The Honors Program

The department offers this special program for outstanding students. The Honors Program is especially recommended for those students interested in pursuing graduate study in history or allied fields and is a particularly effective preparation for professional careers.

About the Program

The Honors Program is a two-quarter sequence of courses for history majors, in which students focus on the theory and practice of historical research. Honors program students have a slightly modified set of major requirements and are eligible to receive the Rappaport Prize.

Who Should Apply to the Honors Program

It is designed for a limited number of students who have demonstrated excellence in the History Major. It is recommended for students who...

have a strong interest in doing original research
intend to pursue graduate study, in history or other professional fields
intend to pursue work involving research (law, business, public administration, and the like)

Honors Major Requirements (as of FA21)

Candidates for history honors should organize their upper-division coursework as follows:

Lower Division Requirement (3 courses)

HILD or MMW or HUM
HILD or MMW or HUM
HILD or MMW or HUM

Upper Division (12 courses)

1. HITO 100

Field Emphasis

2. Upper Division Field Course
3. Upper Division Field Course
4. Upper Division Field Course

Non-Field Emphasis

5. Upper Division Non-Field Course
6. Upper Division Non-Field Course
7. Upper Division Non-Field Course

Elective

8. Upper Division Elective History Course
9. Upper Division Elective History Course

Honors Courses

10. HITO 196 Honors Colloquium (Fall)
11. HITO 194 History Honors (Fall)
12. HITO 195 History Essay (Winter)

Note: Until the thesis is submitted and graded, the student's grade for HITO 194 will appear as IP (in progress). A letter grade will be assigned for both HITO 194 and HITO 195 once the thesis is submitted and graded by the advisor. If a student drops from the honors program after having completed HITO 194 but without submitting a thesis, they will be assigned a C- for HITO 194.

Pre-1800

At least 3 of the 12 upper division courses must be focused on the period before 1800.

Upper Division Field or Non-Field Course
Upper Division Field or Non-Field Course
Upper Division Field or Non-Field Course

Colloquium

Honors students must complete three colloquia (courses numbered between 160-180) in total, two in addition to HITO 196.

HITO 196 Honors Colloquium
Upper Division Field or Non-Field Course
Upper Division Field or Non-Field Course

In addition to regular course work in the department, the Honors Program consists of a colloquium in historiography (HITO 196) offered in the fall quarter of the senior year and a program of independent study (HITO 194 & HITO 195) leading to the completion of an honors essay on a topic of the student’s choice. During the fall quarter of the senior year, candidates select a topic and begin preliminary work on the Honors essay in consultation with a major field adviser (HITO 194). During the winter quarter, the student pursues a course of independent study devoted to completing the Honors essay (HITO 195). The award of History Honors is based on satisfactory completion of the colloquium in history and the Honors essay. Students are expected to maintain an average of 3.5 or better in all work taken within the department. Honors candidates must include at least three colloquia in their regular coursework.

Honors Major Requirements (pre-FA21)

Candidates for history honors should organize their upper-division coursework as follows:

Lower Division Requirement (3 courses)

HILD or MMW or HUM
HILD or MMW or HUM
HILD or MMW or HUM

Upper Division (12 courses)

Field Emphasis

1. Upper Division Field Course
2. Upper Division Field Course
3. Upper Division Field Course
4. Upper Division Field Course
5. Upper Division Field Course
6. Upper Division Field Course

Non-Field Emphasis

7. Upper Division Non-Field Course
8. Upper Division Non-Field Course
9. Upper Division Non-Field Course

Honors Courses

10. HITO 196 Honors Colloquium (Fall)
11. HITO 194 History Honors (Fall)
12. HITO 195 History Essay (Winter)

Pre-1800

At least 3 of the 12 upper division courses must be focused on the period before 1800.

Upper Division Field or Non-Field Course
Upper Division Field or Non-Field Course
Upper Division Field or Non-Field Course

Colloquium

Honors students must complete three colloquia (courses numbered between 160-180) in total, two in addition to HITO 196.

