honors thesis duke

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Honors thesis & graduation with distinction, eligibility and application process.

To be eligible to apply to the Honors Thesis Track, students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a 3.5 GPA for core course work in the Global Culture and Theory major. Applicants should ideally have completed two or more classes with faculty holding appointments in the Program in Literature. In order to assess the applicant's readiness for the work, it is also strongly recommended that the applicant have completed at least one seminar course with and have written at least one term paper for his/her/their Prospective Thesis Advisor. This advisor must hold an appointment in the Program in Literature.

Students apply via an application form (updated annually by the department) and a one-page written proposal with a one-page bibliography submitted to the Prospective Thesis Advisor no later than the Monday after Spring Recess of their junior year. The Spring 2025 deadline is  March 25, 2025 . The application form will be emailed to the Global Culture and Theory Major listserv.

Following the Prospective Thesis Advisor's review, the complete application is advanced for a committee's review and assessment. The decision to extend or decline admission to LIT 495 Honors Thesis I is made by the committee before fall term registration begins.

Expected Product

A 60-page thesis is required by the deadline stated on the annual application form. The page count may include its bibliography.

Evaluative Body

A committee comprised of the thesis advisor, the DUS, and a third reader chosen from among the members of the Literature faculty and affiliated faculty.

Evaluation Procedure

The student’s committee evaluates the thesis. In addition, the student meets with the committee for a one-hour defense.

Levels of Distinction

Three levels: Distinction, High Distinction, and Highest Distinction. To graduate with distinction, the student must receive an honors thesis grade of B+ or above.

Special Courses, Other Activities Required, Comments

Candidate must take the two-semester honors seminar sequence 495 and 496 with their thesis advisor.

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Honors Program FAQ

Featured Video

Honors Program Q&A

Listen in on this informal Zoom session to hear program leaders address questions and answers about the Sanford School's Undergraduate Honors Thesis Program. 

Honors Thesis: One Student's Story

Ysanne Spence PPS'22 talks about what writing an honors thesis has meant to her.

The Whats and Whys of an Honors Thesis

It is a year-long intensive research experience where you do your  own research  on a topic of  your choosing .

Most commonly, the year-long project goes from second semester of your junior year through first semester of your senior year. Students are abroad in the spring can complete the year-long project by completing two independent studies during their senior year.

• You have the desire to explore a policy research question in depth; have an interest in determining whether academic research might be a potential career path; or want to have the opportunity to work closely with an expert in a particular policy field.
• Graduating with distinction sends a very strong signal to employers/graduate schools that you are among the best of the best.
• You will get to know your advisor really well, leading to great letters of recommendation .
• A chance to conduct original research. Many honors students say that doing an honors thesis is the best academic experience they have at Duke.
• You become the "expert" in something and this provides you with potential topics to use in interviews for jobs and graduate schools as an example of how you work.

Most students will complete the honors thesis by taking a two-semester honors seminar (PUBPOL 495S in spring and PUBPOL 496S in fall). Students who are abroad in spring and cannot take this two course sequence can complete an honors thesis by doing two independent studies in their senior year, one in each semester.

• You are eligible to  graduate with distinction or with highest distinction. Graduating with distinction is among the highest honors that Duke bestows on its undergraduates.
• Students who have earned an A- on their thesis (and have satisfied the GPA core course requirements) will graduate with distinction.
• Students who have earned an A or A+ on their thesis (and have satisfied the GPA core course requirements) will graduate with highest distinction.
• No. To qualify for honors, you have to have a 3.4 GPA for four core PUBPOL courses (155, 301, 302, and 303).  IMPORTANT: Beginning with the class of 2026, the GPA cutoff to qualify for the honors program will be 3.7.
• If your GPA is below 3.4, you can still enroll in the honors course and complete a thesis, but you will not be eligible to graduate with distinction.
• Yes. You can be enrolled in the honors seminar or the independent study at the same time that you are taking any of the three post-155 core PUBPOL courses.
• When you complete those courses, the honors director will calculate your GPA and let you know if you qualify.
• If you complete the core courses and do not have a 3.4 GPA, you can still complete a thesis, but you are not eligible to graduate with distinction. IMPORTANT: Beginning with the class of 2026, the GPA cutoff to qualify for the honors course will be 3.7.

No. If you took ECON 201, we will use your PUBPOL 304 grade instead. Your GPA would be averaged over the following courses: PUBPOL 155, PUBPOL 301, PUBPOL 302/GLHLTH 210 and PUBPOL 304.

ENROLLING IN THE HONORS SEMINAR

• Yes, there are 2:  PUBPOL 495S.01  in the spring and  PUBPOL 496S.01  in the fall. The thesis writing process requires two semesters. It meets semi-regularly on Friday afternoons.
• They are  for-credit courses  and you will receive a grade in the courses.
• You will need a permission number. For the first course in the spring, you will receive the permission number in December.
• Both courses count as the  upper level elective requirement  and are coded as both W and R. 

Please fill out form:  Honors Form Fall 2023 . The form is due in mid-fall (see form for specific deadlines).

• The honors director will let you know  in December , after grades for the Fall 2023 semester, have been finalized.
• If you are eligible, the director will send you a permission number to enroll in the honors course.
• You are  guaranteed  a spot in the honors course if you qualify.
• You can drop the course during drop/add.
• You can take one semester of the course and then not take the second semester course.

Deadline: October 27, 2023

Please note:  You will submit the form by October but then you will not be notified until December if you qualify. After grades for Fall 2023 have been released, we will notify you if you are eligible for honors.

No, do not leave it blank. It is important that you start thinking about your thesis topic prior to enrolling in the class. Please provide your best guess of what topic will be. You can change the topic later if you need to.

Finn Hossfeld 's thesis focused on media and public discourse around on carbon capture, storage, and utilization technology.

Using his interests in public policy and health,  Devan Desai  focused his honor thesis on the ethnic and racial differences in low back pain management and treatment.

