Washington and Lee University
Honors in Geology
To qualify for the Honors Program in Geology, a student must be a B.S. candidate in Geology. The candidate for Honors in Geology must meet a GPA requirement set by the Geology Department, obtain an "excellent" on their senior year comprehensive exam, and complete a senior honors thesis project to the satisfaction of the Geology Department faculty. Students wishing to obtain an Honors degree must indicate so in writing. The details of these requirements are listed below but are subject to change by the Geology Department faculty.
Current requirements for Honors in Geology are outlined below.
In order to qualify for Honors in Geology a student must:
1) Graduate with an overall GPA of 3.3 and a Geology major GPA of 3.5.
2) Submit a short thesis proposal to the department head by June 1 in the summer after their junior year. The proposal should be 1-2 pages in length and contain the following: a) the identity of the student's thesis advisor, b) a written outline of proposed thesis project, including a plan for completing the work, and c) the student's current overall and major GPA status.
3) Fulfill all requirements for the B.S. in Geology.
4) Present their thesis work in a public forum (thesis defense) at a time determined by the Geology Department faculty, near the end of winter term.
5) Pass all written portions, and the oral section of their senior year comprehensive exam* at the Excellent level.
6) Honor all thesis deadlines provided by their primary advisor, complete their honors thesis and obtain a satisfactory grade on their final thesis as determined by their primary advisor*.
Please feel free to contact the Geology Department Head with any questions you have regarding the information above.
* Note that comprehensive exams must be taken, and passed, by all candidates for the BS degree, regardless of Honors status. Likewise all BS degree students must complete their regular thesis requirements.