THE WHAT AND WHY
The culmination of the Honors Bachelors degree, the Honors Thesis is a significant undergraduate research project completed under the supervision of a faculty member approved by the Departmental Honors Liaison in the student’s major.
The culmination of the Honors Bachelors degree, the Honors Thesis is a significant undergraduate research project completed under the supervision of a faculty member approved by the Departmental Honors Liaison in the student’s major. Its purpose is to advance knowledge and understanding within the context of a research university and to further develop the student’s intellectual, professional and personal growth as a member of the Honors College. Thesis projects may take different forms in different majors – e.g. laboratory experiments, historical research or artistic creations, to name a few – but always demonstrate research expertise in the major field, a command of relevant scholarship and an effort to contribute to that scholarship.
Whether you’re committed to working in your major field, or keeping your options open, completing an Honors Thesis gives you the experience to help you get where you want to go.
Gain real research experience in your field and learn how to communicate it.
Tackle and own a project that you’re passionate about.
Stretch yourself intellectually through close work with a faculty expert.
And the practical value of an Honors Thesis? Unlimited. An Honors Thesis helps you to:
Get accepted to grad school, medical school, law school Competitive programs greatly value research experience and the motivation, maturity, and depth of study required to complete a thesis.
Find a job. Employers, in your field or outside it, seek candidates with the commitment and practical skills required to complete an independent project.
Figure out your path. Do you even like research in your major? Or are you ready to try something else?
Each department defines the appropriate topics, parameters and standards of Honors thesis research. Faculty outside of the major may supervise thesis projects with the approval of the Departmental Honors Liaison in the student’s major. Topics might be developed out of faculty research, coursework, class projects, UROP projects, community engaged research or even internships. The required Thesis Proposal Form must be signed by both the Thesis Faculty Mentor and the Departmental Honors Liaison within the student’s major. Take a look at our general Thesis Guidelines.
There is no uniform required length for Honors theses, which vary widely across different fields and topics. However, a range of 30-40 pages is common. Departmental Honors Liaison in each major and the Faculty Supervisor will set specific expectations. See examples of theses from your major here.
DEVELOPING A THESIS
It’s never too early to start thinking about potential thesis topics. Below are some ideas for getting started!
Think About Potential Thesis Topics
While taking upper-level classes in your major, start thinking about what topics you like that are being discussed. What interests you? What sounds like a good project? Is there a paper, group project, or internship you have completed and would like to continue or develop further? If you are in the sciences and are working in a research lab, is there a project you could start working on that might culminate in your thesis? Talk to your professors! Based on your classes and other academic or research experiences, think about narrowing down to a more specific topic. See examples of theses in your major.
Second and third years typically see students refining their interests in their major, and starting to hone in on a research topic. Continue taking classes in your major, and paying attention to things like: topics that interest you; faculty whose research is interesting, and with whom you connect; questions you have that don't seem like they have good answers. These are all important data in developing your project! Make sure that you are a part of the Thesis Mentoring Community, and that you are consulting those modules and attending events that are of interest to you. And connect with other students in your major - though everyone types their own thesis, we never think in a vacuum and having a community of peers makes the process so much more fun. Also, be in touch with your Departmental Honors Liaison. You can determine who that is from the link below.
For many of you, this could be your first time working on a big research project. You might be excited, but you also might be nervous and feel unprepared. All of those things are normal! The Thesis Mentorship Community (TMC) is here to help with that. This community has a living-learning community (LLC) component but also is open to all students in the Honors College via the Canvas Course for the community. The TMC is open to students in their second year and beyond, and will help guide (mentor) you through the thesis process from preliminary planning, to research, and on to the writing of the thesis. Information on the Canvas course as well as programming organized through the Canvas course connects students to other honors students in their field of study as well as faculty in their home department and resources throughout the larger university that will assist in the thesis research and writing process.
Meet with your Departmental Honors Liaison to discuss potential topics and faculty members to serve as your Thesis Faculty Mentor. (If you are working in a research lab, usually the professor over the lab can be your thesis mentor.)
Meet with Thesis Faculty Mentor and Solidify Topic:
Meet with your Faculty Mentor and confirm the topic and scope of your thesis. Work together on creating a timeline for your thesis work, and establish how you will go through the revision and completion process. After you have finalized your thesis topic, submit a signed Honors Thesis Proposal form to the Honors College.
THESIS COMPLETION TIMELINE
You have your thesis topic and mentor, now the real work begins. Here are the steps you need to take to complete your Honors thesis.
*Note: Dates are for a Spring graduate, modify accordingly if you are graduating in a different semester
WRITE YOUR THESIS
Typically during your Third and/or Fourth Year
Turn in the Completed Thesis Proposal Form via the link in the pertinent announcement for your semester and year of graduation in the TMC. The soft turn-in date for this form is the third week of your semester before graduation (so fall for spring graduation, etc) to ensure you are on track.
If you are not yet a member of the TMC, you can join the Honors Thesis Mentorship Community Canvas page (where you will need to log in using your CIS credentials). At that point, please click 'Enroll in Course'"
Be sure to meet with your Faculty Mentor to agree on a schedule for reviewing your progress, submitting drafts, making final revisions, etc. Theses with approval signatures are due to the Honors College one week before grades are due to the Registrar's Office, the semester you plan to graduate.
Please use the Thesis Formatting Template for your final thesis.
Sign up for **** 4999 (Honors Thesis Course in your major)
4999 is a 3 credit hour class in your major, which indicates you are working independently with your supervisor on your thesis. Talk to your Departmental Honors Liaison or major academic advisor to receive a permission code.
Also make sure your major advisor has declared you for an Honors Bachelors Degree in your major (HBA, HBS, HBFA etc.)
PRESENT YOUR WORK
Honors students must present their thesis work at the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium at the U, at NCUR, or at discipline related research conferences
PUBLISH YOUR WORK
You can also publish in the U’s Undergraduate Research Journal. Submissions are accepted year-round for online publication each summer
Click here to submit – students must submit on their own behalf
FINAL SUBMISSION OF YOUR THESIS
Your final Honors Thesis will require electronic signatures from your Thesis Faculty Mentor, Departmental Honors Liaison, and Department Chair before you submit it to the Honors College. Approval signatures are due to the Honors College one week before grades are due to the Registrar's Office , the semester you plan to graduate. Please give yourself and Faculty Mentor at least three weeks to make final revisions and collect your three signatures.
Please use the Thesis Formatting Template for your final thesis.
Submit an electronic copy of your final Honors thesis with e-signature approvals from your Thesis Faculty Mentor, Departmental Honors Liaison, and the Department Chair. The Honors College will provide you with the upload link during your final semester.
Turn in a signed USpace Permission Form when you submit your thesis. USpace is the J. Willard Marriot Library’s institutional repository and provides permanent electronic storage for your work to be publicly available. If you have questions or concerns about making your thesis available through USpace, please contact the main Honors Office.
APPLY FOR GRADUATION
Spring Graduates (January 17th), Fall Graduates (September 4th), Summer Graduates (May 20th)
Information on this process can be found through the Office of the Registrar
APPLY FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SCHOLARS DESIGNATION (URSD)
Students who complete two semesters of research with a faculty mentor and present and publish their work (for example in the Undergraduate Research Symposium & Abstracts Journal) are eligible for this special transcript designation. Deadlines found here.