Here begins a year-long investment in an undergraduate thesis. The details are a bit hairy, but let’s see if I can’t flush this out.
I came to Temple University in August 2004 as a political science major after an average high school academic career. I wasn’t honors department material. In the past that meant that I was unable to graduate with honors.
Things have changed.
I will be among the first to pursue a later path towards that extra tassel at graduation, as part of the department’s ‘honors scholars program. According to the honors department site, this is what that entails:
The Honors Scholars Program requires a minimum of six upper-level Honors courses (18 semester hours), including a research methods course and an honors thesis. The focus of the Honors Scholars program is the completion of this thesis or creative project – involving an advisor, an examining committee, and a public presentation of the work (preferably started in junior year and completed early in senior year).
So, I have already begun knocking out upper-level honors courses, and here I am beginning the thesis, though what it really involves is still unrefined. Speaking with Honors Director Dr. Ruth Ost, it seems that might be a paper somewhere to the tune of 50 to 60 pages.
This blog will chronicle this final academic journey of the tail end of my college career at Temple University.