A global health and public policy double major, and gender, sexuality & feminist studies minor, Payton Little explored the health policy puzzle of gender-affirming care in North Carolina.

Students present honors theses at a public event attended by the dean, faculty members, and other interested members of the community.

The Independent Studies Route

• You will enroll in an independent study (PUBPOL 494) in the fall of your senior year.
• During the fall, you will work on your proposal. At the end of the fall semester, you will turn your proposal into the honors director. The honors director will provide you with feedback as to whether the proposal is likely to result in an honors thesis that will merit distinction.
• During the spring, you will enroll in another independent study (PUBPOL 494) and convert your proposal into a thesis.
• At the end of the spring semester, you will provide your thesis to the honors director, and they, in consultation with your advisor, will decide whether the thesis merits graduation with distinction.
• Prior to the end of drop/add in the fall of your senior year, you should complete an independent study form . You will check the "honors project track" box. You will enroll in PUBPOL 494.
• Once your independent study has been approved, you will receive a permission number to enroll in the course.
• The option is designed for students who are not on campus during their spring semester of their junior year (e.g., they are doing Duke in DC or study abroad).
• Students who are on campus during the spring semester of their junior year should complete an honors thesis through the honors seminar.
• Reach out to professor who have taught courses related to your research topic.
• Search the Sanford faculty by research theme .

While advisors from Sanford are preferred, they can be faculty  from any department .

• Every student who completes an honors thesis will need an advisor. The advisor will help you with the substantive area of your thesis.
• For those completing the honors thesis through the independent study route, your advisor will also be the supervisor of your independent studies.
• Students who are completing the honors seminar route should ideally identify a thesis advisor in the fall of their junior year. If students can't identify a thesis advisor then, they should identify one in the early weeks of the spring semester. If you don't have an advisor by the time you complete the honors seminar form, you can leave this space blank.
• Students who are completing the honors thesis through the independent study route will need to identify an advisor prior to enrolling in the first independent study.

Other Questions

If you will not be on campus during junior year spring, you can complete an honors thesis by taking two independent studies your senior year, one each semester.

You can write one thesis and have it be eligible for honors in two departments. However, the thesis has to meet the requirements of both departments. See here:

Graduation: Graduating with Distinction | Trinity College of Arts & Sciences (duke.edu)

• The qualifications for, and the standards used to judge the thesis, are the same, regardless of which route students take to complete a thesis. Students can graduate with distinction either way.
• The honors seminar, however, offers students a more structured experience, with enhanced opportunities for advisor and peer feedback. The honors seminar also offers students additional methodological instruction. We therefore strongly encourage students to complete their thesis through the honors seminar rather than by completing two independent studies.

Guidance From 3 Current Honors Program Students

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• Graduation with Distinction

Participating in the Philosophy Department’s Graduation with Distinction program involves writing, submitting, and defending an honors thesis. An honors thesis for a Philosophy major is a substantial research project on an important topic in Philosophy. 

Eligibility

To be eligible for graduation with distinction, you must have at least a 3.5 GPA in the Philosophy major. Before the end of the junior year, you must secure the consent of a faculty member to direct the writing of the honors thesis. The Director of Undergraduate Studies will be informed of this before the beginning of the senior year.

You must research and write an honors thesis and present your work before a committee with at least two members from the Department, including the director of your thesis.

Evaluative procedure

Your thesis director and at least one other member of the Department will evaluate your thesis and conduct an oral examination.

Levels of distinction

The committee’s evaluation of “pass,” “high pass,” or “highest pass” will result in the awarding of Distinction, High Distinction, or Highest Distinction, respectively.

If you are interested in writing an honors thesis, we encourage you to contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) in Philosophy as early as possible in your junior year. An honors thesis is a major undertaking that requires careful planning. It is a rewarding intellectual enterprise, but it should be undertaken only if you are willing to devote a substantial part of the senior year to working on it. If you are pursuing a double major, and especially if you are planning to write an honors thesis for another program as well, you should carefully discuss the feasibility with the Philosophy DUS and your potential thesis director.

You are urged to take a two-semester independent study with your director while writing the thesis. Two terms are not required, but this length of commitment is to your advantage and may be required by your director.

An honors thesis is more than just a long term paper or a collection of term papers. The thesis must be a coherent sustained study with an original analysis. The length of the thesis is expected to be around 40 to 60 double-spaced pages. Although the final draft of the thesis may incorporate revised versions of a paper or papers written for past courses, at least half of the thesis should be new material, prepared exclusively for the Philosophy honors thesis.

You are responsible for making sure that the project develops in a timely fashion as outlined below and for keeping your director informed about the status of your work.

A complete draft of the thesis will be due on the first weekday of April of your final semester unless an extension is granted by your director and your other committee members. This deadline is set so that the committee members have the time to read the thesis and to request revisions if necessary.

