Honors

Honors programs are capstone programs, usually completed by students in their senior year, offered by certain departments and interdisciplinary programs. They offer students the opportunity to do advanced research and analysis with faculty guidance. Typically honors requires in-depth research, field work or laboratory work culminating in a substantial written thesis. It may also require an oral presentation of the research. For creative arts students, honors may also involve a creative project.

Honors Programs and Requirements

Each department and interdisciplinary program develops its own requirements for honors eligibility and its own criteria for honors projects.

• Honors Programs by Department. This comprehensive list outlines the different honors programs and requirements across the university.
• Interdisciplinary Honors Programs for Nonmajors.  These honors programs accept students regardless of their major; some are open to students who wish to pursue honors in a minor. 
• Public Service Scholars Program. Offered through the Haas Center for Public Service, PSSP allows students pursuing Honors in any department to integrate public service with their academic and research interests.

Advantages to Pursuing Honors

Pursuing Honors as an undergraduate offers many academic and personal benefits.  It allows you to do the following:

• Initiate in-depth research in a field you may continue to pursue in graduate school or throughout your career
• Demonstrate to postgraduate programs or future employers that you can do independent, creative work
• Participate in advanced original research in close, one-on-one consultation with a faculty member
• Develop skills that will be useful throughout life, in many different settings, such as
  • Mental discipline
  • Intellectual judgment and independence
  • Capacity to pursue an area in depth
  • Self confidence
  • Mastery of the material
  • The ability to plan and implement a project and see it to its end
  • The ability to meet a challenge and succeed
• Contribute to the knowledge of the world and perhaps discover your life’s intellectual passion

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Other Considerations for Pursuing Honors

Many qualified students decide not to pursue honors. Stanford students engage in a host of academic and extracurricular activities (public service, athletics, student government) that require serious time commitments. It’s simply not possible to do everything. Incidentally, pursuing honors is not the only means to engage deeply in a field of study that interests you.

You can take advantage of a variety of opportunities to involve yourself in research outside of an honors program. These can involve close collaboration with a faculty member or graduate student.

Resources and Support

• Bing Honors College. The Bing Honors College brings students writing honors theses to campus in September before the start of the regular school year. It’s a program of group- and major-based activities designed to help student concentrate solely on their thesis for three weeks.
• Honors Writing Program. The Honors Writing Program offers consultation, editorial support, and advanced classes for students writing their honors thesis.
• Faculty Honors Seminars.  Some faculty hold honors seminars to guide students in their work.  See your individual program for details.

Next Steps

• Visit the Student Services Office for your department to inquire about requirements and guidelines.
• Consider whether honors programs outside of your major are an appealing opportunity and learn about those requirements as well.
• Familiarize yourself with the research conducted by an assortment of Stanford faculty members in the department(s) of interest.
• Use the resources below to help you make an informed decision:
  • Planning for Honors. 
  • Honors Programs by Department.
  • Working with Faculty Honors Advisors.
• Talk to an advisor.  Consult early and often with an advisor about whether Honors is a good option for you.

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