Calling all Juniors interested in applying for honors next year. Applications are due March 27, 2017 Meet with your advisor if you have additional questions.
Thinking about honors in Computer Science? Awesome, read on!
Overview
The honors program provides an opportunity for an in-depth and independent study of a particular topic or problem within Computer Science. While this program is very demanding, many find it very rewarding as well – honors allows for a deeper understanding of an area of interest, and provides valuable experience in the reading, writing, and presentation of scholarly work. There are a number of types of possible projects, but most involve either original research in computer Science or the development of an application that makes use of algorithms and techniques from recent papers. All honors projects include a thorough exploration of the primary literature.
Honors students are required to prepare an honors thesis which includes an introduction to their chosen topic or problem, a thorough summary of relevant research, and a detailed discussion given to the department faculty at the end of the fall semester, followed by a public presentation in the spring. Finally, honors students take a comprehensive honors exam in the spring, which includes both a written and oral component with an external examiner.
Eligibility
To apply to the honors program, you’ll need to:
- Have a GPA of at least 3.3 both overall and within Computer Science
- Have completed at least two 300-level courses that count towards a Computer Science major prior to your senior year.
- Have at most three courses remaining to complete the Computer Science major by the start of your senior year. (Note that honors does not count as an elective for the major.)
- Be enrolled and on campus for your senior year. (You may not need to be on campus for Winter Term, but you are expected to spend January working on your thesis.)
Keep in mind that these are minimum requirements. Successful candidates have generally finished or nearly finished their major requirements before their senior year, and usually have a GPA above 3.6. Students also often spend the summer prior to their senior year doing work related to their project, whether that be on-campus research, an REU program, or independent study.
Please note that even strong applications may be denied due to staffing limitations.
Proposals should be submitted to Department Chair by Monday, March 27, 2017
Bob Geitz, Chairperson of the Computer Science King 223A