Departmental Thesis Requirements
The Physics & Astronomy (P&A) Department permits two related thesis formats: 1) a traditional long-format thesis with multiple chapters and sections, or 2) a modified long-format thesis where one or more chapters can be replaced by published journal articles or other peer-reviewed documents such as book chapters, conference abstracts/proceedings, or popular press articles that have been (co-)authored by the student. In either case, the thesis should contain an introductory chapter that summarizes the work at a level that can be understood by another college student studying science, but not necessarily within P&A. All other components/chapters of the thesis should be determined through agreement between the student and their thesis mentor(s), and should be described in the thesis proposal.
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 tenure-line and career-line faculty in the P&A Department are eligible to serve as thesis mentors. No faculty members are obligated to serve, and it is the student’s responsibility to find thesis mentors. If a student wants a mentor from a different department, approval from the Departmental Honors Liaison (DHL) is required and a secondary mentor in P&A must be found. The DHL will help connect potential mentors to students, and will advocate on their behalf. If a mentor departs the U or otherwise becomes unavailable before the thesis is complete, the DHL will assist the student in finding a new mentor who can support the student as they complete their thesis.
Do collaborators submit individual theses, or a single co-authored thesis?
Collaboration is often crucial for scientific research, and students are encouraged to work on projects together with others. If two or more honors students work on a single honors project, they must each submit their own thesis with their own introductory chapter (described above), so that their work can be individually archived. In addition, each student in a collaborative project must include a statement at the beginning of their thesis that details their own contribution to the project and reflects on their own experience within the collaboration.
How will collaborator contributions be assessed and documented?
These contribution statements must be explicitly approved by the thesis mentor(s) as part of the approval process for the thesis as a whole - one way to do this is to include a signature line for the mentor at the end of the contribution statement.
Joint Thesis
Interdisciplinary research is highly valued by the Physics & Astronomy Department, and students are permitted to pursue interdisciplinary projects for their honors theses. When such projects involve mentors from multiple departments, a joint thesis project may be a good option. In this case, the introductory chapter (see above) should describe how the project spans and/or connects the different disciplines involved. Before submitting a thesis proposal, the student should arrange for a meeting between the mentors and DHLs of the relevant departments where any additional requirements should be specified and documented; these should be included in the thesis proposal.
How does the Honors Thesis relate to other aspects of the major, like a Capstone Project?
The Department of Physics and Astronomy does not have a capstone or senior project requirement. However, honors students must enroll in PHYS 4999 during one of the semesters they are completing their thesis - this can be but doesn’t have to be during their final semester. A section of PHYS 4999 will be created with the research mentor listed as the instructor.
Departmental coursework supporting Thesis
PHYS 4999 can also satisfy an upper-division practical elective requirement for honors students if desired.
Additional information for students
Getting started early on your thesis project is essential. Honors students should meet with their departmental honors liaison (DHL) at least 12 months before their intended graduation date (preferably at least 18 months) to discuss their science interests and career goals, even if those a still a bit fuzzy. The DHL can support students as they develop their ideas for projects, recommend potential mentors, and advocate on their behalf as they search for a mentor and as they complete their thesis work. Honors thesis mentors are expected to meet regularly with their mentees to provide guidance and support while students carry out thesis projects, and if appropriate, to help students find financial support for their work. Should the project lead to opportunities for publication and/or public presentations, mentors are expected to educate their students about authorship issues and the peer-review process, and to help students prepare their scientific publications/presentations.