The Honors Program in English

The Honors program in English allows exceptionally able, ambitious, and self-motivated English majors to pursue further study in the field. Only majors who have completed or are currently enrolled in at least two 300-level courses in English by the beginning of the second semester of their junior year and have made at least a 3.5 GPA in English and at least a 3.2 GPA at Wake Forest overall are eligible to apply.

We expect those students who decide to participate in the Honors program to devote nearly a year to working on it. After being accepted to the program in April of junior year, students will be asked to do independent reading during the summer and be prepared to begin writing a thesis by the beginning of senior year. This 30-40 page thesis will be due the first Friday in April. During the year, students will meet informally but periodically with the director of honors and the other English honors students. Students will also meet periodically with their thesis advisers. Students will register for English 388 “Honors in English” in the spring semester of their senior year. A grade for 388 will be determined by the student’s thesis adviser, the director of honors, and a second reader after the three have examined the student orally on his/her thesis. Graduating with honors is noted on the candidate’s transcript separately. Please note that the English honors program is for students who are eager to do independent, original work. Although each student will work one-on-one with an adviser, it is not the adviser’s job to come up with a thesis topic.

Applications for the 2023-2024 academic year are due by Friday, May 19, 2022. 

For instructions, download Applying-for-Honors-in-English-Spring-2023.

For further information, please contact Dr. Olga Valbuena.