Interdisciplinary Honors Programs for Nonmajors

While most departments and programs require undergraduates to be a major to produce an honors thesis, several Interdisciplinary Honors Programs are designed specifically for nonmajors. To pursue honors within these programs, you may need to take a few additional courses. Yet, you can continue your studies in your chosen major while doing your honors project.

The Interdisciplinary Honors Programs for Nonmajors include:

For full listings of Honors requirements, please consult the program information in the Bulletin.    The information below provides a brief overview of interdisciplinary programs for non-majors and is presented to enable students to easily explore the variety of honors possibilities in one location, not to provide a complete guide to each program. This page is updated yearly and was last updated September, 2009.

Ethics in Society

The Ethics in Society honors program is open to majors in every field and may be taken in addition to a department major. Students should apply for entry at the end of Spring quarter of sophomore year or no later than the the beginning of Autumn quarter of junior year. Applicants should have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 or higher. They should also maintain this minimum average in courses taken to satisfy the requirements.

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Feminist Studies

Admission to the honors program offers an opportunity to do independent research for a thesis of superior academic quality.  Honors certification in Feminist Studies complements study in any major for those students with a GPA of 3.3 or better. Normally, students must apply for honors certification by the end of junior year.  Students begin the application process by meeting with a program mentor by May 1 of junior year.


 

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Goldman Honors Program (Interschool Honors Program in Environmental Science, Technology and Policy)

The Goldman Honors Program brings upper division students from Humanities and Sciences, Engineering and Earth Sciences together in small-group seminars to analyze important environmental problems. The seminars are project-focused. They are often tied to ongoing research conducted by faculty and graduate students throughout the university. They also are associated with other academic, governmental or industrial institutions that share an interest in solving or implementing solutions to the problems presented.

Students must have a LGI (letter grade indicator) of at least 3.3 at the time they apply and must have a recommendation by a faculty member who would be willing to advise them on their thesis. Students are advised to enter the program with a good idea of their thesis topic. Topics are typically proposed in the Honors admission application.

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Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities

Undergraduates interested in the broad-based humanities honors degree should consult the Associate Dean for Graduate and Undergraduate Studies in the School of Humanities and Sciences for the Individually Designed Honors Program in the Humanities.

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Latin American Studies

The Honors Program in Latin American Studies is open to majors in any field. The aim of the honors program is to prepare students to pursue individualized research on Latin America. This culminates in preparing an honors thesis written under the supervision of a faculty adviser.
The honors program is particularly suited to students who go on to graduate school or pursue employment in an institution emphasizing research and independent work. Although not required, students are encouraged to undertake independent field research in Latin America for their thesis. The minimum foreign language requirement for completing the minor or the honors certificate is to obtain or demonstrate advanced proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese.
Students should apply for entry into the program no later than the end of Winter quarter of junior year. The application includes a proposal of thesis topic endorsed by a member of the faculty who is willing to serve as the student's honors adviser. Applicants should have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 or higher (B+), maintaining this average in courses taken to satisfy the requirements.

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School of Education

This program permits interested Stanford undergraduates to build on training received in their major field of study. They do this by pursuing additional courses and a research or practicum project in a related area of education. Students apply for entry during the junior year.

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Science, Technology and Society

STS offers a limited number of students an opportunity to achieve honors through in-depth study of the interaction of science and technology with society. The honors program is open to students majoring in any field (including STS).

Students accepted for this program carry out an honors project. The work for the honors project normally begins in Spring quarter of junior year and is completed by mid-May of the senior year. STS thesis projects usually entail writing an honors essay. Occasionally though, students chose to produce a technical artifact or carry out some other work that represents original thinking. 

Application for admission to the STS honors program is typically made during the last quarter of the student's junior year. Each applicant must submit a formal proposal for her or his project to the STS Honors Committee, including the name(s) of potential thesis advisors.

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Interschool Honors Program in International Security (CISAC)

The CISAC Honors Program provides opportunities for eligible students (focused on international security subjects) in any university department to earn honors in International Security Studies.

CISAC seeks a diverse group of undergraduate majors for the program. It has a goal of admitting no more than two undergraduates each year from any one department or interdisciplinary program.

Students selected for the honors program will have a GPA of 3.3 or better at the time of application and will complete the following as part of the program:

  • Intern with a security-related organization
  • Attend the program honors college in Washington, DC, in September
  • Attend a yearlong core seminar on international security research
  • Produce an honors thesis with policy implications

Upon fulfilling individual department course requirements and completing the honors program, students will graduate in their major with a certificate in Honors in International Security Studies. Students are admitted to the program on a competitive basis.

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