HITO 196 Honors Colloquium
Upper Division Field or Non-Field Course
Upper Division Field or Non-Field Course

Honors Program Admission

Requirements

Candidates for History Honors are chosen during the spring quarter. The Honor's Program is intended for students in their last year at UC San Diego. Admission to the program is based on the student’s academic work. Students interested in applying must meet the following criteria:

The prerequisites for participation in the Honors Program are:

Junior standing
A GPA of 3.5 in history upper-division courses (3.0 overall)
the completion of AT LEAST four upper-division history courses, including one colloquium (two are recommended).

Applying

Please submit the following items to the Undergraduate Coordinator in person or via email:

Application [Google Form]
Writing sample (5-10 pages)

Applications are due the second Friday of May.

Notifications of acceptance into the Honors program are sent out at the end of the Spring Quarter once grades have been posted and major GPAs can be verified. We recommend those applicants who have applied to the honors program register for classes with the assumption that they will not be admitted. Applicants that are accepted into the program have an assured seat in HITO 196 for the Fall and will be assigned a HITO 194 section.

Admission to the program is based on the student’s academic work.

Honors Program Timeline

Honors Program Within the Four Year Plan

	Fall	Winter	Spring
YR 1
YR 2
YR 3			Apply to Honors Program
YR 4	HITO 196 - Honors Seminar HITO 194 - Honors History	HITO 195 - Honors Essay	Rappaport Prize

Spring Quarter

(before your last year at UC San Diego)

Apply for the Honors Program
Applications for the Honors Program are due the Second Friday of May.

Enroll in Fall Courses
You won't be formally admitted to the Honors Program until after you have registered for Fall courses. Enroll in courses for the Fall with the expectation that you will not be admitted to the Honors Program (you likely will be admitted, but in the unlikely event that you are not admitted this is the best course of action).

Summer

Enroll in HITO 196 and 194

The Undergraduate Advisor will send you an email during the summer letting you know that you have been formally admitted to the Honors Program and pre-approved to enroll in HITO 196 and HITO 194. For HITO 194 make sure you enroll in the section with your advisor.

Fall Quarter

HITO 196 - Honors Seminar

In this course, Honors students will learn how to produce a thesis including refining their topic (or selecting a new one), reviewing the relevant literature, locating sources, developing a theoretical framework, and learning how to analyze sources. This course is run like a colloquium or seminar and meets once weekly for three hours. It counts toward the fulfillment of one of the three colloquia courses required for the Honors History Major.

HITO 194 - History Honors

This course accounts for the time you will spend working independently on research and writing, and meeting with your faculty advisor. Your faculty advisor's role is to guide your writing and research within the context of your topic area. The advisor will help to determine the feasibility of the project, locate sources, suggest research methods, read drafts of proposals and chapters, and help with theoretical and conceptual problems. You will receive an IP (In-Progress) grade upon completing this course.

Enroll in HITO 195

The Undergraduate Advisor will pre-approve you to enroll in HITO 195. Again, make sure you register in the section with your advisor.

Winter Quarter

HITO 195 - The Honors Essay

You will continue to work one-on-one with your faculty advisor to complete your honors thesis. A final draft of your thesis is due to your advisor during finals week. Upon receiving your final draft your advisor will assign a grade for both HITO 194 & 195.

Spring Quarter

Rappaport Prize Revisions
All students' theses will be submitted for consideration for the Rappaport Prize. Honors students will have until the second Friday in April to resubmit the final draft of their papers with revisions.

The Honors Thesis

The Honors Thesis represents the most significant work in the undergraduate program. It should be substantial in length (usually between 30 and 50 pages) and contain an original argument and conclusions based on the analysis and synthesis of the available materials on the subjects. Primary research is encouraged where possible, but students are not expected to be able to read documents in a foreign language.

The student is responsible for choosing a research topic, but the faculty advisor should approve its scope and feasibility. The student should begin conversations with the advisor during the Spring Quarter of the junior year.

Students can consult earlier Honors theses for appropriate models, which can be checked out from the department's library (see the Undergraduate Student Affairs Coordinator). The Rappaport Prize Winning theses are also linked below.

