science honors thesis

The Biological Sciences major is offered in both the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Arts & Sciences . The major is administered by The Office of Undergraduate Biology.

Biological Sciences

Honors Program in Biological Sciences

What is honors.

Participants in the honors program conduct original, independent research in the biological sciences and write an honors thesis formatted as a scientific paper in the field of study. All students in the program are mentored by a Cornell faculty member on the Ithaca campus. After successful completion of the honors program students graduate with special distinction. Students in CALS are awarded “Distinction in Research” and Latin honors (e.g. Summa cum laude, etc.) are awarded based on GPA. Biological sciences majors in CAS must complete an honors thesis to be awarded Latin honors, and the level of Latin honors is determined by GPA of the students penultimate semester.

• Eligibility
• Program Structure
• Honors Timeline
• Thesis Format
• Levels of Honors
• Thesis mentor letter of support submission

Who Can Apply?

Students with an intended graduation date of December 2024 or May 2025 who are:

• Biological sciences majors
• CALS: Juniors whose research area is within the biological sciences (See this list of CALS honors programs )
• CAS: Junior Biological Sciences majors (Students must do honors within their major!)

Students must:

• Have an overall Cornell cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.0 at the time of application and maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout the honors program.
• Have completed at least 30 credits at Cornell or have junior standing (transfer students).
• Conduct biological sciences research under the mentorship of a Cornell faculty member on the Ithaca campus.

Honors candidates usually enroll for credit in BIOG 4990 under the direction of the faculty member acting as an honors supervisor, although it is not a requirement of the Honors Program. Students choosing to earn credit for honors research must register in BIOG 4990 using the enrollment process for that course (separate from the Honors Program application process). Students with questions about BIOG 4990 can email bioresearch [at] cornell.edu .

If you have any concerns about whether BioSci Honors is the right program for you email us at biohonors [at] cornell.edu .

The Program

What forms of scholarship are eligible for honors theses.

All honors students conduct original, independent research in the biological sciences and write an honors thesis formatted as a scientific journal article in the field of study. There are several ways to accomplish this, all of which involve time-intensive, rigorous studies. For all cases, plan on completing data collection by December 2024-January 2025.

Options for the scholarship include:

• Planning a study, collecting data in a laboratory and/or field setting, and analyzing these data.
• Analyzing a dataset collected by your lab and made available to you by your research mentor to answer a novel research question.
• Using a publicly available dataset (e.g., eBird) to answer a novel research question.
• Performing a meta-analysis using published data.

Research Groups

If your application to the honors program is accepted, you will be assigned to a research group leader with other students working in similar branches of biology. A faculty member (see list below) leads each research group and will be one of your primary contacts throughout the honors program. The faculty member will organize a mandatory meeting in the fall semester at which they will review program logistics and all students will give an overview of their project. The group leader will provide additional information as the meeting approaches. In the spring semester, you will submit your thesis to the group leader, and they will coordinate the review of your thesis.  

Research Group Leaders:     

Dr. Adam Boyko (arb359) Dr. John Helmann (jdh9) Dr. Jeff Pleiss (jap332) Dr. Andre Kessler (ak357) Dr. Jaehee Kim (jk2287) & Dr. William Lai (wkl29) Dr. Yuxin Mao (ym253) Dr. Wojtek Pawlowski (wp45) Dr. Kerry Shaw (kls4) Dr. Tudorita (Doina) Tumbar (tt252)  

If you have questions about the honors program, you can email the Honors Coordinator and Honors Program Assistant at biohonors [at] cornell.edu .

Each student in the Biological Sciences Honors Program is expected to abide by the Cornell University Code of Academic Integrity . All work submitted by a student as part of the honors program must be the student’s own work.

Academic Year 2024-2025

December 2024 Graduates

• April 15 – July 1, 2024: Honors application submission. December grads who are concerned about this deadline should contact  biohonors [at] cornell.edu (biohonors[at]cornell[dot]edu) by June.
• October 28, 2024: Submit full draft to thesis mentor at the latest!
• November 8, 2024: Feedback from thesis mentor review incorporated into the new draft. *Student uploads final thesis to Canvas.
• November 27, 2024:  Group Leaders and two Reviewers read final thesis.
• December 11, 2024: Upload formatted and revised thesis to Canvas.

May 2025 Graduates

• April 15 – July 1, 2024: Honors Application Submission
• August 1, 2024: Honors Application Submission for students with exceptional circumstances. You must contact  biohonors [at] cornell.edu (biohonors[at]cornell[dot]edu) by July 1 if you would like to request a late honors submission. No submissions will be accepted after this date. (This does not apply to December 2024 graduates.)
• September 23, 2024, 4:30 – 5:30: Mandatory Fall Meeting – “What You Need to Know to be Successful in Bio Sci Honors”
• October 23, 2024: Submit Progress Reports
• November 1 – November 27, 2024: Mandatory Honors Group Meetings. Look out for emails from your group leader!
• February 2025: Date TBA, Mandatory Spring Meeting – “Bringing it Home! Logistics and Tips for Completing Bio Sci Honors”
• March 15, 2025: Full draft of thesis to student’s thesis mentor for review
• March 29 – April 6, 2025: Spring Break
• April 10, 2025 : Feedback from thesis mentor review incorporated into new draft. *Students upload final thesis to Canvas.
• April 29, 2025: Group leaders assemble feedback from two reviewers and sends compiled review to student with required changes.
• TBA: Honors Symposium
• May 19, 2025: Group Leader and Reviewers feedback incorporated. Student uploads formatted and final revised thesis to Canvas.

*Formal thesis submission: This is NOT A DRAFT. It is your best work. Data set is complete for the purpose of your manuscript.

The Honors program encourages candidates to format their thesis following a journal in their field. Most journal websites will have  Instructions for Authors  that provide detailed formatting guidelines. The thesis should include the following sections with separate headings. Except for the title page, all the text should be double spaced, with a font size of 12. Consult with your research mentor.

Title Page. The title page should use the template provided by the Honors program and specified by the candidate’s college. It should show the title, the student author, and the mentor’s name and departmental affiliation. See template at the end of this document.

Abstract.  (250 words maximum) The abstract should be on its own, separate page. The abstract should summarize the results and conclusions of the paper, including the broader significance of the research. In the abstract, as well as elsewhere in the thesis, the author should use active voice and the first person singular (“I”) -- not the first person plural (“we”), except for those experiments or results that were truly obtained in collaboration with someone else. You may switch to passive voice (e.g. “xxx was measured…” as opposed to “I measured…”) only if the authorship has been clearly established in an earlier sentence, usually in the same paragraph by use of “I”. Note that the suggested use of the first person singular is in contrast to modern scientific publications, which almost invariably have multiple authors and thus use the first person plural “we”.

