Honors Thesis

All students wishing to graduate with University Honors from the Honors College must complete a minimum three-hour Honors College Thesis. These intense, individually designed and directed experiences demand a great deal of both the student and their thesis committee, but the rewards are just as great. As a smaller version of a master's thesis, this experience provides students an opportunity to learn with their thesis mentor as they immerse themselves in the field they are researching, providing an immediate and intimate engagement with the material they are studying.

Steps

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Click here for steps to completing an Honors Thesis.

Examples

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Click here to find examples of completed Honors Theses.

Forms

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Click here to find forms for completing an Honors Thesis.

Submit

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Click here to submit your thesis.

Types of Theses

Theses will vary depending on the discipline. In general, an honors thesis will take the form of a longer research paper or a more developed creative project. The scope and length of the work will fall somewhere between a typical capstone project and a master's thesis. Creative projects must include a written component of at least 10 pages describing the process and project in addition to a copy of the project itself (such as a recording, film, or set of images).

Honors College Thesis vs. Departmental Honors Thesis

It is possible to use the same thesis to satisfy both the Honors College and departmental honors graduation requirements, if students are pursuing both programs. The thesis must meet all University Honors thesis guidelines as well as the respective department’s requirements. Where conflicts appear, the student must check with both the department and Honors College for the acceptable format.