The Faculty Advisor

Locating an appropriate faculty advisor is one of the most important tasks of the Honors student. For the department's faculty listing and their short biographies, research, and teaching interest see: https://history.ucsd.edu/people/faculty/index.html

All faculty are available to assist students in their Honors theses, but not every faculty member may be available yearly. Thus, professors should be contacted as early as possible, preferably before the end of the Spring Quarter. If you know early on that you are likely to enroll in the Honors Program, try to establish a relationship with a potential advisor as soon as possible, by taking courses with the instructor.

Faculty Advisor's Role

The role of the faculty advisor is to determine the project's feasibility, help locate sources, suggest research methods, read drafts of proposals and chapters, and help with theoretical and conceptual problems. While the faculty advisor's job is to provide direction and feedback, the student is responsible for seeking this feedback. Thus, it is up to the student to set up regular meetings with the advisor to propose a timetable for the submission of the prospectus, bibliographies, outlines, and drafts of the thesis. If you have problems with your advisor, you can discuss them with the Undergraduate Student Affairs Coordinator.

Grading and Evaluation

The three-quarter Honors sequence is represented by three grades on the transcript: HITO 196 is an independent course taken during the fall term, graded by the faculty member teaching the seminar. This grade counts in the student's record regardless of the completion of or progress on the Honors thesis. The grade for HITO 194 will be a preliminary IP (in progress) after the fall term. Until the thesis is submitted and graded, the student's grade for HITO 194 will appear as IP. A letter grade will be assigned for both HITO 194 and HITO 195 once the thesis is submitted and graded by the advisor. Thus, HITO 194 and 195 receive the same grade, awarded by the advisor at the completion of the thesis.

Note: If a student drops from the honors program after having completed HITO 194 but without submitting a thesis, they will be assigned a C- for HITO 194.

All Honors students who complete the thesis with a grade of "B" or better will graduate with honors. Those with a GPA in the major of:

3.5-3.79 Will graduate with DISTINCTION
3.8-3.89 Will graduate with HIGH DISTINCTION
3.9-4.00 Will graduate with HIGHEST DISTINCTION

Armin Rappaport Prize & Winning Theses

About the Prize

Established in 1983, the Armin Rappaport Memorial Fund endows an annual prize for the graduating history major whose scholarship is outstanding. Honors students must submit their revised thesis to the committee by the second Friday in April. All Honors students are considered for the prize.

Past Recipients

Spencer Cheng, 2023-24
Harmonizing the Divine: An Interdisciplinary Exploration of the Eleusinian Mysteries through Music, Dance, and Entheogens

Kasey Flowers, 2023-24
Colonial Yucatán: Indigenous Experiences and the Persistence of Tradition in Conversion and Conquest

Ryan Dilworth, 2022-23
Understanding Holocaust ‘Singularity’: The Memory Sought vs. the Memory Achieved between the Historikerstreit and the ‘Catechism’ within the German Federal Republic

Natalie Novella, 2021-22
Tale as Old as Time: Three Brazen Empresses, One Fateful Apple, and The Resulting Woes of Men

Liam McKee, 2020-21
Slaves To A Myth: Irish Indentured Servitude, African Slavery, and the Politics of White Nationalism

Yuwei Zhou, 2019-20
The Spatial and Social Organization of Bronze Production System in Anyang

Hannah von Heidegger, 2018-19
Galloping onto the Throne: Queen Elizabeth I and the Symbolism of the Horse

David Dawson, 2017-18
Inviolable Motherhood: The Far-Right and The Battle Against The Conscription of Women During The Second World War

Christian Hillman, 2016-17
A Crust of Bread, For the Love of God! The Ottoman Homefront in World War I

Luke A. Mitchell, 2015-16
The Crescent and the Eagle: The “Turk” as Political Rhetoric in Newspapers of the Early American Republic, 1765-1797

Cameron Towne, 2014-15
From One Mighty Movement to 100% Americanism: David Lasser and the Co-Optation of the Worker's Alliance of America

Amanda Gardner, 2013-14
Scientific Temperance and Scientific Men: Physiology as an Unbiased Solution to the Liquor Problem

Ryan Gingeras, 1999-00
British Press Coverage of the Illinden Uprising of 1903 and the Conceptualization of the Balkans