The Macaulay Honors bachelors degree requirements are structured differently from other Queens College majors. These are the components of the degree (click a link to jump down):
- Complete all Queens College Degree Requirements
- The Four Macaulay Seminars
- Twelve Additional Honors Credits
- Queens College Honors Minors
- Community Service
- Experiential Education
- Study Abroad
- Internship and Research
- Honors Thesis or Capstone
- Declaring Your Thesis
- Thesis and Capstone Course Options
1. Complete all Queens College Degree Requirements
Macaulay students are required to complete all the same degree requirements as other QC students, including Pathways (also known as General Education), at least one Major, and any additional credits needed to reach a total of 120, such as electives or minors.
See a breakdown of your degree requirements from QC Advising.
2. The Four Macaulay Seminars
Macaulay’s New York City Seminars must be taken during your first four full semesters, during the first two years.
| 1 – FIRST YEAR FALL
HNRS 125: The Arts in NYC (3cr) |
2 – FIRST YEAR SPRING HNRS 126W: The Peopling of NYC (3cr) |
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3 – SOPHOMORE YEAR FALL HNRS 225: Science & Tech in NYC (3cr) |
4 – SOPHOMORE YEAR SPRING HNRS 226: Shaping the Future of NYC (3cr) |
- The Seminars are mandatory courses for Macaulay students. They need to be taken in this order, during these terms.
- They are offered at Queens College, and additional cross-campus sections of Seminars 2, 3, and 4 are offered at the Macaulay campus.
- Failing a Macaulay Seminar will result in dismissal from the program, so be sure to get help from your advisor early if you’re struggling in any of these classes.
3. Twelve Additional Honors Credits
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SPRING 2025 UPDATE See the New Honors Courses page for how to register this spring >> |
In addition to the Honors Seminars, Macaulay students must take 12 additional credits of honors classes, at some point before graduation, and typically after your first year. There are many kinds of courses that meet this requirement:
- Any courses at QC with an “H” designation. Example: CMLIT 101H
- HNRS courses, numbered 300 or above. Example: HNRS 335
- Upper Level MHC courses at the Macaulay Campus
- Macaulay-based Study Abroad Programs (not currently offered)
- QC Honors Minor program – see below for more info
- Any course with the subject HTH
Note: If both HTH 101 and HTH 102 are taken pre-college, they equate to CMLIT 101H for 3 honors credits. - Any course with the subject HMNS
- Any course with the subject HSS
- Completion of the BALA Honors Minor
- Any course with the subject HTH
- Graduate level courses
- Usually numbered 500 or higher at QC
- May be taken with special permission from the academic department offering the class
- Senior Colloquium or Seminar courses offered by academic departments – usually numbered beginning with 391. Example: CSCI 3913
- HNRS 1010 – Honors First Year Seminar (1cr) (not currently offered)
- COOP 2011 – The World of Work (1cr) – Honors credits only apply to sections taken in Spring 2024 or earlier
See the full list of approved Honors courses from QC academic departments here.
Queens College Honors Minors
You can complete your 12 honors credits by completing one of four interdisciplinary, prestigious, and stimulating QC Honors Minors.
Honors in the Humanities (HTH)
Honors in Mathematics and Natural Sciences (HMNS)
Honors in the Social Sciences (HSS)
Business and Liberal Arts (BALA) – Courses from the BALA minor only count for Macaulay Honors if the entire minor is completed.
4. Community Service
Macaulay students must complete 30 hours of non-compensated service to our communities, 10 hours per academic year in the first 3 years.
Community Service Verification Process
- Find an activity that meets Macaulay requirements:
- Activities can be in person or virtual
- No compensation, whether financial, academic credit, nor meeting pre-professional requirements (no shadowing a physician as a pre-med student, etc.)
- No religious service, instruction, nor proselytizing – other community service via a faith-based organization is ok
- No political campaigning – though advocacy or community service sponsored by a political official is ok
If you are unsure if your service will fulfill the requirement, be sure to reach out to your advisor.