• During the spring semester of junior year, it is suggested that you express your interest in writing an honors thesis to the Philosophy DUS. Before you approach other faculty members to ask about writing an honors thesis, consult the DUS to determine whether you are eligible to write a thesis. After determining your eligibility, the DUS can advise you concerning potential thesis advisors to consult on the theme, purpose, and methodology of a research project.
• Before the end of the spring semester of your junior year, you must create a reading list (or a research plan) and obtain consent of the faculty director to do an Independent Study (thesis tutorial) with that faculty director during the following fall.
• Note that a faculty director’s consent to supervise an Independent Study does not mean that your plan to submit an honors thesis has been formally accepted. The final approval is obtained only upon the completion of at least one chapter of the thesis by the end of the fall semester of your senior year.
• Begin the research, work on the reading list.
• You are required to enroll in an Independent Study with your advisor for the fall semester, and it is advised, though not required, that you also enroll in an Independent Study with that person during the spring semester. Your research timetable should be organized in consultation with your thesis director. 
• By the end of the second week of the semester, you should submit a preliminary proposal of your thesis, which should include a clear statement of your theme, purpose, and methodology, as well as a tentative bibliography.
• By the end of the sixth week of the semester, you should submit a formal proposal of your project (a polished-up version of your preliminary proposal), a chapter-by-chapter outline of your thesis, and a detailed time table of completion.
• Before the end of the semester, you should submit a 10-to-20-page paper designed to be a chapter of your thesis. Upon reviewing this paper, the thesis director will decide whether your research project should be turned into an honors thesis.
• Your honors thesis committee will be composed of your thesis director or pair of directors and one or two other faculty members of the Philosophy department or from another department, if approved by your thesis director. It is the responsibility of you and your director(s) to arrange for these other faculty members to create a three-member committee. Immediately upon receiving the approval of your director(s) to write the honors thesis, you should work with your director(s) to request faculty member(s) with relevant expertise or interests to be on your thesis committee.
• Continue working on your thesis with your director(s) according to your schedule, with the option of enrolling in an Independent Study.
• Throughout the spring semester you should also maintain regular contact with the members of your committee and give progress reports.
• Schedule a thesis examination in April. It is strongly advised that you schedule the date and time as early as possible.
• Submit a complete draft of your honors thesis to your committee by the first weekday of April, unless granted an extension by your thesis director and committee.
• Prepare a 10-15 minute summary of your thesis to present at the beginning of your thesis examination. The remainder of your examination will consist of questions and discussions with your committee.
• Your honors thesis committee will evaluate whether your thesis merits distinction and will also recommend the appropriate distinction level, based on the quality of your thesis and on your performance in the major program. The three levels of distinction are: Distinction, High Distinction, and Highest Distinction.
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• Graduation with Distinction

We encourage all majors to pursue graduation with distinction by writing a thesis. You can earn one of three levels of recognition for your work: Distinction, High Distinction, and Highest Distinction. A departmental committee will determine the level of distinction on the basis of the oral examination, the conduct of the research, and the quality of the written thesis. This committee will include your supervising professor and two other faculty members from the department.

Eligibility

• French Majors: minimum 3.3 GPA overall, 3.3 in the major
• Italian Major: minimum 3.3 GPA overall, 3.3 in the major
• Portuguese Major: 3.3 GPA overall, 3.3 in the major
• Romance Studies Major: 3.3 GPA overall, 3.3 in the major
• Spanish Major: minimum 3.3 GPA overall, 3.5 in the major

Your grade point average must be sustained until graduation.

• How to Apply

Students interested in pursuing graduation with distinction should obtain more information and submit an application to the Program Coordinator in Room 219A in the Languages Building. You need to complete the application no later than the end of registration for the fall semester of your senior year. You must also approach the professor who will supervise your thesis work to discuss your project and obtain approval from the director of undergraduate studies.

Application Form

During the spring of your junior year, you will choose your topic and register for a research independent study course, conducted in the target language, for the fall semester of your senior year. Complete the research independent study form in consultation with your supervising professor. The application for graduation with distinction requires the signatures of faculty members who will be serving on your thesis committee and is due during this registration period. In your senior year, you will register for the Honors Thesis for the spring semester and write your thesis under the direction of your supervising professor.

Thesis Product

Your thesis, offered in support of candidacy for graduation with distinction, will be a written document of approximately 40 pages in length.

Evaluation Process

You will defend your thesis (in the foreign language of your major) before the committee no later than the last day of classes. The defense will be conducted orally and usually lasts approximately 45 minutes to an hour.

Thesis Projects

All departmental honors theses that have been digitally submitted to Duke University Libraries may be found here .

Previous Thesis Projects

Graduation with highest distinction:.

Stephen Atkinson, French Studies Advisor:  Anne-Ga ëlle Saliot Honors Thesis:  Discipline décadente et stylistique de l’existence dans la littérature française, 1884-1922

Audrey Costley, French Studies Advisor:  Deb Reisinger Honors Thesis:  Cajun, Créole, et CODOFIL : La politique et la planification linguistique en Louisiane

Daniel Sutton, Linguistics, Italian & European Studies Advisor:  Luciana Fellin Honors Thesis:  Language and the Gendered Self: Unraveling the Framework of Gender in the Italian Language

Graduation with Distinction:

Gwyneth Bernier, Graduation with Distinction Outside the Major Advisor:  Anne-Ga ëlle Saliot Honors Thesis:  « L’œuvre de ma vie » : Une exploration neuro-génétique de l’évolution de l’épilepsie non traitée dans La Tentation de Saint Antoine de Gustave Flaubert

Joshua Coopersmith, French Studies Advisor:  Anne-Gaëlle Saliot, Stephen Smith Honors Thesis:   Au Revoir Paris, Bonjour Pékin en Afrique Francophone?

Graduation with High Distinction:

Alexander Kelly, Spanish Studies Advisor:  Liliana Paredes Honors Thesis:  Vulnerabilidad de lenguas en Durham, NC: un análisis geolingüístico y socioeconómico

Anna Lytchakov, Spanish Studies Advisor:  Joan Clifford Honors Thesis:  Las actitudes e interacciones entre los médicos y la comunidad hispana: Un estudio de caso de Durham, NC

Azana Green, Spanish Studies Advisor:  Rukmini Balu, Rosa Solorzano Double Honors Thesis:  Equity in Healthcare Access: Using Cultural Competency Training to Bridge the Gap between Providers and Latino Patients in Durham, NC

Brian Linder, Spanish Studies Advisor: Joan Clifford Honors Thesis:  La Promoción de la Salud en Intibucá, Honduras: Empoderamiento, Conexión Comunitaria, Confianza en Atención Hondureña

Maire-Line Lochard, French Studies Advisor: Deborah Jenson Honors Thesis: L’Expérience Royale d’Henry Christophe en Haïti: The Royal Ideology and Aesthetics of Monarchy under Haitian King Henry Christophe

Jachike Ndubuisi, Spanish Studies Advisor: Liliana Paredes Honors Thesis:  Usos de SER/ESTAR en los foros de discusión lingüística: la pragmática de la interacción entre aspecto verbal y clases semánticas

