Honors

Calculating Honors
 

In order to be considered for honors in Sociology a student must have written a senior thesis. In order to be recommended for honors, a student must receive at least one honors grade (cum- or higher) on their senior thesis. The final departmental recommendation for honors is based on the following formula:

1. An average of the student's best 8 letter grades (including 4 of the 5 individually required courses—Intro level, SOC 1128 (128), SOC 97, SOC 1156 (156), SOC 98) out of the total 12 Sociology courses is calculated. The student's grade for SOC 99, graded SAT/UNS, and the student's final semester grades are not included in this calculation. This average counts for 60% of the student's honors calculation. (Note: If fewer than 8 letter grades are available, then all available grades will be used in the calculation.)

 2. An average of the two thesis grades (using the numerical conversions here: http://sociology.fas.harvard.edu/pages/grading) is calculated. The average then counts for 40% of the student's honors calculation. If your thesis had three reads, all three grades will be averaged.

Honors recommendations are determined as follows:

 

HONORS  3.0 (overall) or greater
HIGH HONORS  3.5 (overall) or greater, with a minimum grade average of 3.67
HIGHEST HONORS  4.0 (overall) or greater.  This requires at least one summa (or summa minus) thesis grade and no thesis grade below magna-minus, with a minimum grade average of 3.67

 

It is important to note that grades are weighted more heavily than the thesis in the overall recommendation. Please also remember that the grades from spring semester senior year cannot be counted for the honors calculations. The requirements for honors are stringent, particularly for High Honors and Highest Honors. For High Honors you need to have an A- grade point average as well as an outstanding thesis. For Highest Honors you need to have an A- grade point average, at least one thesis grade in the Summa range, and no thesis grades below Magna. Of those who write theses in our department, about half usually receive Cum Laude and half receive Magna designations. A Summa is rare. 

The faculty members of the Committee on Undergraduate Degrees (CUD) review the calculations, the thesis grades, and the thesis comments and prepare honors recommendations for each student. Honors recommendations are brought before the departmental faculty for a final vote and are subject to their revisions.

Final determination of honors is made by the College. Sociology recommendations and Harvard College recommendations do not always coincide. The faculty of Harvard College cannot raise a students’ recommendation above that which is determined by the Committee on Undergraduate Degrees in Sociology, but it can lower the recommendation when the student fails to meet college-wide cut-offs.  Starting in June 2005, Harvard College has limited the number of students graduating Summa Cum Laude and Magna Cum Laude together to 20% and students graduating Cum Laude to 30% of the student body.