DEPARTMENT of GERMAN STUDIESStudents who demonstrate excellence in their major area of study may qualify for admission to the honors program for the department or honors program. By successfully completing a senior honors thesis or project, the candidate will graduate with distinction in the major.
Every academic department and program offering a major has established procedures and standards for determining Graduation with Distinction.
Graduation with Distinction in German
Procedure
To be eligible, a German major must have a GPA of 3.3 in German at the time of application, which must be completed in time for pre-registration for fall semester of senior year.
Qualified candidates must submit a completed application form to the Director of Undergraduate Studies and enroll in GERMAN 391 Independent Study or GERMAN 493 Research Independent Study. Students who have developed a thesis project by mid-term while enrolled in GERMAN 391 or 493 will be admitted to the distinction program.
Product
During the spring semester, a project (of at least 50 pages) is to be written under the guidance of the student's project advisor to be completed by April 15.
Evaluation
Each student will have an evaluation committee made up of three faculty members – the student's project advisor and two other German Studies faculty members. The committee will oversee the student’s project and progress. An oral defense of the senior project is required.
Levels of Distinction
There are three levels of distinction – Distinction, High Distinction, or Highest Distinction – which will be rewarded based on an evaluation by the student's committee of the merit of the paper and its defense.
Special Courses
Distinction candidates must take GERMAN 391 Independent Study in the fall and a GERMAN 493 Research Independent Study course in the spring of the senior year.
Academic Requirements
For more information, see the Trinity College webpage on academic policies and procedures for undergraduate Graduation with Distinction.