Alex Raghunandan, French Studies Advisor: Deborah Jenson Double Honors Thesis:  An Analysis of French and English Indo-Caribbean Literary Depictions of Indentured Servitude and Its Associated Neurological Implications

Savannah Norman, Spanish Studies Advisor: Gustavo Furtado Double Honors Thesis: Assessing the Evaluation Methods of the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s Latin American Compact Projects

Carter Lovvorn, Spanish Studies Advisor:  Joan Clifford Thesis:  Diferencias y disparidades de salud para la comunidad hispana en Durham

Elayne Wang, Spanish Studies Advisor:  Joan Clifford Thesis:   El acceso a la atención dental: Las experiencias de la comunidad hispana en el Triángulo de Carolina del Norte

Tyler Goldberger, Spanish Studies Advisor:  José María Rodríguez García Double Honors Thesis:   Making Memory Matter: The Asociación para la Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica and Spain’s Efforts to Reclaim the Past

Michael Steven Gulcicek, French Studies Advisors:  Anne-Gaëlle Saliot, Supervisor; Deborah Jenson, Co-Director Honors Thesis:  Le Butō et le choix de la chair : les influences françaises sur la quête ontologique de la "danse des ténèbres"

Ivana Premasinghe, Spanish Studies Advisor:  Liliana Paredes Honors Thesis:  Patient-Physician Interactions with Minority Communities

Julie Uchitel, French Studies Advisors:  Deborah Jenson, Anne-Gaëlle Saliot Honors Thesis:   L'Épilepsie comme "crise" de la conscience: Perspectives narratives, philosophiques, et neuroscientifiques  

Joshua Neuhaus, Romance Studies Advisor:  Gustavo Furtado Thesis:  A Música Tropicália: Três Histórias, Um Movimento (Tropicalia Music: Three Stories, One Movement)

Madeline Thornton, French Studies Advisor:  Deb Reisinger Double Honors Thesis:  Maternal and Reproductive Health Experiences of Francophone Refugee Women Living in Durham, North Carolina

Victoria Johnson, French Studies Advisor:  Helen Solterer Thesis:  L'art et la terreur dans l'après-attentats, Paris 2015 – Fred Le Chevalier et Renald Luzier

Jailene Vazquez, Romance Studies (Graduation with Distinction in a Field Outside the Student's Major) Advisor:  Michele Longino Thesis:  Fictionalized Italian Gender Relations Through Ferrante and Ammaniti

Emily Aarons, Spanish Studies Advisor:  Joan Clifford Thesis:   Comunicación y confianza: La influencia cultural en la comunicación entre doctores y pacientes latinos en Durham

Lydia Bradford, Romance Studies Advisor:  Deborah Jenson Thesis:  Lavi pwezi kreyòl ayisyen soti nan lane 1975 rive 2000: yon vitrin idantite ak rezistans lengwistik

Benjamin Brissette, Spanish Studies Advisor:  Elvira Vilches Thesis:   La República de las Letras: De escribanos y letrados a escribientes y lectores 

Daniel Lam, French Studies Advisor:  Julie Tetel Thesis:   Une perspective non-créoliste de la complexité des créoles: Une analyse comparative de la complexité cachée en créole haïtien et en vietnamien

Vania Ma, Spanish Studies Advisor:  Richard Rosa Thesis:   Come be my guest (or not): National Identity, Hospitality, and Construction of a Literary Genealogy of Haitian-Dominican Bordering Ideologies in Three Dominican Foundational Fictions

Hannah Morris, French Studies Advisor:  Helen Solterer Thesis:   Une Biographie Critique de Marie-Thérèse Eyquem : Pionnière du Sport, du Féminisme, et de la Politique

Benjamin Scharf, French Studies Advisor:  Laurent Dubois Thesis:  La marchandisation de vin Bordelais: Comment l'histoire a changé l'industrie de vin en Bordeaux

Quinn Holmquist, Romance Studies Advisor:  Laurent Dubois Thesis:   Strange Chains: How Language Keeps non-English Speakers Out of the Justice System - Or Locks Them In

Laurie Hwang, French Studies Advisor:  Deborah Jenson Double Honors Thesis:  Ceci n’est pas une pipe: A Comparison of French and U.S. Health Research on the Neurodevelopmental and Epigenetic Effects of Tobacco Exposure on Vulnerable Populations

Liliana Fiorenti, French Studies Advisor:  Michele Longino Thesis:  L'ouverture sociale pour les minorites visibles en France et aux Etats Unis

Leasly Salazar, Spanish Studies Advisor:  Richard Rosa Thesis:  Modernidad/Tradicion Mexicana

Victor Chen, French Studies Advisor:  Michele Longino Thesis:  Le luxe du declin: Perspectives hierarchiques et historiques

Daniel Stublen, French Studies Advisor:  Helen Solterer Thesis:  La mecanique et contexte historique de l'affaire Dieudonne

Giulia Caterni, French Studies Advisor:  Michele Longino Thesis:  Berenice: Racine, Corneille, et l'evolution d'une oeuvre

Alexis Pearce, Spanish Studies Advisor:  José María RodrÍguez García Thesis:  La novela del Cono Sur frente a las crisis de los derechos humanos: forma y responsabilidad narrativa (1973-2000)

Alexis Stanley, French Studies Advisor:  Anne-Gaëlle Saliot Thesis:  Du corps eclaire au corps enseveli: metamorphoses du corps fictif dans la danse classique entre le siecle des Lumieres et l'epoque romantique

Nicholas Dernbach Ashur, Spanish Studies Advisor:  Joan Clifford Thesis:  Nuevas maneras de compartir: La voz latina en narrativas de pacientes del VIH/SIDA

Christina Amber Smith, Romance Studies Advisor:  Deborah Jenson Thesis:  Nursing Education in Haiti