Introduction.  The introduction should state the reason for conducting the research, the nature of the problem and/or hypotheses addressed in the paper, and outline essential background from the field. The introduction should provide enough background for a reader who is knowledgeable in modern biology, but not expert in this particular field, to understand the thesis research and the results. The introduction should explain any field-specific concepts, methodologies, or assumptions necessary to understand why the study was undertaken, and what the objective(s) of the study were (or what hypotheses were being tested). Writing a good introduction usually requires citing perhaps twenty or more published papers. Note that introductions are not comprehensive literature reviews, but rather discuss the most relevant work.

Materials and Methods.  This section should explain in detail the source of the starting materials and the experimental design (i.e. how the experiments were done, data were collected, and results were analyzed). Also included in the Materials and Methods should be a paragraph explaining what statistical tests were used to analyze the data and to gauge their statistical significance. This section, which can be placed either after the Introduction and before the Results, or at the end after the Discussion (varies across journals), should be detailed enough so that someone in a different lab but with the same equipment and reagents could repeat the results. Rather than a detailed description of some experimental approaches, papers that fully describe the methods that you used may be cited. However, it is almost always appropriate also to summarize in a couple of sentences the most important methods. For example: “Proteins were purified after expression in E. coli as described in ref X. Briefly, after induction of protein expression, lysates were fractionated by ultra centrifugation to remove ribosomes and debris, and then submitted to ion exchange chromatography, with XX assay used to identify the purified protein.”

Results.  This section is the meat of the thesis. It should be organized with separate headings for the different experiments or measurements that were carried out, perhaps with one or a few paragraphs each. Every paragraph should have an easily understandable topic sentence (usually the first sentence) telling the reader what the paragraph is about. Paragraphs should not be longer than about one page (double spaced).       

Discussion.  This section may be combined with the Results section (“Results and Discussion”) if this type of presentation makes the data and interpretations easier to follow. The Discussion often is the most challenging to write. Frequently in scientific papers the first short paragraph of this section briefly again summarizes what the Results have shown, but this is not required. The Discussion should not repeat what has already appeared in the text of the Results, but instead should take up the bigger issues raised by the data that are presented. For example: How firm are the interpretations, or what are their limitations? Are other interpretations possible, and if so, what experiments might address this in the future? How do the data and the conclusions fit with other published work? If the results contradict something that was published earlier, how could the contradictions be resolved? At the end of the Discussion, it is often suitable to write a paragraph describing how this work could be continued profitably by others. It will strengthen the thesis if the candidate spends time discussing results with lab members in advance of writing, and/or presents the results in a lab meeting and asks for feedback on the validity of conclusions.

Figures and/or Tables.  These present the data collected. As the results are described, the text should refer to each figure or table. Every figure and table must be referred to at least once some place in the text, usually in the Results but perhaps also in the Materials and Methods or Discussion. The order in which the figures are mentioned in the text determines the numbering of the figure. For example, as in journal articles, one cannot refer to “Figure 4” before one has described “Figure 3”. Graphs should have error bars or some other way of indicating statistical significance. Each Figure should have a legend that describes what is in the figure. The legend should include a short sentence about statistics. For example: “Error bars indicate standard deviation from the mean, N = 6”. In some cases, e.g. pictures such as fluorescence images of a cell, it will be necessary to say that this picture is a representative example of N such pictures that were taken. The pixel size of pictures should be reduced so that they are not unnecessarily large, to keep the megabytes of the thesis to a reasonable value. The figures or tables, with their legends, may be integrated with (interdigitated with) the text, or they may be placed after the text at the end of the thesis. In most journals, figures and tables are provided at the end of the manuscript submission. However, if you choose, you can integrate figures and tables throughout the manuscript if it makes it easier for the reviewers to read.

Acknowledgements.  This short paragraph after the Discussion should give credit to those who helped in the research, including financial support, technical support, and intellectual support.

Citations (Bibliography or Reference List).  Any of a variety of styles can be used for references, but the list should include all of the authors of every paper (not only the first one or two authors followed by “et al”), the date published, the full title, and of course the journal name, volume and page number. Generally it is best to use a referencing style that is common in journals in which this kind of research would be published. Whatever citation style is used, it should be the same throughout the thesis. It will be highly advantageous to use a reference manager application like EndNote or one of the similar open access applications (Mendeley or Zotero). See [http://guides.library.cornell.edu/c.php?g=412004&p=2807644] or the Mann workshops calendar for training sessions. Most theses have approximately two dozen or more citations, although the number may vary a lot depending on the scientific field. One common style for the reference list is that the papers appear alphabetically by first author (e.g. starting with “1. Adamson, …, and then “2. Bailey…”, etc.) Then the text refers to the paper by its number (e.g. “Cells were grown in DMEM medium as described in [3]”. Another common style is to number the references by the order in which they appear in the text. Still another common style is not to use numbers at all, e.g. “Cells were grown in DMEM medium as described in [Smith et al 2006].” Once you pick the style, the Citation Manager application will do all the formatting for you.

Submission of the thesis.  The f irst submission of your thesis should be by email   to your honors group leader  both as a Word document and as a PDF. Please use the following convention for naming the files: “LASTNAMEfirstname thesis”, for example: “SMITHjudy thesis”. Using this convention facilitates any manual sorting of the theses. If the file size is too large for Cornell email, please use Cornell DropBox.  The final version of thesis, after making revisions suggested by reviewers, should be submitted to the honors Canvas site  as a PDF file using Canvas' Turnitin function.

Contribution of others to the thesis.  Theses authored by more than one student are not acceptable. The thesis may include some figures or tables or diagrams from other people’s work (either published or unpublished), if the purpose is clarity of presentation of the student’s own results. But in each such case it is critically important to write an attribution in the legend, i.e. who is the author of the data and where was this published, e.g. “This figure is reproduced from Figure 2 [or perhaps ‘modified from Figure 2’] in reference 6”; or “This diagram was modified from one drawn by Nancy Smith”; or “This experiment was done by Paul Jones”; or “These data were obtained with help from Paul Jones”.

Honors Thesis General Formatting

8.5 x 11 inch pages with 1 inch margin on left side and sensible page numbering.

