Students majoring in any DLCL department (i.e., Comparative Literature, French and Italian, German Studies, Iberian and Latin American Cultures, and Slavic Languages and Literatures) who have an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 or above and who maintain a 3.5 (GPA) in their major courses, are eligible to participate in the DLCL’s honors program.

Declaring Honors

Prospective honors students must choose a senior thesis advisor from among their home department’s regular faculty in their junior year by May 1. During spring quarter of the junior year, a student interested in the honors program should consult with the Chair of Undergraduate Studies of their home department to submit a thesis proposal (1-5 pages), DLCL Honors application, and an outline of planned course work for their senior year. This package is submitted to the DLCL Undergraduate Student Services Officer. When their applications are approved by their home department, students will request honors through Axess.

Honors theses vary considerably in length as a function of their topic, historical scope, and methodology. They may use previous work developed in seminars and courses but display an enhanced comparative or theoretical scope. Quality rather than quantity is the crucial criterion. Honors theses range from 40 to 90 pages, not including bibliography and notes.

Honors students are encouraged to participate in the DLCL program hosted by Bing Honors College. This DLCL Honors College is designed to help students develop their projects and is offered at the end of the summer before senior year. Applications must be submitted through the Bing program. For more information, view the Bing Honors website.

Program Requirements

A minimum of nine units, described below, and a completed thesis is required. Honors essays are due to the thesis advisor no later than 5 p.m. on May 15 of the terminal year. If an essay is found deserving of a grade of A- or better by the thesis advisor, honors are granted at graduation.

Autumn Quarter of the senior year (required): DLCL189A Honors Thesis Seminar (3-4 units S/NC) Taught by a DLCL appointed faculty member, this course focuses on researching and writing the honors thesis.
Winter Quarter of the senior year (required): DLCL189B Honors Thesis Seminar (3-4 units S/NC) Conducted under the primary thesis advisor, the focus is on writing and revising the thesis draft. Each Independent Study course requires a minimum of two meetings with your primary advisor.
Spring Quarter of the senior year (required): DLCL189C Honors Thesis Seminar (3-4 units, letter grade) Each Independent Study course requires a minimum of two meetings with your primary advisor. Students enroll with your primary thesis advisor and present their thesis at the annual Honors Colloquium, held between May 15 and May 30th. The grade for 189C reflects the grade for the thesis and is assigned by the primary advisor, with input from the second reader. Students finalize and submit the thesis to their thesis advisor and the Student Services Officer by May 15 at 5:00 p.m.

The honors thesis in the DLCL embodies Stanford's commitment to excellence in coursework and research. It serves both as a student’s intellectual legacy and as part of the University's scholarly record. Far more than a final paper, the honors thesis reflects original, rigorous research that contributes to broader academic conversations and showcases the intellectual vitality of the discipline.

For these reasons, DLCL honors theses will be visible to future scholars researching similar questions through full online access through the Stanford Digital Repository (SDR) and may be used as course materials for future Stanford honors preparatory courses. A printed copy may also be kept in DLCL spaces. Students who wish to limit the access or sharing formats may do so by submitting a restriction request form to the DLCL Student Services Officer.

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