Students with strong academic records have two options for demonstrating their academic prowess. Students who wish to graduate with Latin Honors must participate in the Honors Program. Students who have exemplary academic records, but who have not participated in an Honors program, can apply to graduate with distinction.

Honors programs allow students to engage in challenging and enriching academic experiences. Information about the CLA Honors Program is given below. If you are not a CLA student, you will want to contact your college advising office for information about your honors program.

CLA Honors Program

Students who have been accepted into the CLA Honors Program are assigned to the CLA Honors Division in 20 Nicholson Hall (624-5522). You can receive more information about this program by reviewing their website at http://www.cla.umn.edu/honors.

Economics majors who are in the CLA Honors Program must write an Honors thesis. Students who wish to discuss the honors thesis should consult the Economics Honors Representative for 2007-2008: Professor Thomas Holmes by e-mail at holmes@umn.edu or by phone at 612-625-4512.

Honors students need to register for Econ 4993 - (1-4 credits) to write an Honors thesis.

For a summa thesis, we expect a very high quality paper (3-4 credits) - somewhat like the papers in economics journals (Not the same level of sophistication - but close). The thesis should be an analysis of an economic problem, written like a journal article - the intro, methodology and data, computations, and conclusion. The paper should be at least 35-40 pages long with supporting data, graphs, appendices. There should be some quantitative work along with the theory.

For a cum-laude or magna cum-laude thesis (1-4 credits - depending on the size of the project), we expect a high quality paper, but not as detailed as the summa thesis. The paper should be in the same format as the summa thesis, but can be around 20-30 pages with supporting material.

According to the Honors Office, your GPA determines the level of honors at which you graduate (3.75 GPA in your last 60 credits for a summa, 3.66 for a magna, and 3.5 for a cum laude). If a student wishes to undertake a summa thesis and has the GPA for a magna, this student can do the summa thesis but will graduate magna. So your GPA determines your level of honors and you should write your thesis accordingly. Check with the Honors Office for details.

Honors students should meet with the Honors Representative/Adviser to select a topic and talk about the kind of work he expects including but not limited to economic analysis. The student and the Honors Advisor will fill out the form and then bring it to Prof. Simran Sahi for her signature. The student can then register. (Madhu Bhat, the Economics Undergraduate Adviser, has the Student-Faculty Contract forms).

The honors thesis will ultimately be graded by the Honors representative/Adviser - on a A-F grade basis, and the grade will be awarded for Econ 4993. The Adviser must sign off on a sheet showing that the thesis requirement has been met. The student should submit this form along with the thesis.

The student does not necessarily have to finish the thesis within a semester - the adviser can give an I grade and substitute the actual grade once it is done.

In Economics, the student does not need to defend the thesis orally. The Adviser reads it and awards the grade.

If a student undertakes a summa thesis, he/she needs to identify 3 faculty members as readers (the thesis adviser, another Economics professor, and a faculty member from outside the field of Economics).

If a student undertakes a cum-laude or a magna cum-laude thesis, it will need to be approved by the thesis adviser only, and there is no need to have a 3-person committee.

If students want to see the kind of work other students have done to achieve summa in Economics, they can stop by the Honors Office and look at the copies of summa theses on file. Sometimes this helps students have a clearer picture of the expectations.

Beginning Fall 2000, students signed up for any Economics degree (B.A., B.A.-Quant, and B.S.) can finish their degree with Honors. Previously, it was limited to B.S. students only.

NOTE: The honors thesis is in addition to all other course-work required for the Economics degrees. It cannot count towards any of the major requirements. In the case of B.A. and B.A.-Q. honors students, the honors thesis (Econ 4993) can be applied towards the Senior Project (Econ 3951).

Honors Economics Courses

You do not have to be in the Honors Degree Program in order to take Economics Honors classes. Any student who satisfies the stated prerequisites for an Honors section can enroll in it. Honors sections typically have a smaller number of students, the work is more challenging, and there are greater opportunities for classroom discussion. Honors courses can be made writing intensive by registering concurrently for Econ 4100W (1 credit course). Econ 4100W does not count as one of the courses needed for the major. It is an addendum to another course.

Graduation with Distinction

Students with extremely strong academic records, but who have not participated in an Honors Program, can graduate “With Distinction.” To graduate with distinction students must have completed at least 60 semester credits of U of M coursework.

There are two levels of distinction.
- High Distinction - requires a U of M Cumulative GPA of 3.9 or higher.
- Distinction - requires a U of M Cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher.

If you believe you are eligible to graduate with distinction and this is not noted on your U of M final transcript, please contact your college advising office.

Students have the opportunity to apply for Phi Beta Kappa, one of the oldest and most prestigious honor societies in existence. The award is based on completed academic requirements and grade point average. To be elected, students must apply to Phi Beta Kappa through 150 Williamson Hall (625-5333) in the Spring Semester. We really encourage all of you who think that you might qualify to apply!

Scholarships and Awards

The Winnifred Fabel and George F. Stockman Scholarship in Economics is awarded every year to an outstanding economics major entering their junior or senior year of study and provides a stipend of approximately $1500.00 per year. This scholarship is endowed by
the late Mrs. Winnifred Fabel Stockman and Mr. George F. Stockman specifically to promote excellence in undergraduate economics education. The scholarship is announced during early May, and applications are due at the end of the month.

The Doug and Jane Gorence Endowed Scholarship in Economics is awarded to an undergraduate major each year. It provides an annual stipend of $1000.00 to a deserving undergraduate economics major who demonstrates potential and ability in Economics. It is announced in early May.

You are encouraged to apply for other University and CLA scholarships - the Birkelo Scholarship, the Waller Scholarship, and others. Contact the Honors Office for details. Congratulations to Elizabeth Dobis and Peter Westlake who have recieved the Selmer Birkelo Scholarship for 2007-2008!