The title of each honors thesis should include the following items, centered from side to side and spaced on full page:

Thesis Title

Honors Thesis Presented to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (or Arts and Sciences), Cornell University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Biological Sciences Honors Program

[ author's name ,  Note:   the author’s name should appear as it does in the university’s official records. ] [ date , e.g., May 2024]

[ research faculty mentor name ]

Note: If you want to include your thesis in Cornell’s digital repository, eCommons, your thesis must meet accessibility standards. Use  this guide  to learn how to make your thesis accessible. eCommons is a great way to allow other researchers to access your work in addition to future employers, graduate schools, and friends and family.

Research in the Biological and Life Sciences: A Guide for Undergraduate Honors Students

A guide supplied by Mann Library . You will find tips for science citation management (so important!!), data management, and literature searching. See also the "Locating Theses" tab to direct you to published undergraduate honors theses on eCommons, the Cornell University Library public database.

Cornell offers multiple grant programs to support undergraduate research. You can also find funding from external sources, including professional societies. See the OUB’s list of funding opportunities .

Cornell Statistical Consulting Unit (CSCU)

CSCU can help you as you design your experiments and analyze results. Remember, you should know what analyses you will do before actually start the experiment! CSCU offers workshops in statistical methods and software and one-on-one consulting . Check out the workshop options

Cornell’s digital repository, eCommons, allows you to publish your thesis online once it is accepted. This way, your thesis will be freely accessibly and searchable via engines like “Google Scholar.” To publish your thesis in eCommons, you and your faculty mentor will sign a release agreement and submit it to the OUB in person or by email to biohonors [at] cornell.edu (biohonors[at]cornell[dot]edu) . The OUB will ensure your thesis is published on eCommons! All theses published on eCommons, must meet accessibility standards. Use this guide to learn how to make your thesis accessible. eCommons is a great way to allow other researchers to access your work in addition to future employers, graduate schools, and friends and family. To view examples of honors theses use the following links, eCommons for Arts and Sciences , eCommons for CALS .

Helpful Resources:

• Research in the Biological and Life Sciences: A Guide for Undergraduates
• CU Library Training Workshops
• Mann Library Individual Research Consultations
• Plagiarism and Copyright
• Recognizing and Avoiding Plagiarism

Latin honors, as recorded on the diploma ( cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude ), is assigned differently for students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and students in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). In CALS, the level of Latin honors is determined exclusively by the student’s grade point average (GPA). More details on CALS academic honors requirements . If the CALS honors candidate has written an acceptable honors thesis, the further words " with Distinction in Research" are added.

In CAS, Latin honors requires a student to write a thesis. Once the thesis is accepted, the level of honors for CAS candidates is also determined by GPA of the students penultimate semester. In CAS, “ distinction in all subjects ” is awarded to the graduates who achieve a GPA in the upper 30 percent of their class at the end of the seventh semester or next to last semester for transfers.

2024-2025 Biological Honors Program is now accepting applications.

To apply to the biological sciences honors program:

• Submit an online application.   Your proposal must be reviewed by your thesis advisor before you submit. Your thesis advisor must be a Cornell faculty member.
• Your thesis mentor must submit a letter of support online that includes: 1) why the applicant is a good candidate for the honors program, 2) an assessment of the feasibility of the proposed honors project, and 3) any concerns about the proposed project or challenges you expect the student to face as they work towards honors.
• Both the application and letter of support will be due July 1, 2024.

Students with  extenuating circumstances  can submit a late application with permission of their thesis mentor and the OUB. To be considered for the extended deadline for honors, email  biohonors [at] cornell.edu ( biohonors[at]cornell[dot]edu )   before the July 1, 2024 deadline.  Note that extenuating circumstances do not include being unable to conduct research on-campus over the summer. No applications will be accepted after the late deadline, August 1, 2024.

For questions, email Kristy Long ( kll25 [at] cornell.edu (subject: Biology%20Honors%20Application) (kll25[at]cornell[dot]edu) ) or call (607) 255-6859.

• Preview the 2024-2025 Honors Application
• Preview example honors application

2024-2025 Biological Honors Program Application

Mentor support letter submission.

For Faculty Mentors

Link to the honors thesis mentor letter of support. 

Honors FAQ's

Deciding to do an honors thesis a personal decision. An honors thesis is a great way to experience the scientific process and have ownership of a project. However, collection of quality data and preparation of a thesis are time consuming processes that might interfere with your ability to commit time to academics and other activities. Keep in mind that the thesis is due just after spring break when many students are applying for jobs or interviewing. Consider your academic goals and plans for after graduation, then evaluate what is the best use for your time.

The honors thesis should capture the full range of the scientific process, from selecting a research question and designing a study through analysis and presentation of the results. In addition, the honors thesis should represent original research done by the student. Working in a lab for credit or pay might include part or all of this process, but the honors program requires it.

The research must be carried out under the direct supervision of a faculty member on Cornell’s Ithaca campus. If a student plans to do research off campus, it must first be approved by the Honors Committee, and a faculty member on the Ithaca campus must be a co-mentor who is actively engaged in the research. Surrogate mentors, i.e. Cornell Ithaca campus faculty who are mentors in name only and are not directly involved in a student’s research, are not allowed. Contact Dr. Lora Gruber-Hine (lkh24) to discuss further.

Ideally, one goal of an honors thesis is to present results that are publishable in a scientific journal, not necessarily independently but integrated with other work to flesh out the story. However, given the time limits inherent in undergraduate research, this goal in many cases is not achievable. If the results are not publishable, to be acceptable a thesis should describe the design and implementation of the experiments undertaken, the analysis of the data that were obtained, and any future modifications of the design that in principle might lead to publishable results. The initial decision on what comprises a suitable project for an honors thesis is made by the research mentor and the student.

If there is some disagreement or uncertainty in this decision, the mentor and student (together or separately) should consult with the leader of the appropriate honors group. The Honors Committee, comprising all of the honors group leaders, has the final say in whether the thesis is acceptable. The committee relies heavily on the reviews by other faculty to make this decision. The most important factors considered in evaluating the thesis are the quality and rigor of the scientific work, feedback from the thesis mentor, and the thesis presentation itself.

The honors program has no explicit requirements that you study on the Ithaca campus while writing an honors thesis. However, honors theses do require substantial time investments some of which might need to be in the lab. Discuss your plans with your research mentor and together, you can determine whether working on an honors thesis while away from Cornell is a viable option for you.

