<p>Emory does not have a university-wide honors program, college, or courses like many public institutions. Rather, students graduate with honors by writing an acceptable honors thesis in their major department (one, if the student has more than one department). It is important to note that while the College mandates a 3.5 GPA to write a thesis and graduate with honors, it is the department’s prerogative to select students to support in writing a thesis. In many popular departments (e.g., economics, political science), the honors program cut off may be 3.75±-and that’s just to be invited to submit a proposal for consideration.</p>
<p>The level of honors (granted here in English: honors, high honors, and highest honors) depends on the quality of the thesis. In some cases, one or both of the two-course, year-long thesis-writing sequence can count toward the major; in other departments, they cannot. Otherwise, completing the honors program is not dissimilar to not doing the honors route.</p>
<p>Pursuing honors is most attractive and helpful for those interested in a non-professional graduate program. Also, note that the school does not grant degrees with honors or distinction based on GPA (other than mandating a 3.5 to participate in the thesis-writing process).</p>