Honors

The College of Arts, Media and Design offers honors opportunities to students whose academic performance both aligns to the vision and mission of the college and shows an exceptional level of creativity and achievement. The CAMD Honors in the Discipline program requires that students complete a project in an area related to their academic program. Students who wish to pursue Honors in the Discipline must have a major within CAMD or a combined major that includes at least one CAMD program.

Honors Project

The Honors project may involve a research study, design, music composition, play, media production, or any focused work in a subject addressed within CAMD. The project, recorded on the student’s transcript as xxxx 4970–Junior/Senior Honors Project 1 (4 SH), will be supervised by a CAMD faculty member. A proposal must be approved by the supervising faculty member and department chair before the project begins.The Honors project must be beyond what any student needs to complete to satisfy the requirements for any other class that she or he takes in the college. In other words, a paper written for one class cannot be used again to satisfy the project requirement. At the conclusion of the project, students who wish to graduate with an Honors in the Discipline credential will present their work to the Dean, the supervising instructor, other students who have completed their College Honors projects during that term, and anyone else who wishes to attend this publicized college event. The presentation event is held on Reading Day in the Fall and Spring semesters. A student who successfully completes the Honors in the Discipline program will earn the Honors in [Major] credential on his or her official transcript. (For example, Honors in Music.)

Proposal & Application Process

Students are eligible for the CAMD Honors in the Discipline credential if they:

– Are juniors or seniors in the college with a GPA of 3.5 or better.

– Communication Studies majors must be a senior with a GPA in the top 15% of the graduating class.

– Other departments may also stipulate a higher GPA and/or other requirements.

– Have room in their schedule for a 4 SH course in the semester of the project.

– Have completed a proposal approved by a supervising faculty member and the department chair (or simply a department chair in the case of combined majors). Note: Faculty must be full-time or tenure track. Adjunct faculty may not supervise an Honors in the Discipline project.

– Complete the project as described and approved.

– Make a satisfactory public presentation of their project
with the dean, faculty supervisor, and other honors project students.

A student interested in CAMD Honors in the Discipline must meet with a professor to describe the nature of the project. The professor agrees in principle to work with and supervise the student pending receipt and approval of a written proposal. Be sure to consider the:

– Project scope

– Meeting schedule

– Project milestones throughout the semester

– Project deliverables

– Use of a survey (Institutional Review Board approval must be sought prior to submission)

Students must prepare a one-page proposal that includes:

– Description of the Honors project focus and end products

– Name of the professor who has agreed to supervise the work

– Timeline for completion

– Signatures of the professor and department chair who endorse the project

Students must submit the completed CAMD College Honors Application to the Director of Academic Advising in CAMD no later than the second week of the semester of the project.

– Assuming the student meets the eligibility requirements and has the endorsement of the professor/chair, the Associate Director of Academic Advising enrolls the student in the department’s 4 SH honors course. (e.g., MUSC4970 – Junior/Senior Honors Project 1)

– A student can take up to two semesters to complete the project. If she or he chooses to work on the project for two semesters, then the student will be enrolled in the second semester of the Honors Project course.

– While students are completing the project, they can access the services and supports of the University Honors Program, including access to special funding, even if they are not part of the University Honors Program. Completing this project does not imply a student has joined the University Honors Program.

Download the CAMD Honors in the Discipline Application.

2020 Honors in the Discipline Presentations

'Realities Unseen,' presented by Olivianne Iriarte

Olivianne explores the concept of change and how it was brought to the forefront of our lives during the 2020 pandemic. With our world completely coming to a halt, our everyday routines were stripped down to the basics, unveiling what we are truly capable of as human beings. We were left to rely merely on the abilities of the human essence. So the question at hand is: who have we become as the result of change? The words that come to mind, which are shared by people all over the world, are patience, resilience, transformation, unpredictability and reinvention. Through graphic design and other mediums, Olivianne showcases a visual exploration pf patience, resilience, transformation, unpredictability and reinvention, tying it together to display core aspects of our shared realities and our unseen realities.

'Student Civil Action,' presented by Shannon Reilly

Shannon researched Boston Public School students taking Civic Action around different social issues. Guided by the problem statement: “How might we help BPS students feel empowered to have an impact on social issues they are passionate about?” and inspired by the overwhelming amount of social media use around social issues, Shannon envisioned a platform that would be similar to a social media site but filtered around civic action. The platform aims to bring together students working on civic projects in order to make a larger impact.

'What Happens to the Equal Rights Amendment Now?,' presented by Kaitlyn Budion

There are 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Several others have been proposed, but never made it in. And only one of those proposed amendments reached the final state for ratification in 2020: the Equals Rights Amendment, or the ERA. There has been recent news coverage of the ERA, but nothing has explored its history and impact in-depth. So, Kaitlyn created a website with multiple stories looking into the history of the ERA, the support for it now, its legal challenges and implications, and the racist consequences of the women’s rights movement’s continued prioritization of its passage.

'Space Bound,' presented by Yuhong Su

Space Bound aims to creatively gain more access of aerospace studying for future generations especially college students who are enthusiasts. The aerospace industry has been associated with the scientists and wealthy for a long time; nonetheless, the right to explore space should be equivalently important for the youth who love the universe with great passion. Thus, Space Bound is a campaign that aims to change the traditional dynamics in aerospace industry by offering opportunity of aerospace education to college students through collaboration. By introducing the nature, intention, and feasible solutions of Space Bound and updating the progress on Kickstarter.com continuously, the campaign would gradually foster a unique educational community that is beneficial for both of students and aeronautical institutions.

'Lifestyle by Leah,' presented by Megan Barrett

Megan’s project focuses on how to build, promote, and expand a brand within the student athlete community. Combining lessons from entrepreneurship and design classes with real coop experiences, Megan is able to develop a brand people can recognize. Built with Muscle offers everything a brand needs; from a brand guideline book, to a promotional video, website and social media presence.