Many students spend a summer at Cornell working on the honors thesis, but this is not a requirement of the honors program. The nature of research in some labs can require large blocks of time, seasonal data collection, or have other requirements that result in the need to work in the lab over the summer. Consult with your research mentor to determine if research during the summer will be necessary for your project.

There are no consequences for deciding to leave the honors program. We understand that sometimes research takes more time than anticipated, unexpected challenges arise, or your priorities can change. Completing an honors thesis is completely optional and you can leave the program at any time.

Except for the abstract (250 words), there are no length requirements for any part of the thesis. The length of any given section will depend entirely on the content of the specific thesis and the standards for that field of biological sciences. See journal articles in your field to get a sense of how to structure each section of the thesis

If you have further questions about this program, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Biology, at biohonors [at] cornell.edu (biohonors[at]cornell[dot]edu) .

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Honors Theses

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ABOUT THE COLLECTION

The UA Honors Theses collection provides open access to W.A. Franke Honors College theses produced at the University of Arizona, submitted electronically since 2008. Not all students opt to include their theses in the repository, so the collection is not comprehensive.

W.A. Franke Honors College theses from the late 1960s to 2005 are not online and are available only in Special Collections. These theses are not listed in the online catalog, but a separate card catalog for them is available in Special Collections.

Individuals trying to obtain a record or copy of their own W.A. Franke Honors College thesis, such as electronic submissions since 2008 that are not included online, or paper submissions from 2006-2007, should contact the W.A. Franke Honors College .

Important note for students submitting Honors Theses: your thesis must be submitted directly to the W.A. Franke Honors College (not to the repository). The W.A. Franke Honors College delivers approved theses to repository staff at regular intervals when all requirements have been met for Graduation with Honors . Check with your W.A. Franke Honors College advisors and see Honors Thesis/Capstone for more information.

Please refer to the Theses & Dissertations guide for more details about UA Theses and Dissertations, and to find materials that are not available online. Email [email protected] with your questions about UA Theses and Dissertations.

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The information on this page applies to all HSOC majors in the class of 2025 and beyond.

A senior honors thesis in the Health & Societies major is a substantial independent research project completed over the course of a year (or two consecutive semesters).  The honors thesis is an analytical research essay of 12,500-20,000 words, plus bibliography, that is researched and written under supervision of an advisor, during the fall or spring of the senior year after completion of an HSOC capstone course. Students who successfully complete all the requirements will earn the distinction of “honors” upon graduating from Penn.

For information on eligibility, application requirements, and the honors thesis process, please read the information on this page in full.

Health & Societies (HSOC) Senior Honors Thesis

A senior honors thesis in the Health and Societies (HSOC) major is a substantial independent research project completed over the course of a year (or two consecutive semesters) – during the fall or spring of the senior year, after completion of an HSOC capstone course. This thesis, or analytical research essay, must be researched and written under supervision of an advisor and should be 12,500 to 20,000 words, plus bibliography. An appropriate thesis will be historically grounded and may use historical, anthropological, and/or sociological methods and approaches. For this reason, students must have an advisor in the HSSC department but may also have a co-advisor in another department*. Students who successfully complete all the requirements will earn the distinction of “honors” upon graduating from Penn.

All students who wish to write an honors thesis must first complete a capstone research paper. This introduction to a research project helps students figure out if they like doing this kind of work. It also helps students learn their strengths, weaknesses, and interests as researchers. Students accepted into the honors program enroll in an independent study with an HSOC faculty advisor that need not have been the capstone instructor.* During the independent study, students are required to meet with their faculty advisor, to submit assignments and drafts, and to meet regularly (once or twice per month) with peers in the HSOC honors program. The exact final form that the honors thesis takes is ultimately up to students to work out with their advisors, but the norm in HSOC has been for students to write a thesis in the form of three substantive chapters that total ~80 pages (or approximately 20,000 words). This style of thesis has been successful for our program, with many of our students going on to win prestigious awards for their thesis work and getting pieces of their research published in both popular and scholarly outlets. 

* If no one on the HSOC faculty has the expertise you need to help you with your project, you may request a co-advisor. Please reach out to the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies for more information on how co-advising can work.  

Application Information 

Fall completion . Applications from students in the spring of their junior year are due by no later than 11:59 p.m. on the date of Penn’s Commencement ( May 20, 2024 ). Students will be notified by early June about their status.

Spring completion . Applications from students in the fall of their senior year are due by no later than 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the fall semester ( Dec. 19, 2024 ). Students will be notified about their status in early January, after the capstone final grade has been submitted.  

Eligibility and Application Requirements

•  Students must have at least a 3.6 GPA in the HSOC major and a 3.3 GPA overall.
•  Students are eligible to apply only in the spring of their junior year or the fall of their senior year.
• Students must earn an “A” or higher in their HSOC capstone course completed during the spring of their junior year or the fall of their senior year.
• Students must obtain written letters of support from their capstone instructor AND an approved HSOC faculty advisor (they do not need to be the same person, but they can be). If a student plans to have a co-advisor outside of the History and Sociology of Science department, then they will also need them to submit a letter of support.
• Students must submit a five-page thesis proposal along with a completed capstone paper. The proposal should include: (1) the project title (2) project description (3) a discussion of how the work relates to the capstone paper (i.e. Will it expand on the capstone? Head in a different direction? Etc.) (4) a timeline and plan for completing the research and writing of the thesis and (5) a two- to three-page bibliography that includes the key primary and secondary sources.  

Application materials

• A one-page letter of interest that explains why you want to do an honors project. Please include your GPA and grade requirements in this letter.
• Your thesis proposal.
• Your capstone paper.
• Your letters of support from your capstone instructor and your advisor(s) (if this is the same person, you will only need one letter). Recommenders email these letters directly to the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies.  

Selection process

All applications will be reviewed by a departmental committee. Acceptance into the honors program will be based on the following criteria:

• Applicants meet all eligibility requirements.
• Applications are completed as per the instructions outlined here and submitted by the deadline. (No late applications will be considered)
• The project described is carefully planned and fits within the goals and parameters of the HSOC major, and the applicant demonstrates a convincing ability to complete it successfully in the time available.
• The applicant has the enthusiastic support of their capstone instructor and advisor.
• If funding or other outside research support is required (i.e. the project requires travel, IRB approval, or participant enrollment), the applicant can provide evidence that this support has been—or will most likely be—secured.  

Additional considerations

Please note that, while it is possible to complete an honors project during the fall and spring of your senior year, it may be more challenging because you will not have the summer months to work on it. There are only a few short weeks between the end of the fall semester and the beginning of the spring semester. For this reason, the selection committee will need to be convinced beyond all doubt that fall applicants are well-positioned to complete their project in the time available.

