Guidelines for Graduation with Honors in Philosophy
(1) Rationale:
The Furman Philosophy Department is creating an Honors Program in Philosophy. We have done so in order to recognize and promote excellent student work in philosophy, to give our best students the opportunity to engage in advanced philosophical research and writing, and to help prepare students for the rigors of graduate or professional school. The Honors Program is a key part of our strategic plan for enhancing our effectiveness as a department in the coming years.
(2) Prerequisites for Participation:
(a) GPA: participants must have at least a 3.75 GPA in all philosophy classes completed at time of application.
(b) Class standing: participants must have attained at least junior class standing at time of application.
(c) Progress in major: participants must be on track to complete at least 6 philosophy classes by the end of their junior year.
(3) Application Process:
(a) Students will typically apply for the Honors Program toward the end of their junior year (or shortly thereafter).
(b) The application process shall consist of (i) identifying a philosophy faculty member to serve as the Honors Thesis Director, and (ii) completing and receiving approval of a thesis proposal (with initial bibliography) by the Director and the rest of the Philosophy Department. Application to the program does not guarantee that the student’s thesis proposal will be approved.
(c) If the student’s thesis proposal is approved, he or she will register for PHL 506: Honors Thesis I, to be taken in the fall semester of his or her senior year, and plan to take PHL 507: Honors Thesis II in the spring semester of his or her senior year.
(4) Requirements:
(a) Honors graduates must complete at least 10 courses total in philosophy (9 for double-
majors).
(b) Honors graduates must take two courses during their senior year: PHL 506: Honors Thesis I, to be taken in the fall semester, and PHL 507: Honors Thesis II, to be taken in the spring semester. PHL 506 & 507 are 4-credit independent study courses led by the Honors Thesis Director devoted to researching and writing the student’s honors thesis.
(c) Students must pass both PHL 506 & 507 with a B or higher in order to graduate with honors. The two courses must be taken in sequence; a student cannot register for PHL 507 unless he or she has taken PHL 506. PHL 506 & 507 will count toward the total of 10 courses (9 for double-majors) that students must complete in order to graduate with honors.
(d) One of the requirements of PHL 507 will be that the student give a public presentation of his or her thesis to the Philosophy Department during the spring semester of his or her senior year.
(e) Students completing these requirements will be deemed to have graduated with Honors in Philosophy.
(5) Director Responsibilities:
(a) The Director’s first task will be to assist the student in writing his or her thesis proposal and helping get the proposal approved by the Philosophy Department.
(b) Once the proposal is approved, the Director will lead the student’s sections of PHL 506 & 507, during which the student will write his or her thesis. The Director is responsible for making sure that the student makes ample progress on the thesis during the fall of his or her senior year (as evidenced by the grade received for PHL 506), and that the thesis is acceptable at the end of the spring semester (as evidenced by the grade received for PHL 507).
Past Projects
Matt Burchanoski 
Postmodern or Postmortem:
Ethical Hermeneutics after the Death of the Author