Brittany Nicole Coleman, French Studies Advisor:  Deborah Jenson Thesis:  Séduction, Politique et Vie Privée: L’Affaire DSK, un Catalyseur Social dans La France Contemporaine

High Distinction:

Joseph S. Kim; French Studies Advisor:  Laurent Dubois Thesis:  L’élève a donné la leçon au maître: Senegal vs. France in the 2002 World Cup

Anna Lynn Gravier; Spanish Studies Advisor:  Liliana Paredes Thesis:  Empowerment, Ethics and Intercultural Competence in Short-Term Medical Missions in the Dominican Republic

Highest Distinction:

Lauren Alicia Dixon; French Studies Advisor:  Anne-Gaëlle Saliot and Anne Garréta Thesis:  Hervé Guibert: Prophète, Saint et Martyr

Lauren Williams Niculescu; Italian Studies Advisor:  Martin Eisner Thesis:   Rifeo: Un’Immagine della Giustizia, Roma, e Dante

Nelly-Ange Tchouatang Kontchou; Italian & Spanish Studies Advisors:  Luciana Fellin and Richard Rosa Thesis:   A Comparative Sociological Investigation of the Conceptions and Perceptions of Mental Health and Illness in Arica, Chile and Rome, Italy

Jennifer Rose Denike; Romance Studies Advisor:  Deborah Jenson Thesis:  A History of the Early Haitian Medical Establishment: Slaves to Doctors in Haiti

Anne Oliver McDonough, Romance Studies Advisor:  Deborah Jenson Thesis:  Pèdisyon and Indispozisyon: Reproductive Illness and Embodied Experience in Haiti

Evan Michael Leon; Spanish Studies Advisor:  Richard Rosa Thesis:   Límites y Linderos: Una interpretación decolonial de los conflictos territoriales en la Región Norte de Esmeraldas durante los finales del siglo XIX

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• Honors Program

The department offers students majoring in political science a senior honors program; the successful completion of which leads to Graduation with Distinction in political science. The central requirement of the program is an honors thesis that the student prepares under faculty supervision. The program is designed to give the very best undergraduates in Political Science an intensive and advanced experience conducting an original research project. For students seeking honors in Political Science, the goal is to complete an original research paper of journal length.

Eligibility

• Completion of two courses in the subfield of the paper.
• Completion of STA 101 Data Analysis and Statistical Inference, or higher statistics course.*
• Have a minimum overall GPA of 3.3 and a major GPA of 3.5.

* The statistics requirement may be waived for students pursuing honors in the area of Political Theory.

Methods of Pursuing Distinction

Students will be expected to complete an original research paper of journal length (30-40 pages) through one of the following methods:

• A 400-699 level political science course.
• A political science independent study course.

The paper will be submitted to the department's Honors Thesis Committee on December 1, 2023 or March 22, 2024.

• Students who submit their paper by the December 1, 2023 deadline will have the opportunity to revise and resubmit if the committee recommends further editing of the paper.
• Those who submit on March 22, 2024 will not have the opportunity to revise their paper.

All submissions need to be emailed to Tosha Marshall, Undergraduate Program Coordinator, at [email protected] , by 5:00 PM on March 22, 2024.

Research Assistance for Honors Program

For students writing an honors thesis, additional support and guidance will be provided through a series of workshops led by a thesis assistant. The purpose of these workshops is to structure the calendar for thesis writers, foster collaboration among the students, and provide instruction for the methodological and research skills necessary to write a thesis. 

Funding Opportunities

The Ole R. Holsti Prize is for excellence in undergraduate research that uses primary sources for political science or public policy. Any undergraduate student who uses primary sources available through Duke University Libraries to complete a paper for a Political Science or Public Policy course, thesis or independent study can apply for the Holsti prize. There are two categories: undergraduate semester-long paper, and thesis written for Graduation With Distinction. Each prize carries a $1,000 cash award. Ole R. Holsti, George V Allen Professor Emeritus of Political Science, provided funding for this award. Deadline for submission is May 15. For more details go to the Duke Libraries Holsti Prize page .

2018-2019 Topics

• "Reactive Latency: An Analysis of the Diffusion of Nuclear Latency Between Neighboring States" - Katherine McKinney
• "A Comparative Analysis of two South Korean Political Parties" - So Yoon Lee
• "Regulating Migrant Integration: Examination of Multiculturalism and Assimilation" - Van Nguyen
• "Bird is the Word: An Assessment of Donald Trump’s Language Use on Twitter in Relation to His Public Opinion Ratings in the 2016 Presidential Election" - Sloane Anne Ruffa
• "Macro-Comparative Political Analysis: Do Different Health Care Systems Result in Differential National Health Outcomes" - Rachel E. Sereix
• "The Art of (Trade) War: Examining Relationships Between the U.S. and China Through Previous Machiavellian Moments" - Hunter D. Snowden
• "China's Internet Governance: A New Conceptualization of the Cybersoverignty Model" - Qiang Zhang
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• Math Intranet
• Senior Theses

2023 Senior Theses - Graduated with Distinction

Alex burgin.

