Students interested in graduating with distinction is Asian American Studies -- also known as our Honors Program -- develop an original research project under the mentorship of our professors. To be eligible for the Honors Program, students must first take our Theory and Methods course, AS AM 175, which is usually offered in Fall quarter. Once students have the foundation for conducting research and selected a research topic from the field of Asian American Studies, students can then register for AS AM 199 units -- usually in following Winter quarter -- under the supervision of an approved faculty member. Given our department’s commitments to scholarship, community, the arts, and interdisciplinarity, the Honors Project can be an academic research paper, a community studies project, or an artistic endeavor. Students can also see if their project is eligible to receive an Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities grant.
Students complete the Honors Program by enrolling in AS AM 195H: Senior Honors Project. By registering for this class, students agree to produce an honors thesis based on their previous research and to present their findings at the department's annual undergraduate colloquium, usually offered in Spring. Students may also produce an honors film/video or performance.
The honors program is an intense commitment, requiring about a year’s work, but one that allows students to develop skills (and a writing sample) for graduate school and/or research skills, analytic thinking, and creativity used in many jobs and areas of life. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 to register for AS AM 175 and 199. Additionally, students must have a GPA of 3.5 in AS AM courses in order to register for AS AM 195H. Students must earn a "B" or better for any courses to count towards the Honors Program and to graduate with distinction.
Applications for our honors program must be completed and turned in to our Undergraduate Advising office HSSB 5044. For questions about our Honors program, please contact our Undergraduate Advisor at asamst-advisor@ucsb.edu