Qualified students may be admitted to a program of advanced study during their junior year (or at the beginning of the senior year following foreign study), leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Romance Languages and Literatures.
Admission to senior-level Honors work in Romance Languages and Literatures is by application only (forms are available on the department website at www.lsa.umich.edu/rll).
A grade point average of at least 3.4 in all courses, and of 3.5 in all courses for the major, is required for admission and for graduation with Honors in Romance Languages and Literatures. The Curriculum Committee in Romance Languages and Literatures expects applicants to present evidence of superior language skills and a serious interest in comparative research involving both of their languages and the cultures articulated through them.
Romance Languages and Literatures Honors majors are required to complete 42 credits of coursework and successfully defend a thesis:
Course Requirements:
At least 42 credits consisting of the following:
I. A minimum of 30 credits of coursework in 2 languages (from French, Italian, Portuguese, or Spanish) that meet the following qualifications:
- A minimum of 12 credits each in two Romance languages, including at least 6 credits each in upper-level courses ("upper-level" means: 300 or above in French and Italian, 400 or above in Portuguese and Spanish)
- An overall minimum of 15 credits from upper-level courses
- All of these courses must be taught in the target language and must also be courses that would count toward the individual language majors.
II. One course (minimum 3 credits) in the linguistics of the Romance languages, preferably of a comparative nature.
III. ROMLANG 498, the upper-division Seminar in RLL.
IV. ROMLANG 491 and 492, Senior Honors Courses, normally taken in the fall and winter terms, respectively, of a student’s senior year.
Thesis Requirement:
Composition of a thesis incorporating the results of individual research and demonstrating a substantial piece of work; and
A presentation and discussion of the thesis and of an agreed upon set of related readings with the student's faculty advisor and one other faculty reader.
Working under the direction of a faculty member who serves as thesis director, the student will research the thesis, complete a bibliography and prospectus, and begin drafting the writing process while enrolled in ROMLANG 491. In the following academic term the student will enroll in ROMLANG 492 and complete the thesis and its presentation and discussion.
Interested students should contact the Undegraduate Student Services team at rll.mailbox@umich.edu for the current RLL Honors Advisor contact information, and fill out an application form.
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