THE HONORS PROGRAM AT ALVERNIA COLLEGE

Excellence, Interaction, Enthusiasm

Skills and Competencies to be Demonstrated in the Honors Thesis

For each of the following skills and competencies, you should imagine a check sheet that will evaluate the thesis according to 4 categories: needs work, good, excellent, or not applicable. If not applicable, that should be indicated early on, at the Contract stage. Therefore, spend some time thinking about your project and whether there are criteria listed that might not apply to what you are interested in doing.

Disciplinary Mastery (30%)

• Uses terminology correctly
• Uses scholarly resources of the discipline
• Applies appropriate models, methods and philosophical arguments from the discipline

Information Gathering and Critial Thinking (40%)

A. Introduction and Research Design (10%)

• Thesis or research question is clearly stated
• Research is grounded in and guided by theory
• Introduction lays out the problem and explains why the question is interesting and/or important
• Research Design is explained and justified—methodology is appropriate for the topic

B. Literature Review (10%)

• Does a well-written, comprehensive, and cohesive summary of extant literature on the question
• Uses valid and reputable sources
• If applicable, reviews literature on both sides of an issue or question
• Critically evaluates the existing studies on the subject, pointing out strengths and weaknesses (bias, methods, fallacies in reasoning, etc.)
• Clearly identifies how the thesis relates to the literature on the issue

C. Date and Information Collection (10%)

• Gathers data needed to test hypotheses or answer research question
• Correctly analyzes and interprets data or information
• Gathers sufficient information to reach justifiable conclusions

D. Conclusion: Analysis and/or Judgment (10%)

• Objectively follows data, using reason and evidence to reach conclusions
• Synthesizes earlier literature review and data collection into a cohesive whole
• Supports conclusions with clear arguments
• Identifies and, if appropriate, refutes alternative conclusions or counter-arguments
• Considers broader ethical or social implications of the conclusion where appropriate

Communication (20%)

A. Written (10%)

• Free of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors
• Clearly presented, easy to read and understand
• Logically organized, arguments tied together
• Accessible to non-specialists

 B. Oral (formal presentation required at defense) (10%)

• Communicates clearly
• Well-organized presentation
• Appropriate use of visual aids
• Responds to questions authoritatively
• Explains technical issues to non-specialists
• Shows ability to relate thesis data or arguments to tangential issues

Effort (10%)

• Has gone through multiple revisions and student worked closely with advisor and/or Honors Director
• Has extensive bibliography including significant and notable related works
• Length is appropriate to topic and adequate to cover topic (minimum length is 20 pages of text)
• Defense demonstrates in-depth understanding of topic
• Thesis is a good example of a culminating scholarly work

For More Information, Contact:
Dr. Victoria Williams, Director of the Honors Program
Francis Hall 406
Office Phone (610) 796-5511
Victoria.williams@alvernia.edu

Updated: October 18, 2005

Your comments are welcome.