We advise students to take no more than three courses in addition to the thesis independent study. Previous HSOC thesis writers have also advised against courses that require substantial in-class time each week and classes in which there is a heavy research/writing commitment at the end of the semester. 

Completing an honors thesis can be a wonderful experience. However, please note that in addition to our eligibility and application review guidelines outlined above, acceptance into the honors program will necessarily be limited by the resources of our small department. Although HSOC is one of the largest undergraduate majors in the College of Arts and Sciences, we have a relatively small faculty and program staff. Please keep this in mind as you begin your application process.  

Senior Thesis Writing Project

A student will receive honors after completion of a successful and high-quality written thesis and participation in Senior Research Symposium (typically scheduled in late April or early May, during or near the spring term Reading Days).  Your thesis can build on material from your capstone, but you cannot simply submit a revised draft of your capstone paper. Your capstone might turn into a chapter of your thesis, for example, or you might decide to break your capstone paper into smaller topics which you then research and delve into more thoroughly, turning one paper into a more extensive and fully developed, three-chapter thesis. Alternatively, you may decide that your honors thesis takes you in a new direction altogether and has relatively little overlap with your capstone. Any of these options are fine, as long as you are able to complete the thesis in the time that is available to you, it is original, and it shows substantial and significant work that distinguishes it from your capstone paper.

It takes two consecutive semesters to complete an honors thesis in HSOC. In your first semester, you enroll in and complete a capstone seminar. Towards the end of your capstone course, you will decide if you want to expand or build upon what you learned through your capstone research and write an honors thesis. If you are accepted into the honors program, then the following semester you will enroll in an independent study directed by your thesis supervisor. During your independent study semester, you will be expected to meet at least once/month with your thesis advisor for regular check-ins. You will also be expected to meet once/month with your cohort to discuss your progress, trouble-shoot, and provide feedback on drafts. Along the way, there are deadlines for specific deliverables that MUST be adhered to. Failure to meet deadlines during your independent study semester will negatively affect your ability to successfully complete the honors program.

Students who apply to the program in the spring of their junior year are also expected to utilize the summer for research, idea development, and planning. Students who apply to the program in the fall of their senior year must begin research over the comparatively shorter winter break and do not have the benefit of these additional summer months.  

Honors Determination

Honors will be determined both by the grade given by your advisor and through a review by the senior thesis committee. Generally, a thesis needs to earn a grade of A- or above to be considered for honors.  

Timeline and deliverables

You must meet at least three times with your advisor and at least three times with your cohort during the semester of your independent study.  

September (after Labor Day) / January (within the first 10 days of the semester).

(by no later than Sept. 10, 2024 or Jan. 29, 2025)

(1)  first advisor meeting

(2)  first cohort meeting

Make sure you meet with your advisor first, prior to your cohort meeting, so you can discuss these questions with them and obtain their signature.

(1)  A one- to two-page write-up that answers the following questions:

• What research have you completed?
• Is there any research you still need to complete?
• What writing have you completed?
• What is your timeline for completion?

(2)  During your first meeting with your advisor, develop a list of appointment times for the semester and a calendar for completion as a contract signed by your advisor. Bring this to the cohort meeting.  

October (after Fall break) / February (last week of the month)

(by no later than Oct. 11, 2024 or Feb. 28, 2025)

(1)  advisor meeting

(2)  cohort meeting

Make sure you meet with your advisor before your cohort meeting to discuss the following materials and obtain your advisor’s approval:

(1)  A one- to two-page document that includes

• A thesis statement
• A brief outline of thesis chapters
• One paragraph stating what has been completed, what remains to be done, and dates for completing those chapters, signed by your advisor.

November (before Thanksgiving) / April (first full week)

(by no later than Nov. 22, 2024 or April 11, 2025)

(2)  cohort meeting  

Please make sure you have done the following at least one full week before your meetings:

(by no later than Nov. 15, 2024 or April 4, 2025)

• Submit a full draft (introduction, all chapters, conclusion) of your thesis to your advisor

December / May

A copy of the final draft of the thesis and of your original capstone paper are due by email to your advisor and to the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies by 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the semester (Dec. 19, 2024 or May 13, 2025). There are NO extensions and NO incompletes. Failure to turn in these materials by this deadline means you will not be eligible to receive honors.

The final, polished, formatted, printed version (one bound copy each for you, for your advisor, and for the HSSC department) is due to your advisor and to the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies by 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 1 or June 1.

Michele Anzabi,  The Revitalization of the U.S. Menstrual Movement 

Natalie Doppelt ,  The Unsustainability of Hospital Waste: How Disposable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has Become Normalized Despite its Environmental Impact 

Sarah Finkelstein,   Reframing Caregiving and Medical Professionalization: Using the History of Modern Doula Care to Recognize the Value in Viewing Care Work and Professionalized Technomedicine along a Continuum 

Mae Mouritsen,   #Invisible: Identity and Community Construction Among Women with Invisible Illnesses and Disabilities on Visual Social Media Platforms 

Daryn Smith,   The Intersection of Mental Health and Gun Violence: How Discourse Surrounding it Perpetuates and Reinforces Racial Hierarchies 

Noelle Kristen Smith,   Unpacking “the American:” Opposing Neoliberal and Consumerist Ideologies in Characterizations of the Clinton Administration’s Health Security Act (1993-1994)

Nicholas Thomas-Lewis,   Recovery of the Self…from Addiction, Adolescence, and Neuromedicalization 

Nikita Zinzuwadia,   Criminal Justice, Mass Incarceration, and COVID-19: Understanding Prison Health and Prison Health Activism in the United States

Catherine Campbell,  “But if you could see the difference the library and a woman has made in that place!”: Taking Care of Men and Books in World War I" (Adviser: Dr. Meghan Crnic)

Merobi Degefa, "Redefining Dignified Maternity Care in Ethiopia" (Adviser: Dr. Adam Mohr)

John Ortega, " Nun Left: The Changing Identity of Catholic Sisters and Catholic Hospitals" (Advisers: Dr. Meghan Crnic, Dr. David Grossman, Dr. Walter Licht)

Samantha Stein, " When All Is Experimental: Marshalling Ethics Aesthetics Through Autonomy Formulations In Urban U.S. Emergency Medicine Research" (Adviser: Dr. Justin Clapp)  