- Complete the Community Service Verification Form, either before or after your activity
- The form will send you an email. You can either:
- Forward this email to your activity supervisor, and ask them reply, confirming the activity details, OR…
- Print the email, and ask the activity supervisor to ink-sign the printout
- Send the confirmed email OR bring the signed printout to your advisor. Your advisor will confirm your activity and record the hours with Macaulay
Finding a Community Service Activity
Check the Community Service Resource List maintained by the Macaulay Scholars Council.
5. Experiential Education
Satisfy this requirement by completing either a study abroad, internship, or research activity. You can access funding for one of these activities via the Opportunities Fund.
Consult your advisor before pursuing one of these activities to make sure you’re on track.
Study Abroad
A credit-bearing study abroad program will satisfy this requirement, including Queens College and other CUNY programs. If you participate in in a non-CUNY study abroad, be sure to transfer the credits to QC.
Complete the Study Abroad Evaluation form to count your activity with Macaulay.
Internship and Research
An internship or research assistantship consisting of 100 hours or more will also satisfy the Experiential Education requirement. Contact Macaulay Career Development or the QC Center for Career Engagement and Internships for questions or help finding an activity.
Internship Learning Agreement
The Internship Learning Agreement (ILA) is a contract between you, the research or internship supervisor, and Macaulay. It primarily guarantees your experience will be substantive, educational, and meets professional guidelines. It’s also how Macaulay keeps track of your completion of the requirement.
Read the ILA Student Handbook for how to start an activity and complete the requirement. Remember to submit your ILA before the start of the internship.
Here’s an overview of how the requirement is completed:
- Once you have agreed to an internship or research assistantship, create a Handshake account (unless you already have one): https://mhc.joinhandshake.com/
- Follow the steps in the ILA Student Handbook (above) to create a new Internship Learning Agreement, entering all relevant details about the activity.
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TIP |
- Once your ILA is submitted, it will first be approved by Macaulay Career Development
- Then a prompt will be emailed to both your advisor and your activity supervisor for them to approve. You’ll be notified via email from Handshake when the approvals are complete.
- Take part in your activity!
- At the end of the time frame you’ve indicated in the ILA, you’ll be prompted once more to complete the Evaluation for your activity. When this is complete, Macaulay will record that you’ve met this requirement.
6. Honors Thesis or Capstone
The final honors requirement is to complete a large-scale project with a faculty mentor from your major, usually referred to as a thesis, sometimes capstone. There are a few ways to meet this requirement. For social science or humanities majors, it may be a long-form paper, usually 25-50 pages. STEM students often complete a research project and lab report. Arts students may complete a recital, theatrical performance, or gallery show.
Declaring your Thesis
If you’re reading this long before your junior or senior year, it’s not too early to begin thinking about your thesis. Here are a few things to keep in mind about the thesis from the start of your first year:
- One of your current professors may one day be your thesis mentor, working with you independently. Make a good impression by asking thoughtful questions, attending their office hours, or even volunteering to work with them on their research if it interests you.
- You can look for your professors’ research interests on their faculty bios by searching the QC website. Try networking with a professor whose interests aligns with yours.
- Consider your goals beyond you bachelors degree. If you want to attend a particular graduate program, what kind of work will they require? What kind of project may prepare you for a field of work?
In your junior year, you’ll be asked to declare your thesis. See the thesis declaration form below and submit it to your advisors signed (or e-signed) by both you and the professor:
| Thesis Declaration Form
Now accepting declarations from the Class of 2026 (Juniors) |
For the Class of 2025, thesis declarations are due Friday, April 19, 2024.
A completed thesis project, approved by your faculty mentor, must be submitted to your advisor. For arts and STEM students, this can be a written abstract or description of the larger project.
