Honors Option in Italian
Honors Options for Italian Courses
Schreyers Honors students who wish to receive Honors Option credit for advanced Italian courses (usually permitted only for 300- and 400-level courses taught by tenure-line Italian faculty) should speak first with the Schreyers Honors advisor in Italian, Sherry Roush, who will discuss with the student an appropriate honors project to propose to the course instructor. The student should then approach the course instructor to propose Honors Option credit. Signatures from both the course instructor and Schreyers Honors advisor in Italian are necessary for Honors Option credit in Italian courses.
The Honors Thesis in Italian
Schreyers Honors students with majors in Italian (any option) - or in some cases a minor or strong interest in Italian - may request that a tenure-line faculty member in Italian direct or be on the reading committee of an honors thesis. Students should be in touch with the Schreyer Honors advisor in Italian to plan a timetable for thesis completion and to discuss thesis topics and most appropriate thesis readers. Honors theses in Italian have been written in Italian and English (on Italian topics) and typically vary in length between 20-40 pages or more, with notes, bibliography, and appendices according to Honors College guidelines. Students who complete honors theses in Italian are encouraged (though not required) to defend their thesis in a public forum during exam week of their graduation semester.
Awards and Honors for Italian Students
Gamma Kappa Alpha:
The National Italian Honor Society. Students must meet specific requirements and apply for this honor. Information is distributed every spring semester, and applications are screened by the Italian advisors. Successful inductees participate in a ceremony and buffet dinner hosted by the Italian faculty.
The Josephine J. Rhea Award for Excellence in Italian:
Awarded annually in the spring, this honor and monetary prize recognizes exceptional students at all levels of Italian. Although nominations are solicited in the spring from all Italian instructors, students from both fall and spring semesters are eligible. Usually approximately ten students are recognized each year (typically in April) at the departmental awards ceremony. A small monetary prize (approximately $100) accompanies each award.
