Every Honors student has the opportunity to complete an Honors Senior Thesis as the capstone of their four years in the Program. Seniors present their theses every year at the Honors Student Conference, bringing together faculty members from across departments and disciplines. It’s a great opportunity for students who want to develop their research skills or students considering graduate school, but you may be wondering if it’s a good fit for you and what a thesis entails.
The Honors Thesis is a research project/paper that takes place over two quarters in a student’s senior year. The completion of an Honors Thesis will count for the Honors Capstone requirement. An interested student will identify a research question and propose either an essay or project to two faculty members: a thesis director and a faculty reader. Once the student determines a goal and an outline for research, that student will then develop the concept and complete it by Spring Quarter.
First Quarter (Thesis Preparation)
This quarter is when you will prepare your thesis, which means you will need to:
- Identify your topic and thesis type
- Locate a thesis director and faculty reader
- Establish a timeline and schedule for your thesis’ specific needs
- Begin preliminary research by locating and evaluating potential sources
- Create your Thesis Proposal
- Submit your Thesis Proposal
Second Quarter (Thesis Completion)
This is when you will complete your thesis, but before doing so you will need to:
- Meet regularly with your thesis director
- Research, Read, Draft, Write, and Create
- Submit a draft to your faculty reader for suggested revisions
- Revise based on feedback
- Submit your final thesis to your director, faculty reader, and the Honors Program
After completing and submitting your thesis, you will give a presentation among other thesis students at the Honors Student Conference.
Types of Theses
There are more options available for a thesis than just a traditional research essay. Students may also create:
- An artistic work, with a research supplement
- A science or math project
- A problem-solving project, with a research supplement
- A model, design, game, or computer program, with a research supplement
Theses for 2023-2024
If you are a current senior interested in pursuing an Honors Thesis, you have until October 23 to find a faculty reader and director and to submit your research proposal. Faculty advisors do not need to teach in the Honors Program to qualify. A submission by October 23 indicates that your thesis will be completed by the end of Winter Quarter.
For more information about this year’s deadlines and the specific requirements of a thesis, please consult our Honors Senior Thesis Handbook.
Leave a Reply