Honors Thesis Project
The Honors thesis is the culmination of an Honors bachelor's degree. An Honors student will conduct a significant scholarly or creative project under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Thesis projects can take on different forms depending on the major: they can consist of laboratory experiments, surveys and/or focus groups, historical analyses, artistic creations, performances, and so on. The departments determine the form and characteristics of a successful thesis.
Departmental Thesis Descriptions
The Honors thesis involves scholarship or creative work in the student’s major. For this reason, each department determines what constitutes original research or creative pursuit, the appropriate thesis format, and an appropriate timeline for the thesis work. See the individual departmental thesis descriptions below for more details on what is expected for your major.
Why do a Thesis?
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.
Practical Value of an Honors Thesis? Unlimited.
An Honors Thesis helps you to:Deadlines
There are a few thesis-related deadlines from the Honors College, but the majority of deadlines will come from the academic department and need to be coordinated with both the Departmental Honors Liaison and the Faculty Thesis Mentor. It is recommended to set up intermediate deadlines as they need to have approved everything before submitting a thesis into Honors.
1. Connect with a DHL (recommended for all Honors students every year)
The Honors College and academic departments across campus have provided a Departmental Honors Liaison (DHL) for students. Liaisons can help explore ideas for a thesis, connect with other faculty in the department to supervise thesis work and, in some cases, develop a plan to complete Honors track requirements.
Departmental Honors tracks have specific course requirements that must be completed to earn an Honors degree. Students need to meet with the Departmental Honors Liaison in their department to be admitted to the honors track and fulfill track requirements.
2. Explore Potential Topics (1st through 3rd year; rarely 4th year)
The process of identifying and refining a thesis topic may seem intimidating. A good place to start is recognizing one’s interests. By declaring a major, honors students have already identified a broad area of interest. To narrow it down further, reflect on and pay attention to coursework that is interesting and makes a student want to learn more. As you progress through a major, a student may also encounter research papers or creative works that spark further interest. Focusing on these papers or works and reading into the research/creation process can be a great way to inspire future questions.
For creative projects, identifying themes, motivations, or styles in your current or previous semester’s work can inform a future portfolio, piece, or artist’s statement. It is possible that creative work you have already produced or are working on can contribute towards your thesis.
The same may be true of capstone work, but be sure to check a major’s thesis description for the best guidance on what is expected. Keep in mind that in some disciplines, laboratories, or with certain faculty, research may be guided by the funding or projects underway. This is where it can be useful to spend time learning about the faculty and work being done within your department or reflecting on past professors. It can be greatly beneficial to learn about the specific laboratories/research focuses within a department beforehand as joining such groups/projects may guide or directly translate into a thesis.
3. Find a Faculty Mentor (2nd through 3rd year; rarely 4th year)
Academic majors determine who is eligible to serve as a faculty mentor. This information can be found on a major’s thesis description. Broadly speaking, a faculty mentor can be a former professor from a class, the primary investigator of a research lab, or someone whose research has inspired or piqued a student’s intellectual curiosity. They might be someone a student meets after a lecture on campus. Try to get to know faculty working in your area of interest, attend lectures and presentations put on by an academic unit, join a laboratory (if appropriate), and seek out research opportunities where possible. Finally, the Department Honors Liaison can serve as an invaluable resource in finding a faculty mentor.
4. Create Thesis Proposal (generally by end of 3rd year; rarely 4th year)
Students are encouraged to submit the thesis proposal by the end of the third year. However, some departments may have timelines/deadlines that differ from this. It is important to both read the thesis description for the major and to meet with the Department Honors Liaison. While there can be some flexibility with respect to submission, the Thesis Proposal must be submitted to the Honors College by the following deadlines:
• For Spring graduation, September 15 of the previous year
• For Summer graduation, February 15 of the same year
• For Fall graduation, May 15 of the same year
5. Thesis Submission
A thesis is “approved” when it has been read and the title page signed by the cognizant Faculty Thesis Mentor, Departmental Honors Liaison, the Department Chair. The Dean of the Honors College signs the thesis after it has been submitted. The approved thesis must be submitted to the Honors College by the following deadlines:
• For Spring or Fall graduation, Reading Day
• For Summer graduation, the last day of classes
Please use the following links for Thesis Submission:
Learning Communities
Learning communities play a role in helping students understand the honors thesis process. In a student’s first year, they are introduced to what is an honors thesis and potential resources available to them. In the second year, a thesis checklist is developed in consultation with the Department Honors Liaison to determine an appropriate timeline for completing a thesis. The third and fourth year learning communities support submitting a thesis proposal and ultimately the completion of an honors thesis.
