Departmental Thesis Requirements

The thesis should be a traditional thesis, unless another format is suggested by the student's faculty mentor. Theses on literary and cultural topics generally use MLA or Chicago format, while theses on linguistics topics usually use APA format. In some cases, another format may be best. Consult with your faculty mentor to determine the most appropriate format for your topic.

Each academic department submits the specific requirements that must be met for a successful Honors thesis in its respective major. If you are seeking more information on your department’s thesis requirements, please contact your Departmental Honors Liaison and/or the Honors Thesis Team in the Honors College.

Faculty Thesis Mentors

All career-line and tenure-line faculty in the department may be thesis mentors. If possible, students should choose a faculty mentor with whom they have completed at least one class. Students should write on a topic related to the field of expertise of their faculty mentor. Should the faculty mentor leave the University, the DHL will help the student to find a new faculty mentor.

Collaborative Theses

Collaborative theses are not permitted.

Joint Thesis

Students may write a joint thesis, provided that the topic and methodology are appropriate to their field of study with the Department of World Languages and Cultures. The topic and planning of the thesis must be approved by the DHLs of all the involved departments.

How does the Honors Thesis relate to other aspects of the major, like a Capstone Project?

Students should choose a topic that they have written on or considered in one of the classes they have taken in the department, or another topic developed in consultation with their faculty mentor. They should use the analytical skills and methodologies that they have learned in their specific major and in WLC 2010 and/or WLC 2020.

Additional information for students

Students should start early to work with the DHL to identify a mentor and to begin work on their proposal. The proposal usually includes an abstract. Students should plan on writing multiple drafts of their thesis, maintain communication with their mentor and DHL and should set a final deadline with their mentor well before the Honors deadline.

The thesis should demonstrate that the student can develop a solid argument based in careful analysis, and integrate and engage with primary and secondary sources on their topic. The thesis should demonstrate awareness of work in the field and make its own scholarly contribution.