Completing your Thesis
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Class of 2025 The deadline for submitting your thesis to your advisor will be earlier than the end of your graduating term. |
| Thesis Submission Form
Now accepting submissions for the Class of 2024 (Seniors) |
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Class of 2025 Timeline Thesis declaration due: Friday, April 19, 2024 The deadline for submitting your thesis to your advisor will be earlier than the end of your graduating term. |
Thesis and Capstone Course Options
It’s important to work closely with your Macaulay Advisor while deciding on a project. The following are the ways you can go about it.
HNRS 350W
If there is no specific course for a thesis in your major, the Macaulay Honors office at QC can create an independent study course for you, HNRS 350W. It will be a single section of the course with just one student: you. On your thesis declaration form (above) indicate that you will be taking this class in either the fall or spring semester of your senior year, and you will be enrolled in the course with your professor by our office.
Courses from Honors Tracks
If you’re enrolled in the HSS, HTH, or HMNS honors track, you’ll complete a thesis in one of the following courses as part of your program. Note: no thesis course exists for Business and Liberal Arts – BALA.
Honors in the Social Sciences
HSS 390
Honors in Math and Natural Sciences
HMNS 398
Honors in the Humanities
HTH 350
MHC 400 and 401 – Macaulay Springboard
Springboard is a two-semester class offered at via ePermit at the Macaulay campus in Manhattan. You will develop your thesis alongside peers from across every Macaulay campus, with the mentoring of Macaulay faulty.
Springboard is highly recommended for students with a humanities, social science, or interdisciplinary focus.
More info on Macaulay Springboard
Thesis Courses from Academic Departments
Contact your major department advisor about enrolling in a thesis course in your major, and finding a thesis advisor. The following are already approved thesis courses
| Accounting ACCT 393W – Seminar in AccountingAnthropology ANTH 390 – Senior Honors ThesisArts ARTS 391 – Senior Project I ARTS 392 – Senior ProjectBiology BIO 395 – Honors in Research in Biology – BIO 3951 – Honors in Research in Biology – BIO 3952 – Honors in Research in Biology – BIO 3953 – Honors in Research in Biology BIO 396 – Honors in Research in Biology II – BIO 3961 – Honors in Research in Biology II – BIO 3962 – Honors in Research in Biology II – BIO 3963 – Honors in Research in BiologyByzantine and Modern Greek Studies GRKST 390 – TutorialsChemistry CHEM 391 – Research in Chemistry and Biochemistry – CHEM 3911 – Research in Chemistry and Biochemistry – CHEM 3912 – Research in Chemistry and Biochemistry CHEM 3913 – Research in Chemistry and BiochemistryComputer Science CSCI 393 – Honors Thesis As per the department chair, all Computer Science BA and BS majors must complete a project chosen by their mentor, holding an Assistant, Associate, or full Professor title in the CS Dept. Drama, Theatre, and Dance DANCE 395 – Independent Study in Dance – DANCE 3951 – Independent Study in Dance – DANCE 3952 – Independent Study in Dance – DANCE 3953 – Independent Study in Dance DRAM 3952 – Independent Study in Dance Economics and Business English |
History HIST 393 – Tutorial HIST 3931 – History Research HIST 3932 – TutorialJewish Studies JEWST 365 – Senior SeminarLabor Studies LABST 390 – TutorialLinguistics and Communication Disorders LCD 3921 – Tutorial LCD 3923 – TutorialMusic Senior Recital (0cr) MUSIC 452H – Major Study in Performance VIIPhilosophy PHIL 383W – Research PaperPhysics PHYS 395W – Senior Research I PHYS 396W – Senior Research IIPolitical Science PSCI 383W – Seminar in Comparative Politics Religious Studies Sociology Urban Studies Women and Gender Studies Courses Awaiting Approval for the Thesis Requirement (Contact your Advisor for Details): |
This list was last updated April 5, 2024.
Thesis Alternatives
In certain circumstances, and at the discretion of the Honors Program Director, a student may request to complete 2 upper division honors courses (6cr), in addition to the 12 credits already required, instead of a thesis. Consult your Macaulay advisor to learn more.
