The culmination of the Honors bachelor’s degree at the University of Utah is the Honors Thesis, a significant scholarly or creative project, that students undertake under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Such projects can take on many different forms: laboratory experiments, surveys and/or focus groups, historical analyses, artistic creations, etc.
The form and characteristics of a successful thesis are decided by each department. Each department also appoints a Departmental Honors Liaison (DHL), an individual who acts as the primary liaison between the student’s major and the Honors College. DHLs can help provide thesis expectations, connect students with potential mentors, and clarify timelines. The primary supervision of the thesis, however, is from Faculty Thesis Mentors. The role of the Faculty Thesis Mentor is to supervise Honors students through the research process and thesis completion. Responsibilities include:
- Work with Honors students to outline roles and expectations
- Offer guidance on defining a research question and the research
process - Provide valuable feedback and edits on the thesis
- Encourage and mentor meaningful undergraduate student
scholarship
Honors students are required to complete four years of learning communities. Years 3 and 4 are focused on completion and submission of the thesis proposal/registration and the thesis, respectively. Click here to learn more about your mentee's learning community experience.
Follow these links for more information about Honors Theses:
- General Information about the Honors Thesis
- Look up Major-Specific Thesis Requirements
- Thesis Proposal/Registration
- Learn more about the DHL role
The Honors College is eager to support faculty mentors and facilitate successful mentorship. Please reach out to us at thesis@honors.utah.edu.