Department Honors Program

Prerequisites for Admission to the Department Honors Program

Applicants for the Honors Program must:

  • be in their junior or senior year and have completed at least 3 upper division courses in History of Art & Architecture.
  • complete an Honors Capstone Project in their senior year, a 2 or 3 quarter project.
  • maintain a 3.5 GPA in all upper division History of Art & Architecture courses.
  • maintain an overall GPA of 3.0, which must be sustained throughout the course of the student’s project.

Honors Capstone Project

  • The Honors Capstone Project is a research project designed in consultation with a faculty advisor and completed in 2 to 3 quarters, ideally in the student’s senior year.
  • Students develop and carry out original research.
  • This research project has multiple pathways, developed in relation to the student’s skills and interests.
  • Honors Capstone Project research can be presented in a variety of formats such as:
    • Research Essay
    • Archive Project
    • Special Collections Project
    • Exhibition Proposal
    • Acquisition Proposal
    • Mapping Project
    • Special Project developed with Faculty Advisor

Honors Capstone Project Timeline and Application Procedures

The Honors Capstone Project is completed over at least two quarters after the student has taken four units of ARTHI 186/187. Students are strongly encouraged to also take ARTHI 100.

  • In your junior or senior year, obtain the Department Honors Program application (see Undergraduate Student Forms).
  • Identify a general topic of research for a Capstone Project.
  • Identify and meet with a faculty member in your area of interest. Some faculty members will require that a student take a course with them first before working together on a Capstone Project.
  • Once you have identified a faculty member who agrees to serve as faculty advisor for the project, prepare a half-page proposal (approximately 125 words) to submit with the Department Honors Program application.
  • Acceptance of the proposal requires the review and signature of the Department Chair. Honors candidates may ask the Department’s Undergraduate Advisor, arthistory-ug-arthi@ucsb.edu Link opens in the default email client, about the status of their application within a few days of submission.
  • Once your Honors Capstone Project is accepted, prepare an annotated bibliography (8-10 sources) and detailed project proposal with schedule for completion with your faculty advisor.
  • Enroll in ARTHI 199 with your faculty advisor for 2 successive quarters.
  • Carry out research for the project following the schedule designed with the faculty advisor.
  • At the beginning of Week 8 of the second quarter of your Honors Capstone Project, submit the project to your faculty advisor for commenting and grading.
  • Submit the final Honors Capstone Project to the Undergraduate Advisor by Monday of Week 10.
    • If completing an Honors Capstone Project in spring quarter, submit the final project by Friday before Memorial Day weekend to be considered for a department award.

Honors Program Course Requirements

Courses must be taken for a letter grade. A grade of B or better required to receive Distinction in the Major. Honors students must maintain a 3.5 GPA in all upper division History of Art & Architecture courses, and have an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 for the duration of the Honors Program.

Students in the Department Honors Program complete the following courses:

  • 1st course: choose one from
    • ARTHI 186- or 187-series,
    • ARTHI 199,
    • ARTHI upper division course taken for the College of Letters & Science Honors Program Link opens in a new window (students must be enrolled in the campus Honors Program to qualify),
    • Graduate ARTHI seminar (200-level course available only with instructor permission).
  • 2nd course: ARTHI 199
  • 3rd course (not all Honors students will take a 3rd course): ARTHI 199
  • While not required, ARTHI 100 is strongly recommended
    • NOTE: All Capstone Projects lead to the completion of an Honors Distinction in the Major. Alternative options must be approved by the Faculty Undergraduate Advisor and Department Chair.

Format Guidelines for Honors Capstone Project

The following are recommendations. Please discuss the format of your Capstone Project  with your Honors Thesis advisor.

  • The Capstone Project is a structured research process that usually includes in sequence a bibliography, outline, first draft, submission copy (for final revisions), and final, completed copy.
  • The usual format for a final, submitted Capstone Project includes:
    • title page
    • table of contents
    • list of images
    • main text (double-spaced continuous essay, with or structured sections or chapters)
    • images (these can be integrated into the main text, but the minimum page/word count should be adjusted accordingly)
    • bibliography (divided into primary sources, secondary sources, etc. if applicable)
    • list of images, with source information
    • appendices (if applicable)
  • The suggested minimum length is c. 20-25 pages of written text plus images, bibliography, appendix, etc.

A sample outline of a completed Honors Thesis includes:

  • title page
  • table of content
  • list of images
  • main text (double-spaced, continous essay, or structured in sections or chapters)
  • images (unless included in main text)
  • bibliography (divided into primary sources, secondary sources, etc. if applicable)
  • list of image sources
  • appendices (if applicable)

Review of Honors Thesis Project

After an Honors Capstone Project is completed and submitted, it is evaluated by the student’s faculty advisor. You may choose to have a second  reader, who can provide additional, valuable feedback, but this is not required. Should you choose to have a second reader, you should establish this at the outset of the project by consulting your faculty advisor about a timetable for submission of your work to both advisors.  Among the criteria used in evaluating Capstone Projects are scholarly presentation, originality, and quality of research.

If completing an Honors Capstone Project in Spring quarter, submit your project by the Friday before Memorial Day weekend to be considered for a department award.