Honors
The Data and Decision Sciences Honors Program allows exceptional students to engage in in-depth scholarly work that extends beyond the curricular requirements of the Data Science major. The honors thesis is considered a culmination of intellectual development in the Data Science major and should reflect a synthesis of data science, methodology, and the accompanying substantive (track) curriculum in the major.
Students will work closely with scholars in their chosen field to conduct research and write a thesis of original scholarship that exemplifies theory-driven, methodologically sound, data-based inference and application in that field. Students may apply to participate in the program for their last two semesters before graduation.
Admission will be given to qualified students within one month following submission deadlines. Meeting the minimum requirements for applying does not guarantee acceptance into the honors program.
Requests for late admission to the program require a petition to the DSci Honors Director and Honors Program Coordinator explaining the request for late admission.
- A declared DSci major by the end of the first semester of student's junior year
- A minimum overall GPA of 3.7
- A minimum DSci GPA of 3.7
- A specific, well-defined project developed under the direction of a committed faculty supervisor
- Successful completion of DATASCI 495A: Honors Research
- Successful completion of DATASCI 495B: Honors Research
- Successful completion of a graduate-level course or 400-level senior seminar approved by the Honors Director
- Researching and writing an Honors Thesis
- Successful completion of an oral examination on the student's Honors Thesis
- 54+ credit hours (includes 50 credit hours associated with the BS degree and additional credit hours associated with writing the thesis)
- You must maintain a 3.7 overall and major GPA to successfully complete the DSci Honors Program
- Review the admission requirements above
- Identify three faculty member who will be on your honors thesis committee
- Your committee chair or committee co-chair must be a DSci faculty member.
- If you want to work with a non-DSci faculty member as your supervisor, then you will identify them as a co-chair to your committee. In this case, the supervisor will take on traditional chair responsibilities.
- One of the three faculty members must be from your disciplinary track department
- Work with your faculty supervisor (the committee chair or co-chair) to develop a brief abstract for your thesis project
- Students who meet the minimum requirements for consideration may submit materials through the application no later than April 30th of the year preceding spring graduation or November 30th of the year preceding winter graduation.
Admission will be given to qualified students within one month following these deadlines. Meeting the minimum requirements for applying does not guarantee acceptance into the honors program. Requests for late admission to the program require a petition to the DSci Honors Director and Honors Program Coordinator explaining the request for late submission.
What Your Senior Year Schedule Will Look Like
The following schedule assumes a May graduation.
- You will complete DATASCI 495A: Honors Research (4 cr), which addresses methodological issues and offers practical guidance in thesis design and research.
- You will need to identify a graduate-level course or senior seminar that you intend to enroll in during the Fall or Spring of the year that you plan to complete honors. When you have selected this course, please fill out the DSci Honors course petition form. The DSci Honors Director must approve this course; do not enroll until you have received approval. Please note that this form must be submitted no later than one week before the end of the add/drop/swap period of the semester in which you are taking this class in order for the class to be approved by the Honors Director.
- You must assemble an honors thesis committee that includes your faculty advisor (the committee chair) and two other Emory faculty members.
- You will complete DATASCI 495B: Honors Research (variable credit, up to 8 hours), which includes the thesis writing portion of the DSci Honors Program.
- You will need to identify a graduate-level course or senior seminar that you intend to enroll in during the Fall or Spring of the year that you plan to complete honors. When you have selected this course, please fill out the DSci Honors course petition form. The DSci Honors Director must approve this course; do not enroll until you have received approval. Please note that this form must be submitted no later than one week before the end of the add/drop/swap period of the semester in which you are taking this class in order for the class to be approved by the Honors Director.