The Schrodinger Maximal Function and Generalizations Advisor: Lillian Pierce

Nick Chakraborty

Improve Accuracy and Speed of Manifold Reconstruction and De-Noising from Scattered Data in R 2 Advisor: Hongkai Zhao

Jeffrey Cheng

Mixing in Measure Preserving Dynamical Systems Advisor: Tarek Elgindi

Carson Dudley

A Mathematical Model of a Peritoneal Staphylococcus Aureus infection Advisor: Anna Nelson

Riley Fisher

Pattern Formation in Evolving Domains Advisor: Tom Witelski

Multitaper Wave-Shape F-Test For Detecting Non-Sinusoidal Oscillations Advisor: Hau-Tieng Wu

Diffusing on multiple fibers Advisor: Ingrid Daubechies and Shira Faigenbaum

December 2022

Symmetric Formulas for Products of Permutations Advisor: Benjamin Rossman

A homotopic variant of policy gradients for the linear quadratic regulator problem Advisor: Andrea Agazzi

Nathan Geist

Homological algebra of modules over real polyhedral groups Advisor: Ezra Miller

Braden Hoagland

Percolation Processes on Dynamically Grown Graphs Advisor: Rick Durrett

Daniel Hwang

Analyzing the bistability of the minimally bistable ERK network using the discriminant locus Advisor: Maggie Regan

Wallace Peaslee

Dolbeault Cohomology of Non-Compact Metric Graphs Advisor: Joseph Rabinoff

Mathematical Modeling of TIE1 and Endothelial Metabolism Advisor: Michael Reed

December 2021

Some Mathematical Problems in Quantum Computing and Quantum Information Advisor: Robert Calderbank

Anuk Dayaprema

Solitons for the closed G2 Laplacian flow in the cohomogeneity-one setting Advisor: Mark Haskins

Ziyang Ding

At the Intersection of Deep Sequential and State-space Model Framework Advisor: Sayan Mukherjee

Lucas Fagan

Schur Polynomials and Crystal Graphs Advisor: Spencer Leslie

Resolving Simpson’s Paradox in NC Public School Grading System Advisor: Greg Herschlag

Phoebe Klett

Implementing non-canonical Sylvan Resolutions Advisor: Ezra Miller

Jianyou Wang

Deep Reinforcement Adaptive Computational Processor Advisor: Vahid Tarokh

Alex Damian

Theoretical Guarantees for Signal Recovery Advisor: Hau-tieng Wu

Blythe Davis

The Spherical Manifold Realization Problem Advisor: Faramarz Vafaee

Onkar Gujral

Khovanov Homology and Knot Concordance dvisor: Adam Levine

Xiayimei Han

Hodge Representations of Calabi-Yau 3 Folds Advisor:  Colleen Robles

Remy Kassem

Symmetry Detection of Unknown Volumes from Projected Variations Advisor: Xiuyuan Cheng

Joey Li

Algebraic Data Structures for Decomposing Multipersistence  Modules Advisor: Ezra Miller 

Evaluating Bayesian Convolutional Neural Networks in the Clinic Advisor: Paul Bendich

Jonathan Michala

Uniqueness of Ranked Pairs Advisor: Hubert Bray 

Benjamin Nativi

An Analogue of Gauss Composition for Binary Cubic Forms Advisor: Aaron Pollack

Computing Values of Symmetric Square L-Functions using Ichino's Pullback Formula Advisor: Aaron Pollack

Junmo Ryang

Embedding Lagrangian Surfaces Advisor: Robert Bryant

Irina Cristali

Poisson Percolation on the Square Lattice Advisors: Rick Durrett, Matthew Junge

Creating Musical Rubato Using Deep Learning Advisor: Ezra Miller

Zhenhua Liu

Stationary One-Sided Area Minimizing Hypersurfaces with Isolated Singularities Advisors: William Allard, Hubert Bray, Robert Bryant

Xueying Wang

Unfolding High-Dimensional Convex Polyhedra Advisor: Ezra Miller

Claire Wiebe

Analyzing the Effects of Partisan Correlation on Election Outcomes using Order Statistics Advisor: Jonathan Mattingly

Gaitling Zhou

Elliptic Curves over Dedekind Domains Advisor: William Pardon

(you can search for archived versions of these theses here )

