Thesis/Creative Project Key Points
The Honors Project is a distinct and culminating component of the Honors College curriculum. It is expected to be challenging in substance, communication and thinking skills and to strengthen interactive intellectual relationships between students and faculty.
PREPARATION/CHOOSING TOPIC
Students are expected to engage in the process early by thinking about potential topics and directors during lower division classes and approaching professors to discuss possibilities no later than Spring of the junior year.
Students must take appropriate preparatory classes (such as a research methods class), some of which may need to be taken in the first two years.
Some departments have a thesis sequence in place to support the experience. Students are expected to seek out this information with help from Barrett and disciplinary honors advisors.
Students are encouraged to use experiences such as research, study abroad, and internships as springboards for topics.
Students are encouraged to meet with an honors advisor and Honors Disciplinary Advisors for guidance in choosing a topic and finding a director.
Creative projects are encouraged. However, all theses carry the Literacy credit. Therefore, all will have a written component, which will be discipline appropriate.
Students are encouraged to review a library of honors theses located in Barrett, The Honors College, Building Irish A, Conference Room 124.
Honors theses look very different depending on the discipline ie….length , format,creative projects, design projects…Students should consult with their thesis advisor to determine what is appropriate in a given discipline.
TIMELINE/COMMITTEE
The strongly recommended timeline is to begin the thesis research (XXX 492) in spring of the junior year and complete the thesis (XXX 493) in fall of senior year.
The thesis committee is made up of a director, second, and third reader.
The director should be a regularly appointed faculty member and is responsible for helping the student determine the style, scope, depth, breadth, length, and defense expectations. The director, ultimately, will assign the grade for the thesis.
The second reader is also suitably credentialed, though, often not as involved in the project.
The third reader typically becomes involved toward the end of the project. He/She reads the written portion and views any constructed portion before the defense, and then attends the defense, offering comment and reviewing the quality of the work.
Once the director is established, the student and director work together to find appropriate second and third readers.
REGISTRATION
Students must register for 492 and/or 493 through the department of the thesis director.
The prospectus is due to Barrett by the third week of the semester prior to the 493 semester and defense (September 14, 2007 for students defending in fall 2007 or spring 2008)