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The Communication Honors Program

The 2025-26 Honors application has closed

Eligibility

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Students may submit an Honors Program application during Spring Quarter of their Junior year.

Applicants must identify one faculty member who supports their admission to the program. Prior to applying for admission to the Honors Program, students should contact the faculty member with whom they hope to work, submit a writing sample to that faculty member, and arrange a meeting to discuss their proposed project. Ideally, the faculty member is someone with whom a student has had one or more classes and whose subject area and is a good fit in terms of the research or creative interests a student hopes to pursue in the program.

Applicants must have an overall GPA of at least 3.0, and a major GPA of at least 3.5.
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What is the Honors Program?

The Communication Department Honors Program is designed for seniors who wish to undertake an extended research or creative production project under the supervision of a Communication faculty member. Because the Honors Program requires a year-long sequence of courses in a small cohort, students get an opportunity to work at length and in-depth with faculty and other students on an individual project. Students who have special research interests and plan to pursue graduate school or work in fields of production are strongly recommended to apply to the Honors Program. 

Senior Year Honors Course Sequence

Honors students enroll in the following set of courses in their senior year

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COMM 196A (Honors Seminar in Communication I: Methods) with the Honors Program Director.

Students will receive a letter grade at the completion of COMM 196A in Fall Quarter, based on attendance in the seminar and the successful completion of a research or creative production proposal.

COMM 196A may count towards the COMM or MIC major, as an intermediate elective.

COMM 196B (Honors Seminar in Communication II: Research) with the Honors Program Director.

Students who receive a B+ or higher in COMM 196A will be invited to continue in COMM 196B in Winter Quarter, during which they will prepare a bibliography, undertake data collection, and begin writing their project reports.

COMM 196B may count towards the COMM or MIC major, as an intermediate elective.

COMM 199H (Honors Project Completion) with their Faculty Student Mentor.

In COMM 199H during Spring Quarter, students will complete their projects and prepare for Honors Project presentations, under the guidance of their Faculty Mentors. Final projects will be reviewed and evaluated by the Faculty Student Mentor and Undergraduate Advisors at the end of the Spring quarter in order to determine a department Honors award designation.

COMM 199H may count towards the COMM or MIC major, as an advanced elective.

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Honors Designation

Departmental Honors designation will be determined by the final grade in COMM 199H

  • Students with a B or better will be awarded Distinction
  • Students with an A– will be awarded High Distinction
  • Students with an A will be awarded Highest Distinction