• Surabhi Beriwal  Statistical analysis of fruit fly wing vein topology  (2018) [with E. Miller]
• Trung Can  The Heisenberg-Weyl Group, Finite Symplectic Geometry, and their applications   (2018) [with R. Calderbank]
• Feng Gui  On Calibrations for Area Minimizing Cones  (2018) with [H. Bray]
• Neel Kurupassery   Cryptographic Primitives in Artin Groups of Type I k (m)    (2018)  [with M. Abel]
• Eric Peshkin  T he quantification of markers of economic development from time-series satellite imagery using deep learning   (2018) with [with P. Bendich and D. Thomas]
• Weiyao Wang   Understanding Operator Reed-Muller Codes Through the Weyl Transform   (2018) [with R. Calderbank]
• Alexander Pieloch  The Topology of Moduli Spaces of Real Algebraic Curves  (2017) [with R. Hain]
• Samadwara Reddy  The Vietoris–Rips Complexes of Finite Subsets of an Ellipse of Small Eccentricity  (2017) [with H. Adams]
• Lindsey Brown  An Application of Abstract Algebra to the Neural Code for Sound Localization in Barn Owls  (2016) [with M. Reed]
• David Builes  The Large Cardinal Hierarchy  (2016) [with R. Hodel]
• Kyle Casey  Siegel Modular Forms  (2016) [with L. Saper]
• Bryan Runjing Liu  Modeling the Effects of Positive and Negative Feedback in Kidney Blood Flow Control  (2016) [with A. Layton]
• Francois Thelot A Maximum Entropy Based Approach for the Description of the Conformational Ensemble of Calmodulin from Paramagnetic NMR (2016) [with M. Maggioni and B. Donald]
• Will Victor  Efficient algorithms for Traffic Data Analysis  (2016)[computer science with P. Agarwal]
• Paul Ziquan Yang  Morphisms with Only Mild Singular Fibers and Bertini Theorems over Finite Fields  (2016) [with C. Schoen]
• Rex Zhitao Ying  Approximation Algorithms of Dynamic Time Warping and Edit Distance  (2016) [computer science with P. Agarwal]
• Roger Zou  Deformable Graph Model for Trackng Epithelial Cell Sheets in Florescence Microscopy  (2016)[computer science with C. Tomasi]
• Anne Talkington  Modeling the Dynamics of Cancerous Cells in vivo  (2015) [with R. Durrett]
• Rowena Gan  Geometry of Impressionist Music  (2015) [with E. Miller]
• David Hemminger  Augmentation Rank of Satellites with Braid Pattern  (2015) [with L. Ng and C. Cornwell]
• Mandy Jiang  Dynamic random network model for human papilloma virus transmission  (2015) [with M. Ryser]
• Hunter Nisonoff  Efficient Partition Function Estimatation in Computational Protein Design  (2015) [with M. Maggioni]
• Eugene Rabinovich  The Conformal Manifold in N=(2,2) SCFTs    (2015)  [physics  with R. Plesser]
• Marshall Ratliff  Introducing the Cover tree to Music Information Retrieval  (2015) [with P. Bendich]
• Brett Schnobrich  Heisenberg-Weyl Group, Subspace Packings, and Image Processing  (2015) [with R. Calderbank]
• Christy Vaughn  Stochastic Study of Gerrymandering  (2015) [with J. Mattingly]
• Aashiq Dheeraj  A Stochastic Spatial Model for Tumor Growth  (2014) [with R. Durrett]
• Joshua Izzard  Rank p 2  Representations of Semisimple Lie Algebras  (2014) [with J. Getz]
• Kathleen Lan  Coalescing random walks on n-block Markov chains  (2014) [with K. McGoff]
• Leslie Lei Lei  Infinite Swapping Simulated Tempering  (2014) [with J. Lu]
• Julia Ni  A convex approach to tree-based wavelet compression  (2014) [with A. Thompson]
• Jiarou Ivy Shen  Merge times and hitting times of time-inhomogeneous Markov chains  (2014) [with D. Sivakoff]
• Daniel Stern  Low-Order Lagrangians Depending on a Metric and a Matter Field of Arbitrary Rank  (2014) [with H. Bray]
• Daniel Vitek  Knot Contact Homology and the Augmentation Polynomial  (2014) [with C. Cornwell]
• Alexander Wertheim  Complex Multiplication on Elliptic Curves  (2014) [with L. Saper]
• Luxi Wei  Modeling Credit Risk using Rating and Environmental Factors  (2014) [with R. Durrett]
• Timothy Chang  On the existence of a simple winning strategy in the T(4.3) knot game  (2013) [with D. Herzog]
• Conrad de Peuter  Modeling basketball games as alternating renewal-reward processes and predicting match outcomes  (2013) [with R. Durrett]
• Bryan Jacobson  A practical approximation of persistent local homology  (2013) [with P. Bendich]
• Kara Karpman  Simulating mucociliary transport using the method of regularized Stokelets  (2013) [with A. Layton]
• Carmen Lopez  Modeling the folate pathway in Escherichia coli  (2013) [with A. Layton]
• James Mallernee  Strategy and honesty based comparison of preferential ballot voting methods  (2013) [with H. Bray]
• William Zhang  Evolutionary dynamics in host pathogen model  (2013) [with R. Durrett]
• Ben Bellis  Investigation of a Local Computation of the Signature from the Triangulation of a Manifold  (2012) [with M. Stern]
• Adrian Chan  Pricing financial derivatives with multi-task machine learning and mixed effects method  (2012) [with J. Bouvrie]
• Kyu Won Choi  Relative contributions of common jumps in realized correlations  (2012) [with A. Petters]
• Veronica Ciocanel  Analysis of the nonlinear dynamics of the forced planar string pendulum  (2012) [with T. Witelski]
• Kaveh Danesh  A branching process model of ovarian cancer  (2012) [with R. Durrett]
• Theo Frehlinghuysen  Carbon sequestration via forest management techniques  (2012) [with D. Kraines]
• Yingyi Shen  A study of edge toric ideals using associated graphs  (2012) [with S. Mapes]
• Daniel Thielman  Complex-balanced steady state of chemical reaction networks that contain an Eulerian cycle  (2012) [with C. Berkesch]
• Kaitlin Daniels  Noise driven Transitions between stable equilibria in stochastic dynamical systems  (2011) [with A. Athreya]
• Alan Guo  Lattice point methods for combinatorial games  (2011) [with E. Miller]
• Nils Hultgren  Centrality and network analysis: A perturbative approach to dynamical importance  (2011) [with I. Matic]
• Hans Kist  Estimating carbon sequestration potential in the boreal forests  (2011) [with D. Kraines]
• Misha Lavrov  Invariants in Legendrian links in the solid torus  (2011) [with D. Rutherford]
• Philip Pham  Tubuloglomerular feedback signal transduction in the loops of Henle  (2011) [with A. Layton]
• Thames Sae Sue  A simple cardiac model exhibiting stationary discordant alternans  (2011) [with D. Schaeffer]
• Max Tabachnik  An analysis of preferential ballot voting methods  (2011) [with H. Bray]
• Bo Waggoner  A model of the foot and ankle in running  (2011) [with E. Bouzarth]
• Wutichai Chongchitmate  Classification of Legendrian knots and links  (2010) [with L. Ng]
