Admission to the Honours Program in History
1. Students who wish to be admitted to the Honours Program in History must apply to the Chair of the Department in writing.
2. Application may be made after successful completion of 10 units of study but must be made prior to completion of the third year or 15 units of study.
3. Admission will be based on the department’s assessment of the applicant’s academic record. The minimum requirement for admission is a GPA of 3.0 in history courses.
4. Applicants must also have secured the agreement of a faculty member to supervise the honours thesis (Hist 4499). An honours thesis proposal must be submitted by March 30 of the third year of one’s program or, in the case of part-time students, March 30 of the academic year immediately preceding enrolment in Hist 4499. The proposal must receive departmental approval. Students must also have successfully completed Hist 3391 Historical Methodology before enrolling in Hist 4499.
5. Students applying for admission to the Honours Certificate Program must do so early enough to meet the honours thesis requirements, including submission of a general thesis proposal by March 30 of the academic year prior to enrolment in Hist 4499. The proposal must receive departmental approval.
Requirements
The Honours Program in History requires that students complete 20 units after Grade XII (or the equivalent). Ten of these units must be in history, which will normally include the following components:
1. either HIST 1101 or 1120; or permission of the department to substitute a unit above the 1000 level;
2. four 2000-level units;
3. five units at the 3000 and 4000 level, including HIST 3390/3391, HIST 4480/4481, and HIST 4499;
4. No more than eight units in any single area of study (Europe, World, North America).
In order to remain in the Honours Program, students must achieve a GPA of 3.0 or better in 10 of the required honours units, with a grade of at least C- in each of these units; in addition, students must achieve a minimum grade of B- in the honours thesis, and an overall GPA of 3.0 or more must be obtained in all courses counted for the degree beyond the first full five units taken.
HIST 4499: Honours Thesis
This course is intended to give practice in independent research, requiring an extended piece of writing. Under the supervision of a faculty member in the history department, students select a topic, conduct research in primary sources, write a thesis of between 50 and 80 pages (type-written, double-spaced), and present their work to a committee of three faculty members. Students are encouraged to look at previous honours theses in history, which are available in the department and in the university library, for guidance on length and format.
The following is a timetable of significant dates in this process:
During the Third Year
Students should submit their application to enter the Honours Program in writing to the Chair of the Department of History.
Students must obtain the consent of a faculty member in the Department of History to act as thesis supervisor, preferably before the end of the Fall term, and in consultation with the supervisor define the thesis topic and establish the basic primary and secondary resources available.
By 30 March of the Third Year
Students are required to submit a general written thesis proposal to the Chair for approval by the Department. The proposal should consist of a short essay of about 750 words, which defines the topic and sets out some of the questions the thesis will address. A working bibliography of available primary and secondary sources should also be included.
By 15 October of the Fourth Year
Students are required to submit a specific written summary of the thesis to the Chair for approval by the Department. This submission should consist of a thesis statement and descriptive summary of the projected table of contents (ten to twelve pages, type-written, double-spaced).
By the Friday before the February Study Break
Students are required to submit a complete first draft to their thesis supervisor.
By mid-March of the Fourth Year
Students are required to submit three copies of their completed thesis to the Chair of the Department. The thesis should be 50 to 80 pages in length (type-written, double-spaced), complete with a table of contents and full bibliography of all primary and secondary sources consulted. The Department expects all research to be cited according to the departmental writing manual, "Writing History Essays." More detailed assistance may be found in Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers, 7th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007).
Students are reminded that the university regulations on plagiarism will be strictly enforced and that proper use of language is one of the criteria used in the evaluation of all written assignments.
By the end of March or early April of the Fourth Year
Students are required to make an oral presentation of their thesis to a committee of three members of faculty, one of whom is the supervisor. The presentation is intended to provide the student with an opportunity to present his or her thesis in a formal setting and faculty members with an opportunity to ask questions regarding research, methodology, and conclusions. Such a presentation normally lasts one and a half to two hours and is open to all students and faculty.
By 30 April of the Fourth Year
Completion of any required amendments and submission of two copies (one for the Department and one for the Library) of the final draft of the thesis for binding. (The binding cost is currently $25 per copy and is prepaid to Financial Services. The receipt for payment and the copies to be bound are then submitted to the Library for binding by an outside service. Additional copies may also be ordered if prepaid through Financial Services. The binding cost is subject to change.)
The Department of History welcomes inquiries from students concerning its Honours Program. Students are reminded that it is their responsibility to consult the MSVU Academic Calendar for university and departmental regulations and degree requirements. March 2009