Honors Projects


If your GPA will be 3.7 or higher at the time of graduation, you should complete an honors project if you want to graduate magna cum laude (3.7 GPA) or summa cum laude (3.9 GPA). These are just two of the requirements, refer to your college catalog for more information.

You should pick who you would like to work with on your honors project based on your subject of study and methodological interests. This person does not have to be a member of the department in which you are majoring. If you think you would like to work with a member of the Communication Studies faculty, here is a set of guidelines.

  • Set up an appointment with the faculty member sometime by the end of your junior year to begin discussing your interests. At this time, you will file preliminary paperwork to apply for an independent study for the fall semester of your senior year. You will also register for an honors project for the spring semester of your senior year.
  • A formal application (See the application for Internal Review Board review) should be submitted for every research project that qualifies for IRB review in the fall of your senior year. The type of review will be based on the nature of the research and the potential risk to participants. It is highly recommended that principle investigators submit applications in a timely fashion to ensure no delays in data collection. Students check your Bridgewater OIS account for more IRB information.
  • Work on your independent study, which may be listed on your plan of the major, during the fall of your senior year. The independent study will provide information for your literature review for your project. You will meet every two weeks with the project advisor unless the project requires meeting more frequently. At the first meeting, you will set up a time line for your project which will include deadlines you will be expected to meet.
  • Submit an application for an honors project before the end of fall semester.
  • During the spring semester, you will meet with your project advisor at least once every two weeks. A timeline for completion will be established at the first meeting. Your honors project will need to be completed and submitted to the library by April 15th.
  • Schedule an honors oral examination with the project advisor, another member of the Communication Studies department, and one faculty member outside of the department. This exam should take place prior to April 15th. See the honors oral examination page for further information.
You must earn at least a B on the project to graduate magna cum laude. In order to graduate summa cum laude, you must earn an A on the project in addition to fulfilling the other requirements listed in the college catalog. Simply completing the project and meeting deadlines will not be sufficient to earn an A or a B. This project is the culmination of your entire college experience and should be the highest quality work you produce while at Bridgewater.