For students who choose to undertake this opportunity, the Honors Thesis is the culmination of years of historical training in the form of an original research paper. Thesis students explore a topic of their own choosing by working with a History faculty mentor in personalized, hands-on tutorials (HIST 1901 and 1903), which allow them to build upon skills and topical knowledge accumulated throughout their university coursework. In practice, this means deep engagement with primary sources --sometimes in foreign languages-- and mastery of a specialized body of secondary literature. Depending on the topic, students may choose to experiment with interdisciplinary methodologies, such as visual analysis, digital humanities, and others. Just as in a doctoral program, the process concludes with an oral presentation and examination conducted by the thesis adviser and at least one other University of Pittsburgh faculty member. Ultimately, the history thesis students who engage this rite of passage emerge from the project as historians equipped with a polished writing sample ready for numerous career trajectories.
There are many benefits of writing an Honors thesis, both personal and professional. The project allows students to engage in a topic that they choose and define; it allows them to build their skills of argumentation and to create knowledge, not only for themselves but also for the discipline of History. Completing an Honors thesis demonstrates students’ capacity for sustained, independent work, an ability that will benefit them in most professions, in law school, in graduate school, and in other pursuits. Past projects have included topics as diverse as Soviet rock-and-roll, piracy in the Persian Gulf, and World War II and the Pittsburgh Courier’s Double V. Additionally, thesis projects are an essential component of the requirements for graduating with Honors, and all students who complete this project will be recognized at History department graduation events. (See the History Advising Canvas module for a full list of Honors requirements.)