• Jason D. Lee  Multiscale analysis of dynamic graphs  (2010) [with M. Maggioni]
• Jeremy Semko  Statistical analysis simulations of coarsening droplets coating a hydrophobic surface  (2010) [with T. Witelski]
• Amy Wen  Model of feedback-mediated dynamics of coupled nephrons with compliant thick ascending limbs  (2010) [with A. Layton]
• Jason Ferguson  Factorization of Primes in Biquadratic Extensions of Q  (2009) [with C. Schoen]
• Jared Haftel  A Closer Look at ADC multivariate GARCH  (2009) [with M. Huber]
• Mark Hallen  Improving accuracy and scope of quantitative FRAP analysis  (2009) [with A. Layton]
• Andy Ng  Retinoid Transport in the Vision cycle  (2009) [with J. Mercer]
• Aaron Pollack  Relations between special derivations arising from modular forms  (2009) [with R. Hain]
• Jesse Thorner  Simplicial homology and DeRham’s theorem  (2009) [with W. Allard]
• Barry Wright III  Objective measures of preferential ballot voting systems  (2009) [with H. Bray]
• Michael Bauer  Existence and stability of patterns arising from square wave forcing of the damped Mathieu equation  (2008) [with A. Catlla]
• Tirasan Khandhawit  On Legandrean and transverse knots  (2008) [with L. Ng]
• Aalok Shah  An overview of fast marching and optimal control methods for trajectory optimization  (2008) [with W. Allard]
• Charles Staats III  Application of discrete geometry to the construction of Laurent-rational zeros  (2008) [with S. Sharif]
• Elliott Wolf  Computational pathways to Godel’s first incompletness theorem  (2008) [with R. Hodel]
• Lingen Zhang  The motion of sets of vortices  (2008) [with T. Witelski]
• Morgan Brown  An algorithm for tracking persistence pairing of a discrete homotopy of Morse functions on S 2   (2007) [with J.Harer]
• Brandon Levin  Class field theory and the problem of representing primes by binary quadratic forms  (2007) [with L. Saper]
• Stepan Paul  Lines and conics relative to degenerating divisors in CP 2   (2007) [with J. Davis]
• James Zou  3-D reconstruction and topological analysis of root architecture  (2007) [with J. Harer]
• Pradeep Baliga  Dynamic cellular automata model of toll plaza traffic flows  (2006) [with W. G. Mitchener]
• Adam Chandler  Dynamic cellular automata model of toll plaza traffic flows  (2006) [with W. G. Mitchener]
• Matthew Fischer  Mapping model of cardiac-membrane dynamics  (2006) [with D. Schaeffer]
• Qinzheng Tian  Simulation of Newtonian fluid flow between rotating cylinders  (2006) [with T. Witelski]
• Yee Lok Wong  Models of instant runoff voting  (2006) [with J. Mattingly]
• Oaz Nir  Mechanical arms and algebraic topology  (2005) [with J.Harer]
• Mayank Varia  Explicit calculation of the L invariant for Kummer surfaces  (2005) [with J. Hanke]
• David Arthur  On the higher Hasse-Witt matrices and related in variants  (2004) [with W. Pardon]
• Suzy Borgschulte  A mathematical approach to the panting of dogs  (2004) [with M. Reed]
• Lauren M. Childs  Scaling population dynamics from the macroscopic to the microscopic  (2004) [with T. Kepler]
• Ryan Letchworth  Wavelet methods for numerical solutions of differential equations  (2004) [with S. Roudenko]
• David Marks  Coadjoint orbits and geometric quantization  (2004) [with M.R. Plesser]
• Lori Peacock  Distributions of the small eigenvalues of Wishart matrices  (2004) [with B. Rider]
• Lindsay C. Piechnik  Smooth reflexive 4-polytopes have quadratic triangulations  (2004) [with C. Haase]
• Matthew Toups  A solution to the D0-D4 system of equations  (2004) [with M. Stern]
• Jenna VanLiere  Mathematically modelling the growth and diversification of T-cell populations  (2004) [with T. Kepler]
• Matthew J. Atwood  Evaluating singular and nearly singular integrals numerically  (2003) [with J.T. Beale]
• Marie Guerraty  Controlling alternans in a cardiac map model  (2003) [with M. Romeo]
• Meredith C. Houlton  Classification of critical curves and preliminary analysis of caustics  (2003) [with A. Petters]
• Steven R. Nicklas  Envy and satisfaction in the public goods game  (2003) [with D. Kraines]
• Dane R. Voris  A numerical approach to the M t /M t /N t  queue with abandonment  (2003) [with B. Rider]
• Melanie Wood  Invariants and relations of the action of the absolute Galois group on dessins d’enfants and the algebraic fundamental group of the punctured sphere  (2003) [with R. Hain]
• Thomas W. Finley  Efficient Myrinet routing  (2002) [with W. Allard]
• Samuel W. Malone  Alternative Price Processes for Black-Scholes: Empirical Evidence and Theory  (2002) [with A. Petters]
• Carl Miller  Exponential Iterated Integrals and the Solvable Completion of Fundamental Groups  (2001) [with R. Hain]
• Daniel Neill  Optimality under Noise: Higher Memory Strategies for the Alternating Prisoner’s Dilemma  (2001) Computer Science [with D. Kraines]
• Luis Von Ahn  Models of the language of set theory and Zermelo Frankel axioms  (2000) [with R. Hodel]
• Christopher Beasley  Superconformal theories from Branes at Singularities  (1999) Physics [with R. Plesser]
• Alexander Brodie  Measurable Cardinals  (1999) [with R. Hodel]
• Jeffrey DiLisi  The Biology and Mathematics of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testicular Axis  (1999) [with M. Reed]
• Garrett Mitchener  Lattices and Sphere Packing  (1999) [with R. Hain]
• Andrew O. Dittmer  Generalized Formulas for Circular Polygons  (1998) [with R. Hain]
• Richard R. Schneck  Set Theory and Cardinal Arithmetic  (1997) [with R. Hodel]
• Tung T. Tran  Counting Independent Subsets in Nearly Regular Graphs  (1997) [with G. Lawler]
• Paul A. Dreyer  Knot theory and the human pretzel game  (1995) [with J. Harer]
• Paul J. Koss  Effects of noise on the iterated prisoner’s dilemma  (1995) [with D. Kraines]
• Jeff Vanderkam  Eigenfunctions of an acoustic system  (1994) [with T. Beale]
• Linie Chang  Mathematics and immunology: Modeling antigen and antibody interactions  (1993) [with M. Reed]
• Sang H. Chin  Action of the Torelli group on the 3-fold cover of G-hole torus  (1993) [with R. Hain]
• Jennifer Slimowitz  Transitions of gaps between the integers N satisfying N q < j (1993) [with M. Reed]
• David Jones  Primality testing, factoring and continued fractions  (1992) [with C. Schoen]
• Will Schneeberger  The axiom diamond  (1992) [with J. Shoenfield]
• Jeanne Nielsen  Triply periodic minimal surfaces in  R 3  (1991) [with R. Bryant
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
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