BACHELOR OF
PHILOSOPHY
Introduction
The availability of a special degree distinguishes an
honors college from an honors program.
At the
Designed by faculty from throughout the University and
designated the Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil) by the
University Board of Trustees, this
This packet contains a description of the requirements for
the Bachelor of Philosophy degree.
Please read carefully both the requirements and the statement on
admission to candidacy. If you have any
questions, or if you find that your situation is different from that
anticipated in these materials, please feel free to seek assistance from UHC
staff.
Additionally, you will find attached “A Guide for Thesis
Advisors.” Prior to beginning your
thesis project, you should give this to the faculty member with whom you will
be working.
G. Alec
Stewart
Dean,
January
2006
General Degree
Requirements
Each BPhil candidate must:
All UHC Programs of Study must be approved by the UHC
Advisory Board. An approved Program of
Study will demonstrate that the student has exceeded the requirements for a
standard undergraduate departmental degree.
In some cases existing curricular options my fulfill the Program of
Study requirements, or in other cases an approved Program of Study may be
highly individualized. In general, it is
expected that a student’s curriculum will reflect the breadth or depth. Curricula that are built around an intellectual
theme, i.e., those that reflect focus, are also acceptable.
It is incumbent upon each candidate to demonstrate the
scholarly merits of the proposed curriculum as it relates to his or her own
work.
Special Degree
Requirements
The special degree requirement is met through a Degree by
Thesis. There will be an individualized
examination conducted by a UHC-appointed Examining Committee no later than
during the candidate’s last term of residence.
One member of the Examining Committee must be from outside the
A
candidate must:
Select a
thesis advisor from the faculty in his or her major department of study
The Examining Committee will submit to the UHC Dean their
recommendation that the Bachelor of Philosophy be awarded or that it be
withheld. The Dean will review the
candidate’s completion of both the General and the Special Degree Requirements
and give a final recommendation the UHC Advisory Board. Departmental or School Latin Honors will be
awarded under the rules governing the home school degree.
Admission to Degree
Candidacy
Students who wish to pursue the
Ordinarily, students admitted to degree candidacy should
have at least a B+ average (3.25 GPA) and have taken
Students should be advised that completing the
requirements for the UHC degree generally takes about two years. As a result, students are encouraged to begin
planning and consultation with the UHC as early as possible.
In order to be admitted to degree candidacy the student
must demonstrate intellectual promise, defined in the context as the student’s
potential for the fulfillment of curricular requirements (the Program of Study
component of the General Degree Requirements) and the completion of independent
scholarship (the Thesis Prospectus component of the Special Degree
Requirements).
Prospective candidates will develop a formal Program of
Study for final approval by the UHC Advisory Board. This is the most important component of the
application for candidacy. The student
must provide for his or her proposed curriculum a rationale that addresses the
ways in which the Program of Study will exhibit breadth, depth, and/or
intellectual focus. This statement
should include, but not be limited to, a discussion of the student’s intended
major(s). The student’s curriculum as a whole will be considered.
Application
for candidacy must include:
Upon
approval of the above documents by the UHC Advisory Board, admission to degree
candidacy will be granted.
Guide to Thesis
Advisors
This document is meant to provide guidelines for faculty
who have been asked to serve as thesis advisors for candidates for the Bachelor
of Philosophy degree. This degree is
conferred jointly by the
The thesis advisor’s responsibilities vary during the
period of the student’s work. The UHC
divides the progress of a thesis into the following three rough stages: the
development of the project; the research and writing of the thesis; and the
presentation and examination of the completed thesis.
Development
of the Project
At this stage the thesis advisor should work closely with
the student in developing a research topic and a plan for investigating
it. Since the thesis will in many cases
be the first substantial piece of independent scholarship the student has
produced, the thesis advisor may need to provide the student with general
assistance in research methods and strategies; in particular, the advisor
should help the student to frame a question of reasonable scope. The advisor will moreover be invaluable in
assuring that the work the student seeks to undertake is truly independent in
its field.
The advisor and student should develop a reasonable
chronology, setting a number of short- and long-term deadlines for the
completion of various stages of the project.
This is an especially important role for the advisor since novice
researchers may lack reliable intuitions as to the length of time that any
particular part of the project is likely to require.
The advisor should take time to review the courses the
student has yet completed and to recommend other courses (within or outside the
advisor’s department) which could profit the student as he or she is at work on
the thesis. The advisor should also
recommend other faculty with whom the student might consult as the details of
the project become clearer.
Research
and Writing of the Thesis
First and foremost, the advisor should be available to
meet regularly with the student to evaluate the progress of his or her
research, to discuss the problems that inevitably arise, and to provide
whatever encouragement, chastisement, or direction proves necessary. These meetings should naturally evolve into
regular meetings to review the student’s progress in writing the thesis. At this stage too the advisor may suggest
that the student pursue additional formal coursework in areas where further
thought or expertise would be helpful.
It is the advisor’s responsibility to approve the
student’s thesis as complete prior to review by the Examining Committee.
Presentation
and Examination of the Completed Thesis
Once the student has nearly completed the thesis, the
student and the advisor should begin to choose and Examining Committee. The thesis advisor has final authority over
the composition of the Examining Committee.
The Examining Committee will consist of four faculty
with relevant expertise: the thesis
advisor, two
The UHC provides for the travel expenses and lodging of
the outside examiner and provides an honorarium. The outside examiner, as a distinguished
visitor to the University, should be available to present a lecture to the
appropriate department. The thesis advisor
and the student should therefore choose an outside examiner carefully, keeping
in mind that he or she will be expected to provide not only an expert judgment
of the student’s work but also a service to the intellectual community of the
University. The final selection of the
outside examiner and the overall disposition of his or her time on campus is
the prerogative of the thesis advisor.
The format for the presentation and examination is similar
to that of a masters or doctoral thesis.
The student presents an overview of his or her work in a speech open to the
public in addition to the Examining Committee.
Following a brief period during which the public may ask questions, the
committee examine the candidate privately.
The chairperson of the committee is responsible for dismissing the
public and for converging and ending the examination. The chairperson also has charge of the
examination forms and must secure the signatures of the committee.
Application for
Admission to Degree Candidacy
The BPhil application is available online in three formats:
Completed
BPhil applications should be submitted to:
David A. Hornyak
UHC
Director of Advising
3600
Cathedral of Learning
If you have any questions regarding the completion of the
application, please contact David Hornyak by e-mail
(hornyak@pitt.edu) or by phone (412-624-6884).