Nate Keller Studying


All Honors students must complete a thesis to fulfill the requirements for graduation with honors. This project is the culmination of students' disciplinary study. It will enable students to demonstrate their understanding of the tools (methods, theories and models) of a discipline and the ability to use these tools; ability to develop an informed, well-reasoned and creative response to a question or problem; and ability to effectively communicate the results of a project, both orally and in writing.


Successful completion of the project demonstrates that you are prepared to learn and work on your own. But students will have help — a faculty member will serve as committee chair and supervise the project from its inception to its completion. Students should ask someone who has knowledge and expertise in their area of interest to serve as chair. A good research project requires self-discipline because it lacks the structure of a standard course. To help assure students and their chair encounter as little confusion and misunderstanding as possible, they should agree on important procedural matters before work begins.


With that in mind, students need to draw up the specifics of the contract governing their work. When students have the contract completed and signed, they should bring a copy of it to Honors Program Director Victoria Williams, Ph.D. The contract must be returned by the third week of class.

Honors Program

Overview

Successful completion of the project demonstrates that you are prepared to learn and work on your own. But students will have help — a faculty member will serve as committee chair and supervise the project from its inception to its completion. Students should ask someone who has knowledge and expertise in their area of interest to serve as chair. A good research project requires self-discipline because it lacks the structure of a standard course. To help assure students and their chair encounter as little confusion and misunderstanding as possible, they should agree on important procedural matters before work begins.


With that in mind, students need to draw up the specifics of the contract governing their work. When students have the contract completed and signed, they should bring a copy of it to Honors Program Director Victoria Williams, Ph.D. The contract must be returned by the third week of class.
 

Standards for the Senior Thesis

Sufficient and appropriate research to produce a written thesis. The finished project should show the student’s familiarity with research methods and tools in his or her specific discipline.

  • The topic should be sufficiently complex to justify honors credit and sufficiently narrow to be covered adequately.
  • The student should demonstrate an understanding of the issues involved in the topic and of appropriate ways to investigate that topic. The thesis should also show that the student understands the appropriate way of writing a scholarly essay in the particular discipline in which he or she has chosen to work.
  • The results of the project should be presented in a way that is accessible/understandable to people outside the discipline in which the research takes place. If necessary, a glossary of technical terms or disciplinary jargon should be included.
  • The thesis should be long enough to adequately develop the topic and to justify six hours of honors credit. Twenty pages (not including appendices, glossary, tables, graphs, or bibliography) should be regarded as the minimum length.

 
Guidelines

The Title Page should include:

  • Title of Paper
  • Student's name
  • Undergraduate Honors Thesis
  • Month, Year
  • Name of Committee Chair


The Honors Thesis should answer a question posed by the student. It should present a well-reasoned argument for or against a particular position. It is expected that the student will do analysis and go beyond the mere summary of different points of view. The thesis should include:

  • A clearly stated thesis (question to be answered) as well as a discussion of the significance of the topic.
  • A literature review that places the contribution within the context of a broader literature content.
  • A discussion of methodology and research design. 
  • A presentation and analysis of relevant data and information.
  • A clear statement of the conclusions (the resolution of the problem or the answer to the question). 
  • A discussion of the implications of the findings.
     

Depending on the nature of the project and the discipline in which the research is being conducted, the thesis may not cover all of these elements. If one is excluded, it should be clearly stated in the contract.