Thesis format
The College of Nursing requires a written thesis. The completed thesis is typically 20-40 pages long. It is structured much like a typical research article with Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion sections. Alternate forms of the thesis, e.g., an article-based thesis or policy-based work may be considered and negotiated with agreement by the student, thesis mentor, and DHL.
Who is eligible to be a faculty thesis mentor?
Tenure-line faculty and career-line faculty with an active area of scholarship are are eligible to serve as a faculty thesis mentor. Typically the DHL facilitates introductions between students and potential thesis mentors. All faculty serving as first time thesis mentors will receiving mentorship from the DHLs. DHLs are also available to provide mentorship to ongoing thesis mentors as needed. Occasionally, the thesis mentor may be a faculty member from another department. In this case, approval will be granted by the DHL prior to the development of the thesis proposal. Should the thesis mentor leave the University of Utah prior to completion of the thesis, the DHL will facilitate identification of another mentor to oversee completion of the thesis.
Are collaborative theses permitted?
A collaborative thesis is one where an Honors student works with one or more collaborators on the thesis.
To date, we have not received a proposal for a collaborative thesis. If one is submitted in the future, we would assess the proposal carefully to ensure each Honors student's involvement and contribution. We would also require the students and faculty thesis mentor(s) to complete an author contribution and reflection statement at the beginning of the thesis and then ask for confirmation that each person's roles were completed as written. In the event that roles evolved over time, we would ask for a revised author contribution and reflection statement from the various parties to ensure each Honors student contributed to the final product.
Are joint theses permitted?
A joint thesis is a single thesis that satisfies the requirements of multiple majors.
If a student wishes to complete a joint thesis in more than one major, the College of Nursing DHL would facilitate a meeting with the student, the DHL from the other department, and the proposed thesis mentor(s) prior to the proposal development. Collectively, we would ensure that the focus of the thesis aligns with the larger focus of each major. We would also agree on the designated thesis mentor and the proposed format for the thesis. Any significant changes from the proposal would require review from the DHLs in each department. The final product would be a single thesis with all relevant signatures from each department on the cover page.
How does the Honors Thesis relate to other aspects of the major (e.g., a Capstone Project)? What departmental coursework supports the thesis?
Honors nursing students register for NURS 4999. This is the course through which the student receives credit for the work of completing the thesis. This course may be taken at any time after the thesis proposal is completed and submitted to the Honors College. The thesis does not have to be completed during the semester that the student is registered for NURS 4999. Most of the time the student will receive an “in progress” grade. A final grade is assigned when the thesis is complete and all requirements for the Honors degree have been met (thesis submitted to the Honors College, presentation at the Undergraduate Research Symposium, and publication in the Undergraduate Research Journal).
Additional information for students
We require all nursing students whose thesis involves data collected as part of human subjects research to complete CITI training and be added to the mentor's IRB application. This training supports Honors students in completing research in compliance with all relevant ethical considerations.
We suggest that Honors pre-nursing students meet with Honors DHLs in the College of Nursing during their freshman year to become acquainted. The DHLs support students in identifying a thesis mentor (typically during the sophomore year). Ideally, students develop their thesis proposal by the end of their sophomore year. After approval of the proposal by the thesis mentor and DHL, the student begins work on the thesis.