Lea Eisenstein, " From Icon to Bygone: The Rise and Fall of the Diaphragm in Twentieth-Century America"  (Advisers: Dr. Beth Linker and Dr. Meghan Crnic)

Lara Jung , "Reimagining the Country: A Landscape of Children's Health and Well-being, 1875-1975"  (Adviser: Dr. Meghan Crnic)

Folasade Lapite , "TSS (Tampax's Side Story): The Influence of Menstrual Product Manufacturers on Menstrual Education and Its Perception" (Adviser: Dr. Stephanie Dick)

Phoebe Ruggles , "Livestock Over Labor: The Prioritization of Non-Human Animals in the National Organic Program"  (Adviser: Dr. Ann Greene)

Leah Sprague , "The Government's Role as a Nutrition Expert in the United States, 1945-1980"  (Adviser: Dr. Kathy Peiss)  

Rive Cadwallader , 'Medicine in the "Athens of America": Physicians and the Neoclassical Movement in late eighteenth century Philadelphia' (Adviser: Dr. David Barnes)

Alisa Feldman , "Be Fruitful and Medicalize: IVF Risk Communication and the Politics of Assisted Reproduction in Israel". (Advisers: Dr. Adam Mohr and Dr. Frances Barg)

Isabel Griffith , "Obstetric Violence: A Subtext of Voiced Experiences of Childbirth and Maternity Care in Costa Rica's Public Healthcare System" (Adviser: Dr. Ramah McKay)

Joshua A. Jordan , "A War on Two Fronts: Race, Citizenship and the Segregation of the Blood Supply during World War II" (Adviser: Dr. David Barnes)

Madeline Leonard , 'Securing "Infectious Poverty": Analyzing the 2016 Olympics-Based Zika Response in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil' (Adviser: Dr. Andria Johnson)

Lauren Murski , "The System Will See You Now: Redefining Quality Care in the Era of the Electronic Health Record" (Adviser: Dr. Stephanie A. Dick)  

Mary Cerulli
 , “Go Ask the Midwife: Professional Identity in Cape Town, South Africa”
(Adviser: Dr. Kimberly Trout)

Hannah Fagen , 
“The Happiest Place in the Hospital: Newborn Nurseries in American Hospitals, A History”  (Adviser: Dr. Meghan Crnic)


Cassidy Golden,  
“The Mother in the NICU” 
(Adviser: Dr. Renee Fox)

Alexandra Kimmel ,  
“Medicalizing Meditation: The Incorporation of Buddhist Practice into the American Clinic, 1960-2000” 
(Adviser: Dr. Beth Linker)

Will Schupmann , 
“Public Schools as a Loci for Human Experimentation” 
(Adviser: Dr. Jonathan Moreno)

Katherine Senter, 
“The Life Cycles of Health Ministries” 
(Adviser: Dr. Rosemary Frasso)

Randa Som 
, "Re-Imaging Transgender Health Care: Affirming and Promoting Optimal Evidence-Based Transgender Health Care" 
(Adviser: Dr. Lance Wahlert)

Andrea Maria Vargas Guerra , 
‘“Latinos Don’t Look After Each Other”: The Social Cohesion of Latin American Immigrants in North Carolina’ 
(Adviser: Dr. David Barnes)

Olivia Webb , “Voiceless: The Construction of Homelessness Policies, 1980-2016” (Adviser: Dr. Andria Johnson)  

Joia Brosco , “A Tale Of Two Theories: How The Methods Of Scientific Evaluation Are Still Not Helping Our Children, As We Turn Theories Of Child Uplift Into Practice” (Adviser: Chris Feudtner)

Lucia Calthorpe , “Implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010: A Case Study of Philadelphia and Two Neighboring Suburban Districts” (Adviser: Mary Summers)

Emma Chessen ,“Following Doctors’ Orders: The Medical Community’s Shift and Influence on U.S. Abortion Policy, 1955-1973” (Adviser: Beth Linker)

Imran Cronk , “From a Land Down Under: Improving U.S. Diabetes Care Through Cross-National Learning” (Adviser: Patricia Danzon)

Chloe Getrajdman ,“Triage: Historical Legacies and Contemporary Perspectives in Global Health” (Adviser: Adam Mohr)

Perry Goffner , “Medical Power: W.W. Keen (1837-1932) and the Defense of Vivisection” (Adviser: Beth Linker)

Kurt Koehler ,“Stress, Agency and Hypertension: Perspective Among Hypertensive African Americans in Philadelphia” (Adviser: Lisa Lewis)

Jenny Markell , “The Long Road to the Establishment of the Maternal and Child Health and Mental Retardation Planning Amendments of 1963” (Adviser: Cynthia Connolly)

Ruchita Pendse , “The Experience of Medical Debt Among the Under-Insured” (Adviser: Peter Reese)

Eileen Wang , “Choice, Control and Childbirth: Cesarean Deliveries on Maternal Request in Shanghai, China” (Adviser: Adriana Petryna)  

Jacquelyn Andrews , “Exploring Potential Health Disparities in Urban Low-Income School Food Environments” (Adviser: Mary Summers)

Bakizada, Zayna , “Getting a Word in Edgewise: The Role of Medical Journals in the Malpractice Discussion”  (Adviser: Robert Aronowitz)

Biegacki, Emma , “Creating the Disaster Space: Social Mapping as a Novel Tool for Aid Delivery” (Advisor: Alison Buttenheim)

Emmanuel Cordova , “Interfacing Immigration and Health: Undocumented Latino Males, Health Status, and Perceptions of Health Care”  (Adviser: Emilio Parrado)

Caroline Kee , “Borrowing from Biomedicine, Trading with Traditional: How Medical Providers in the Kumaon region of the Indian Himalayas Defy Medical Pluralism Paradigms with a System of Specialized Care” (Adviser: Projit Mukharji)

Kim, Eun Kyung Ellen , “Exercising Towards A Cure: The Gymnasium of the Friends Asylum, 1889-1893”  (Adviser: Aaron Wunsch)

Gabriella Meltzer , “A Manufactured Global Health Crisis: Electronic Waste in Accra, Ghana”  (Adviser: Adam Mohr)

Danielle Mohabir , "Provider Perspectives on College Mental Health: Evaluating Structural Barriers to Care from the Inside" (Adviser: Jason Schnittker)

Katherine Sgarro , ‘The Social Construction Of Celiac Disease: How Biomedical Definitions Of “Diagnosis” And “Treatment” Affect Low-Income Americans With Celiac Disease’ (Adviser: Herbert Smith)  

