Catalog Navigator : Departmental Honors

Departmental Honors

The Department of Genetics recognizes graduating students who have made outstanding academic achievements by awarding departmental honors. The department awards two types of departmental honors (see below) and these are awarded at the discretion of the Genetics Honors Committee. To be considered, students must meet all criteria for that type of honors and submit the honors request application by the deadline (April 1st of senior year).

The two types of departmental honors and their criteria are as follows:

1. �� GENETICS HONORS- RESEARCH

a.� GPA requirement: a student must have attained, at the end of the junior year, a cumulative GPA �3.4 and a Genetics major GPA �3.4 (including prerequisites).

b.� Complete 6 or more credits of� Honors in Genetics (01:447:408-409) during senior year

c.� Complete a total of 12 or more research credits (including the 6 credits of 01:447:408-409)

d.� Complete Honors Thesis and Communication in Genetics 447:414 and 415 during senior year

e.� Complete and defend a research thesis before a faculty committee (see Thesis Guidelines)

f.� Present at Honors Day

To be considered for Genetics Honors- Research, students must meet all of the following criteria and submit the application by April 1st of senior year.

1.� GPA requirement: a student must have attained, at the end of the junior year, a cumulative GPA �3.4 and a Genetics major GPA �3.4 (including prerequisites)

2.� Complete 6 or more credits of 01:447:408-409 Honors in Genetics during senior year

3.� � Complete a total of 12 or more research credits (including the 6 credits of 01:447:408-409)

4.� Complete Honors Thesis and Communication in Genetics 447:414 and 415 during senior year

5.� Complete and defend a research thesis before a faculty committee (see Thesis Guidelines)

6.� Present at Honors Day

Students can apply to do an Honors thesis by completing the relevant sections of the Research Approval Form. Students must register either for an Honors course sequence in Genetics (01:447: 408 and 409) or for a course sequence in a college Honors Program (See Handbook) . These decisions should be discussed with an advisor and approved by the Department Vice Chair. Accepted students are expected to complete at least 12 credits in an independent research project, resulting in a thesis. Students may do research with Rutgers faculty outside of the Department with the approval of their advisor and the Vice Chair. Students will prepare a thesis and present an oral defense to a committee of three faculty. At least one member of the committee must come from the Department of Genetics. Students will present their research at a Departmental Symposium in April. Students contemplating an Honors thesis should refer to the much more detailed instructions and details in Section IX and Section X of the Student Handbook. For information on the thesis, see Thesis Guidelines.

The Honors Committee takes into consideration multiple factors in aggregate, including but not limited to (1) cumulative GPA, (2) thesis defense committee recommendation, (3) research mentor evaluation, (4) faculty evaluation of presentation at Honors Day, and (5) whether or not the student took the honors versions of Genetic Analysis 1 and/or 2 (i.e., 01:447:384:H1 and/or 01:447:385:H1) and the grades received in those courses. The awards committee may award Honors, High Honors, or Highest Honors.

2.� Genetics Honors - Certificate Program

a.� GPA requirement:� A student must have attained, by April 1st of senior year, a cumulative GPA >= 3.4 and Genetics major GPA >= 3.4 (including prerequisites).

b.� Complete a departmental certification program (i.e.; CompGen or Genetic Counseling).

*� The honors committee may award Honors, High Honors or Highest Honors