International Comparative Studies offers a Graduation with Distinction program for majors whose achievements in university coursework and co-curricular experiences have prepared them to produce substantial interdisciplinary research projects.
Admission to the Distinction Program is selective, requiring an excellent academic record, a thoughtful and feasible proposal, and a strong letter of support from a faculty member willing to supervise the project. It is widely recognized by professional schools, graduate schools, and employers that successfully pursuing independent research requires organizational skills, discipline, maturity, commitment, open-mindedness, attention to detail, and willingness to follow up on advice. Investment in the process and outcome related to honors projects leads to significant intellectual, emotional, and social rewards for the students involved. ICS has a long tradition and well-designed institutional structure to assist qualified students to succeed in honors work.
Each ICS Distinction Program student produces a substantial research project (typically a thesis of 70 to 100 pages) on a topic relevant to International Comparative Studies.
Students may work in, with, and through different mediums, but all are required to complete a research-based and interdisciplinary piece of writing. In support of the completion of this project, students enroll in the honors thesis seminar sequence (ICS 495S-496S) during their senior year. The seminar meets twice weekly during fall and once weekly during spring. Each student is guided by the seminar instructor and a graduate student writing “coach” through a multi-stage writing process, while working with a research supervisor (a Duke faculty member with expertise in the project topic).
The completed project is submitted for evaluation to the ICS Distinction Committee by early April of the senior year. Levels of distinction are determined in consultation with the student’s research supervisor. The author of the best ICS distinction project is recognized with the Annual ICS Distinguished Thesis Award.
A student who has done satisfactory work in the honors seminars but whose thesis is denied distinction will receive graded credit for the coursework.
Successful completion of all the requirements of ICS 495S in fall term fulfills the major requirement for ICS 489S, the senior capstone course. Students who choose to work toward Graduation with Distinction and fulfill the requirements for the entire honors thesis sequence complete 11 rather than 10 non-language courses within the ICS major: gateway course, four region courses, four comparative courses, and the fall and spring honors thesis seminar sequence.