Kathryn Barth , “Weighing On Energy-Dense Food Taxes: How Food Preferences Relate To Obesity” (Advisor: Catherine Maclean)

Janan Dave , “Having A Daughter Is Like Watering Your Neighbor's Garden": Migration's Effect On Gender Ideologies Of South Asian Americans In Philadelphia” (Advisor: Deborah Thomas)

Mia Garuccio , “Organ Transplants And HIV: A Historical Comparison And Policy Review”  (Advisor: Andria Johnson)

Victoria Goldman , “Intersexuality: How Cultural Expectations, Medical Innovations And Language Created The Perception Of Variant Genitalia As A Disorder” (Advisor: Ann Greene)

Monica Kang , “Inappropriate Consumers: The Construction Of Gender Through Eating Behavior In Children's Literature”  (Advisor: Jason Schnittker)

Megan McCarthy-Alfano , “Driving Without A Roadmap: Parents' Treatment Decisions In Autism Care”  (Advisor: Fran Barg)

Gina Orlando , “The Road To Water Filtration In Philadelphia” (Advisor: David Barnes)

Katherine Peck , “The Social Life Of Millennium Development Goal 5: Local Interpretations Of A Global Paradigm”  (Advisor: Fran Barg and Andria Johnson)

Maxwell Presser , “A Matter Of Lives And Deaths: The Transition Of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation From Physician To The Public” (Advisor: Benjamin Abella)

Sarah Schulte , “Why Are Hispanic Americans Getting Bigger? Understanding The Link Between Greater Acculturation And Higher BMI” (Advisor: Jason Schnittker)

Stephen Smilowitz , “Safe Spaces And Perilous Places: The Environmental Origins Of Fear Of Crime In Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala”  (Advisor: David Barnes)

Gabrielle Stoller , “Evolving Access To HIV Medications Under Medicare And Medicaid”(Advisor: Jalpa Doshi)

Abigail Worthen , “'Trust In God, But Tie Up Your Camel': Perceptions Of Cervical Cancer Screening Among African American Muslim Women In Philadelphia"  (Advisor: Jonathan Moreno)

Christina Wu , “Comparing “Culturally Specific” Conceptions Of Barriers-To-Care: Eye Care Among Chinese Immigrant And African American Elderly Populations In Philadelphia” (Advisor: Giang Nguyen)  

Charlotte Ezratty, “Bulimia: Multi-Causal Perspectives and a Look to the Future”

Courtney Ng, “Womanhood and Maternal Health-Seeking Behaviors in Periphery China: A Hani Perspective”

Pallavi Podapati,  “Invisible Coalfields and the Politics of Knowledge: The Struggle to Ensure the Health and Safety of Coal Miners”

Line Stenland, “Feast on Fat to Look Fab: The Scandinavian LCHF Diet Phenomenon and Its Implications for Food Beliefs and Health in Norway”  

Maria Bellantoni , “Factors Affecting Age-of-Entry into Long-Term Care” (Adviser: Jason Schnittker)

Erica Catalano , “The Social Perceptions of Infant Feeding Practices: A Study of Penn Undergraduates" (Adviser: Claudia Valeggia)

Andrea Cheung , “Accounting for the Low Usage of Drug Addiction Treatment Services by Aboriginals Living in British Columbia, Canada” (Adviser: James McKay)

Reni Ellis , “Comfortable, Safe, Supported and Cared For: Exploring Conceptual Definitions of Child-Friendliness in Children’s Advocacy Centers” (Adviser: Carolyn Cannuscio) Alina Kim , “South Korean and U.S. American International Health Volunteers: The Nature of the Relationship between Country of Origin and Volunteer Variables” (Adviser: Kent Bream)

Regina Lam , “Dissecting the Trust in Acupuncturist-Patient Relationships: Experiences of  Breast Cancer Survivors”  (Adviser: Jun Mao)

Aileen Palmer , “Possible Effects of Observing Kashrut on the Conceptualization of Food, Dieting and Body Image in Jewish American Women” (Adviser: Jane Kauer)

Lora Rosenblum , “Obesity, Public Health Legislation and the Role of Industry: A Closer Look at the Calorie Labeling Mandate and the Soda Tax” (Adviser: Mary Summers)  

Matt Amalfitano , “For Better or For Worse: Coverage of Sexual Assault on a college campus and reporting of sexual assault” (Advisor, Susan Sorenson)

Andrea Frantz , “Understanding Oral Health from A Caregiver's Perspective” (Adviser, Fran Barg)

Melissa Gradilla , “Comparing Childbirth Practices: Connections, variations, and conflicts in traditional and biomedical obstetric care in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala" (Adviser, Claudia Valeggia)

Pavithra Jaisankar ,  “Anandibai Joshee at the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania: Negotiating Representations of Birth” (Adviser, David Barnes)

Masha Jones , “The Community Navigator Experience: A Case Study of the Community-Based Navigator Program for Cancer Control” (Adviser, Fran Barg)

Alexandra Lipschultz , “Euthanasia in Disguise?: An Interview Study of Hospice Families’ Experiences with Pallative Sedation” (Adviser, Autumn Fiester)

Emer Lucey , “Autism in the News, 1943-1983”  (Adviser, Michael Yudell)

Brian Mertens , “The Crusade for Pure Milk Has Begun: Science, Politics, and Municipal Milk,Regulation in Philadelphia, 1889-1914”  (Adviser, David Barnes)  

Elena Blebea , “The Latin American Diet Pyramid: Serving the Latino Population?” (Advisor, Fran Barg)

Anup Das , “Obesity: Attitudes and Beliefs of Indian Physicians”  (Advisor, Robert Aronowitz)

Shayleigh Dickson , “”The Experience of Latina Mothers of Children Diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder” (Advisor, Ellen Giarelli)

Andrew Gaffney , “ Abortion in the Case of Anencephaly: How Brazilian Bioethics is Affecting the Debate   “ (Advisor, Jonathan Moreno)

George Karandinos , ‘”You Ridin’?”: The Moral Economy of Violence in North Philadelphia’ (Advisor, Philippe Bourgeois)

Sheyla Medina , “The Relationship between Parental Educational Attainment and Perceived Racial Discrimination among African-American Female Adolescents.” (Advisor, Susmita Pati)

Clara Ng , “Opportunity Amid Crisis: Development of Social Enterprise as a Response to Diabetes in Mali” (Advisor, Adriana Petryna)

Alix Pruzansky , “How Pre-operative Depressive Symptoms and Aberrant Eating in Adolescents Affect Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery”  (Advisor, David Sarwer)

