Application and Requirements

Program Requirements and How to Apply

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 5PM, Friday, November 18th, 2022

Students interested in writing a senior honors thesis in Ethics in Society are strongly encouraged to contact the program coordinator before their junior year to discuss the application process. The Program is open to students in any major with a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher. Students should maintain this minimum average in the courses taken to satisfy the program requirements. Courses taken to satisfy the program requirements may be double-counted towards major requirements.

Requirements

• Two core courses: ETHICSOC 171 (PHIL 171) “Justice” AND either ETHICSOC 20 (PHIL 2) “Introduction to Moral Philosophy” or ETHICSOC 170 (PHIL 170) “Ethical Theory.”
  • Students are strongly encouraged to complete these core courses (with B+ or higher grade) prior to the Winter quarter of their Junior year.
• ETHICSOC 190 (PHIL 178) “Honors Seminar in Ethics in Society.” This course is open only to students in the Program and is to be taken during the Spring quarter (2022-2023 academic year only) of the Junior year.
  • Please note that we require students to take/participate in this course in-person unless under extenuating circumstances.  
• Two specialization courses (8-10 units total) at the 100-level or above relating to the thesis topic .
  • These courses may be completed anytime, even before acceptance into the program.
  • These courses must be taken for a letter grade.
• Enroll in ETHICSOC 200A, ETHICSOC 200B, and ETHICSOC 200C  thesis writing units (10 units total) during the Senior year.

Students also complete preliminary and final thesis presentations and an oral examination after submission of the thesis. To receive honors, students must earn a grade of B+ or higher on the completed thesis.

Application Process

1. Take "Justice" and "Introduction to Moral Philosophy" or "Ethical Theory." 
   1. Completion of these courses prior to application is strongly encouraged and recommended.
2. Contact the gmaung [at] stanford.edu (Events & Student Programming Administrator) about your interest in writing an honors thesis and set up a meeting to discuss the application process and program components, ideally before the start of your junior year.
3. Submit the application form, thesis proposal, unofficial transcript, and writing sample via email to the gmaung [at] stanford.edu (Events & Student Programming Administrator). You may apply anytime before the application deadline: 5PM Friday, Nov 18th, 2022. 
4. Reach out to the bkcoyne [at] stanford.edu (Program Faculty Director )to set up a meeting to discuss your interests and potential topic.

View the Honors Program Application for the 2022-2023 Academic Year here:

You will be informed about your acceptance decision shortly after the application deadline. Please note that you must be accepted into the Program before you can enroll in the honors seminar (spring quarter of your junior year).