Honours in History – Essay option
The Honours Program in History, which students enter after their first 24 credits at Concordia, is intended for students with high standing.
Value of the Essay stream
The Essay option in Honours History is an excellent preparation for graduate studies in advanced degree programs such as law, as well as other careers involving research and writing skills in journalism, filmmaking, government, museology and archival studies.
Requirements
The Honours program is a 60-credit program, similar to the Specialization, except that students are expected to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30 as well as a minimum annual GPA of 3.30 to remain in the program, a B+ average.
If you meet these requirements and would like to discuss your options, please contact our Honours Advisor at: histhons.advisor@concordia.ca.
Special courses
Students in the Essay stream must complete two directed-study courses in conjunction with an advisor who must be a full-time faculty member in the Department of History. It’s generally advised that you line up these courses well in advance, since they require a fair amount of planning on the part of both you and your advisor.
The first course is HIST 304: Tutorial Preparation for the Honours Essay, which must be completed before you start working on the essay. The course is intended to ground you in the historiography of the subject you have chosen, and the reading list is typically drafted in advance of the course. The workload of the tutorial should be equivalent to that of a 400-level seminar, and typically the assignments for the course consist of reaction papers, historiographical essays, and source analysis. It is recommended that you and your advisor determine in advance of the tutorial how the final grade will be calculated.
The second course is HIST 493: Honours Essay Tutorial, which you may not take until you have completed HIST 304. This is a six-credit course, so it is normally completed over two consecutive terms. For the essay, you must produce a sustained piece of work which offers an original contribution to a historical subject. The essay is typically at least 25, double-spaced pages in length; and may not exceed 40 pages. The essay normally makes use of primary sources, although it is permissible to write a historiographical paper. The final version of the essay must be read by the advisor, along with another full-time faculty member of the History Department, who will jointly determine the final grade. It is highly recommended that you meet regularly with advisor as you research your essay, and provide early drafts well in advance of the final deadline for submission.
Program guides for Honours Essay
If your year of entry is prior to fall 2015, please contact the department.
Consult the program requirements in the Undergraduate Calendar.
