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.
Why do an Honors 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:Thesis Steps & Deadlines
Departments and majors across campus have appointed Departmental Honors Liaisons (DHLs). DHLs can help students 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 requirements.
Some departments have identified specific course requirements that must be completed to earn an Honors degree. Students need to meet with the Departmental Honors Liaison in their department/major to ensure they are meeting all department/major-specific requirements. You can look up your DHL here.
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 you want to learn more. As you progress through your major, you 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.
Academic majors determine who is eligible to serve as a faculty thesis mentor. 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 Departmental Honors Liaison can serve as an invaluable resource in finding a faculty mentor.
Students are expected to identify a faculty thesis mentor and a thesis topic, and to have these approved by the mentor and the DHL by the end of the third year. Some departments have additional requirements for a thesis proposal, and students should follow department guidelines and timelines for this: read the thesis requirements for your major and meet with your Department Honors Liaison to learn more about department/major-specific expectations.
Congratulations! You have completed your Honors Thesis and are ready to submit.
Department/Major Thesis Requirements
Honors Thesis FAQs
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Some majors permit students with double majors to write a single Honors Thesis that satisfies the requirements of both majors--this is called a joint thesis. It will be important to speak with both DHLs to come up with a plan for a structure and sets of methods, etc. Look up your department/major thesis requirements to find out if joint theses are permitted in your majors.
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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 department/major-specific thesis requirements for more details on what is expected for your major.
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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.
