Honors Program Requirements & Application Process

Application Process

Click here to apply for the Ethics in Society undergraduate honors program. 

The application is due Friday, November 14th at 11:59 pm.

Along with some questions about your interest in the program, the application will prompt you to submit:

Once you’ve submitted your application,

  • EiS Student Services Specialist Audrey Youngblood will contact you to confirm that everything is complete in the application and to clarify anything about your application and course plans.
  • EiS Honors Program Faculty Director Brian Coyne will contact you to set up a short meeting to talk through the ideas for the program.
  • Admitted students will know they can join the program by December 1st, in time for you to enroll in ETHICSOC 190 for Winter Quarter when enrollment opens on December 4th.

Any questions? Contact EiS Student Services Specialist Audrey Youngblood (ajyoung1 [at] stanford.edu (ajyoung1[at]stanford[dot]edu)) or EiS Honors Program Faculty Director Brian Coyne (bkcoyne [at] stanford.edu (bkcoyne[at]stanford[dot]edu)). 

Come learn more about the Ethics in Society Undergraduate Honors Program at our upcoming info session: 

  • Wednesday, October 15th, 12:00-1:00pm
  • Stanford Law School, Crown Building, Room 320F
  • Lunch provided by Asian Box

Please RSVP: EiS Honors Program Info Session RSVP Form

Course Requirements:

Foundational Courses

One course in political philosophy from the list of courses below:

  • ETHICSOC171 - Justice
  • ETHICSOC174L - Justice Across Borders

One course in moral philosophy from the list of courses below:

  • ETHICSOC20 - Introduction to Moral Philosophy
  • ETHICSOC170 - Ethical Theory
  • ETHICSOC185M - Contemporary Moral Problems
  • ETHICSOC178M - Introduction to Environmental Ethics

Note that the foundational courses must be taken for a letter grade, and for a minimum of 4 units. These courses are strongly recommended to be taken before the winter quarter of the junior year, and to be completed with a B+ or higher grade.

Elective/Specialization Courses

  • Two or three university-wide undergraduate courses related to student's honors thesis topic and/or in support of research on the student's thesis topic. These courses must be at the 100+ level, be taken for a letter grade, be a minimum of 3 units each, and should total to a minimum of 8 units. 
  • These course choices must be reviewed and approved for counting towards the Honors Program with the Student Services Administrator. Syllabi/relevant coursework may be requested for this review process.

Specialization courses can be completed anytime, and courses taken before acceptance into the program can be used to fulfill this requirement. 

EiS Program Specific Coursework

ETHICSOC190 is a mandatory seminar for juniors who are accepted into the honors program. This seminar is only offered during winter quarter and must be attended in person. 

ETHICSOC195 is a mandatory one-unit writing workshop that must be taken in the winter quarter of senior year.

During the senior year of the honors program, students enroll in graded thesis writing units (200A-C) that can vary between 3-5 units per quarter, and should total to a minimum of 10 units over the course of the senior year. Students will enroll in ETHICSOC 200A in the fall quarter, ETHICSOC 200B in the winter quarter, and ETHICSOC 200C in the spring quarter.

Additional Notes/Requirements:

  • 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. 
  • Students may not double-count courses between the honors program and other academic programs (ie, major or minor) unless in the circumstances outlined here under the "Special Requirements for Students Pursuing Minors". 
    • Note: Philosophy majors in the honors program may double count ETHICSOC 20 towards both the Philosophy major and the Ethics in Society honors program.
  • Students complete preliminary and final thesis presentations and an oral examination after submission of the thesis. 

Honors Program Timeline

Before/Early Junior Year, Fall Quarter
Meet with Program Administrator about interest in Honors Program.
Junior Year, Fall Quarter
Submit Honors Program application by listed deadline.
Junior Year, Late Fall Quarter
Notifications of acceptance into Honors Program sent out.
Junior Year, Winter Quarter
Enroll in ETHICSOC 190, Honors Seminar.
Junior Year, Winter-Spring Quarter
Search for and confirm a thesis advisor, with the support of Honors Program faculty/staff.
Junior Year, Summer Quarter (Pre-Senior Year)
Participate in Bing Honors College (optional).
Senior Year, Fall and Winter Quarter
Work on honors thesis with support of thesis advisor and program faculty/staff, meeting Honors Program milestones/deadlines.
Senior Year, Winter Quarter
Enroll and participate in ETHICSOC 195, Ethics in Society Senior Workshop.
Senior Year, Spring Quarter
Submit honors thesis, complete honors thesis presentations, and complete oral defenses.