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American Studies encourages majors to undertake an honors project–-also referred to as “a thesis”– by offering the opportunity to pursue advanced research and writing in the field. Ideally, the desire to take on an honors project will be expressed during the summer before junior year via the formal application process. With the guidance and support of American Studies faculty, majors working on honors projects will develop a path of inquiry which demonstrates the capacity to form and to explore relevant and rigorous academic questions that speak to and go beyond existing scholarship. The faculty will serve as the final arbiters regarding the quality of a completed honors project, including its relevance and rigor. Students who successfully complete an honors project will receive the designation of “Honors” on their �պ���Ʒ transcript and diploma.

The Thesis

An honors project in American Studies typically takes the form of a substantive academic paper, or thesis, reflecting several months of independent reading, original research, thinking, writing, and revising. In the past, successful projects have spanned between 30-50 pages, not including endnotes and citations. The thesis often originates in work done in elective or core courses for the American Studies major, and deploys methods appropriate to the question and topic. In general, the thesis generated for an honors project is the product of focused and sustained research; often, students enroll in an “independent study” during which they confer on a weekly or bi-weekly with the faculty to report progress and talk through details of the writing and research. Any use of AI should be discussed with the faculty to ensure that the scholarship produced adheres to the highest standards of critical and independent thought.

Ultimately, the faculty sponsor will decide if the thesis is sufficiently developed to move forward into the final stage of “oral defense.” This meeting with a committee of three faculty drawn from across campus (with at least one from American Studies) is a time for the student to present and explain their work. Together, the committee will decide whether or not to recognize the project as successful. 

In American Studies, majors submit their senior capstone to Tapestries, the digital journal that is produced in Senior Seminar. The senior capstone is not eligible for submission as an honors project, although the two may be related in some way.

Please fill out an Honors application .

Honors Projects

You can read these projects in Macalester’s .

2022

— Zoe V. Allen

2020

— Naomi Strait

2016

— Luke Mielke

2015

— Abaki Beck

— Elisa My Lee

— Kathryn N. Anastasi

— Lucy Short

— Christine E. Ohenewah

2014

— David Rao

2013

— Eric Goldfischer

— Kathlynn E. Hinkfuss

— Ricardo J. Millhouse

2012

— Gabriella Deal-Márquez

— Caroline Karanja

— Clara Younge

2011

— Emily Schorr Lesnick

2010

— Amanda Nelson

2007

— Alessandra Williams

2006

— Freda Fair

— Mollie Gabrys