Eligibility - Any Latin American Studies major with a 3.6 average or higher in the major, and 3.3 overall at the end of the junior year, is eligible to apply for consideration for writing a senior honors thesis.

Description - A year-long research project, resulting in a substantial written thesis to be publicly presented and defended.

Proposal - The student have to be in communication with a Latin American Studies faculty member during the spring of the junior year to begin developing a thesis topic and to plan a research agenda for the summer. The student will submit a proposal to the director of the Latin American Studies Program the Friday after fall break in the student’s senior year, explaining in detail the topic of the thesis, and stating the name of a faculty member who has agreed to serve as director of the thesis. The proposal will then be reviewed by the Latin American Studies Advisory Committee whose members will either accept, reject or request resubmission with emendations or clarifications.

Thesis Committee - If the proposal is accepted by the Latin American Studies Advisory Committee, the student and the thesis director will form a Thesis Committee with on additional faculty member (reader) from the Latin American Studies Program. The reader will meet with the thesis director at the end of the spring semester to assign a grade to the thesis.

Calendar - During the fall semester, under the supervision of the thesis advisor, the student will thoroughly research the topic, and will submit evidence of research done to the director of the Latin American Studies Program at the end of the semester. The January term may be used to research aspects of the topic that require travel or may also be devoted to writing. The spring term will be devoted to the writing of the thesis. A completed draft will be due on April 1st. The Thesis Committee may ask the student to make revisions before a final grade is assigned.

Grade - The thesis must receive a final grade of A- or higher in order to qualify for Honors. The grade will be computed by averaging the grades given by the director and the two readers.

Credits - The student will register in LA 483/484 (Senior Honors Thesis) for two credits in the fall semester, two credits in the January term, and two credits in the spring semester (or for three credits in the fall semester and three credits in the spring semester). If the student is making satisfactory progress, non-graded credit(s) (CR) will be posted for the fall and January terms. Once the thesis is completed and assigned a grade at the end of the spring semester, this grade will then replace the CR posted for the fall and January terms. If a student's thesis does not receive the required minimum grade of A-, the grade assigned will replace the CR posted for the fall and January terms, but the Registrar will change the registration to 491/492 (Independent Study) for all three terms. If for whatever reason a student does not bring the honors thesis to satisfactory completion after having received non-graded credit(s) in either or both the fall and January terms, the grade of CR will remain in the student's transcript for those terms and the Registrar will change the registration to 491/492 (Independent Study).

Defense - Upon completion of the thesis, and before the end of classes, there will be an oral defense, which will be open to all members of the Latin American Studies Program and invited guests. The student will submit a clean, bound copy of the thesis to the director of the Latin American Studies Program to be filed in Miller Library.