Research - The Honors Thesis
 

"These lessons that I have learned are a whole lot deeper and more meaningful to life than I ever thought I would gain from working on a research paper.  But I have found that this thesis is much more than a research paper, because when you put your effort and heart into a project combined with others, it takes on so much more significance."
~ Laura Tillistrand, Class of 2007 

Hear what other graduates said about their Honors thesis.

What is an Honors Thesis?

The honors thesis provides honors students the unique opportunity to engage in a high quality study of a carefully defined question or problem over the course of 1.5 to 2 years. Based in research, this problem may be critical, experimental, applied, or creative in nature, and should represent an effort to make an original contribution to the field. In an honors thesis, students work with a faculty mentor to explore a topic in their major area of study. In all cases, the honors thesis is a substantial project that goes beyond normal requirements of the major and represents the student's best work in their discipline. Each thesis will demonstrate clear critical thinking, a mastery of disciplinary material, clarity in communication of complex ideas, and professionalism in production.

Students work with both the Honors Program and their major department as they prepare for the project. The Honors Program holds a mandatory meeting for second-year students to make sure they understand what is expected and can plan accordingly. During the third year, the thesis workshop prepares students to write a successful thesis proposal that is approved by the Honors Advisory Committee.  In the senior year, Honors Fellows present their work-in-progress, and in the spring they defend the thesis before a committee comprised of the faculty mentor and other faculty representatives.

Overall requirements are set by the Honors Program, but individual departments provide guidance for what a thesis should be like and how it counts toward major requirements. Documents describing their expectations as well as those describing the thesis guidelines, requirements, and timeline are available on the website.

Important Meeting Dates for Fall 2009
• Mentor Workshop 1 – Wednesday, August 26 (Planning Week)
• Student Workshop 1 (Overview of Thesis & Finding a Mentor) – Friday, Sept 4 at 3:00
• Student Workshop 2 (Writing a good proposal) – Friday, September 11 at 3:00
• 4th year Student Presentation of Progress – Friday, October 23 at 3:00 (Mentors of 4th year Fellows need to attend)

Due Dates for Fall 2009

• Semester Contracts due for all students enrolled in HNR 498 - Monday, September 14
• Thesis Proposals due (for 3rd-year Fellows enrolled in 498 hours) -
Monday, October 26 at 9:00 a.m. (Lindner 200H)
• End of semester reports: Student reports due Wed, December 9
Faculty reports due December 17

Other research, funding, and presentation opportunities