetry or prose, see the application below.

Questions: Professor Kim Coles (kcoles@umd.edu), the Director of English Honors.

Apply to the Honors Program

Apply by November 15, 2024

Apply for Creative Honors Thesis

Prerequisite: Must have completed, or be currently enrolled in, ENGL 352 or ENGL 353

Apply by October 18, 2024