Alix Winter , “Adolescents’ Perceptions of Their Futures and Cigarette Smoking” (Advisor, Jason Schnittker)

Fan Zhou , “The Effect of the 2007 Recession on Health Behaviors” ( Advisor, Arnold Rosoff)  

Janene Brown , “Human Interaction in the Asthma Clinic of the Children's Hospital of      Philadelphia."                        Rachel Crystal , “Food-Insecurity, Coping Strategies, and Health in Las Vegas      Consumers During the Current Economic Crisis.”             Daniel Eisenberg , "The Impact of Select Characteristics of Government on Life      Expectancy at Different Levels of Economic Development."            Christina Eklund , “HIV Testing: A Qualitative Study on the Perspectives of Philadelphia      Health Care Providers.”            Sara Flanagan, "Examining Funding and Need in Humanitarian Action: The 2004        South-Asian Tsunami Response."            Markley Foreman , "The TRIPS Agreement and Developing Countries: India's       Experience With Patent Law and Public Health." Lena Gottesman , “Transplant Access and Success in a Pediatric Renal Unit: An Ethical       Perspective on Social Support.”            Jessica Ho , "The Effect of Foreign Direct Investment on Population Health: An       Aggregate Analysis."            Ashley LeMaire , “Student Motivations for Binge-Drinking at the University of       Pennsylvania.”            Lavanya Madhusudan, “A Mixed-Methods Study of Child Nutritional Status in the Urban       Slums of Bangalore, India.”          

Honors Program

Requirements , minimum cogsci major and uc gpa.

CogSci majors must be on track to realistically achieve a 3.5 CogSci major GPA, which is calculated by averaging all courses used to fulfill the Distribution Group and Upper Division Elective requirements. Additionally, honors students must be on track to realistically achieve an overall UC GPA or 3.3 before graduation.

Pre-Honors Research

Students applying to the Honors Program are required to have experience as a research assistant or apprentice in a laboratory run by their Honors Program first reader, or in a laboratory engaged in research that is relevant to the proposed honors project. The most important consideration when selecting your Pre-Honors Research Experience is whether the experience has provided the skills and knowledge needed to do advanced research in pursuit of an Honors project in CogSci.

Students will ideally complete their Pre-Honors Research Experience during their junior year.

The Pre-Honors research experience may come via enrollment in UGIS 192 (URAP uses this course number), CogSci 199, or possibly even a 199 from another department. Enrollment information: The URAP office will provide the student's enrollment information for UGIS 192 (course control number and class entry code) to register via CalCentral and the Cognitive Science advising office will provide enrollment information for CogSci 199 (directions for applying here). Units earned in another department should be facilitated by the advisers in that department.

Methods Course

Students who wish to participate in the honors program must complete a Research Methods Course relevant to their intended focus of research during their junior or senior year. Students should consult with their anticipated Honors Program First Reader to determine which methods course is appropriate for them. The First Reader will review and approve the Methods course on the Honor's Application Form.

Possible Methods Courses

Some examples of acceptable methods courses include, but are not limited to:

• Anthro 169A-C: Research Theory and Methods in Computational Methods, Socio-Cultural Anthropology, or Linguistic Anthropology
• Cognitive Science C140/Linguistics C160: Quantitative Methods in Linguistics
• Computer Science/Statistics C100: Principles and Techniques of Data Science
• Data 144: Data Mining and Analytics
• Education 150: Advanced Studies in Education
• Education 153: Research in Education: Studying Educational Inequality and Possibility
• Linguistics 140: Field Methods
• Linguistics 158: Computational Methods
• MCB 160L: Neurobiology Laboratory
• Philosophy 100: Philosophical Methods
• Psych 101: Research & Data Analysis in Psychology
• Psych 102: Statistics for Psych Research
• Psych 115: Introduction to Brain Imaging Analysis Methods
• Psych 147: Methods in Cognitive Development
• Stat 102: Data, Inference, and Decisions

Cognitive Science H195

Cognitive Science H195 is offered for 1-3 units per semester and students must complete at least 3 and no more than 6 units of these independent study units in order to receive Honors in the major. To enroll in H195 for a second semester, students should submit a second signed application form. Student must submit a separate application form for every term they wish to enroll in CogSci H195 units.   Students will not be enrolled in H195 until after their pre-honors research and Methods requirements have been completed and/or approved and their application is complete and their form is signed and approved 

Application Procedure

Before submitting an application, students should meet the GPA requirements, have completed their Pre-Honors Research, and have completed or planned their methods requirement as outlined above. Students should reach out to their First and Second Readers and complete the Honors Program Faculty Verification Form before they submit the form below for acceptance into the Honors program and for  enrollment in the required H195. For questions, students and faculty can contact Catherine Byrne at [email protected] . An advisor will then review it and email you the next steps or enroll you in H195 units.

Assessment of the Completed Thesis

Honors theses need to be turned in to the readers early enough for the thesis committee to review, consult amongst themselves, and send the Cognitive Science advisors an appropriate honors designation (Honors or Highest Honors) no later than the last day of finals of the student's graduation term . Students and committee members should fashion a completion timeline that can meet this deadline. 

Honors Level Designations

• Honors: The thesis meets the minimum requirements of the honor's thesis and contributed something novel, or a novel approach, to the research question. Well-written. Excellent advanced undergraduate work.
• Highest Honors: Unequivocally excellent. With little work, would be ready for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. This is a rare thesis.  

Awarding of the Glushko Prize

Glushko Prizes will be awarded to all students who are designated as Highest Honors by their thesis committees (all Highest Honors theses will receive a Glushko Prize).

• California Cognitive Science Conference

We strongly encourage all Honors students to submit their research to the poster session held each year at the California Cognitive Science Conference, hosted by the Cognitive Science Student Association.

First and Second Readers

All Honor's students must secure  two faculty members to serve as readers.

The first reader must be selected from the list of eligible Cognitive Science affiliates . The first reader will serve as the instructor and grader for the CogSci H195 honor's-specific independent study units.

The second reader must be a faculty member (NOT a post-doctoral researcher or graduate student) from a four-year college or university with expertise in the field. The second reader should not be a member of the same laboratory team as the first reader.

 U pon final submission of the thesis, b oth readers will confer together to determine the honors level designation.

It is the student's responsibility to maintain open communication with both their first and second reader regarding logistics, deadlines, and expectations for the thesis itself. 

You are strong (ง'̀-'́)ง 

Useful links.

• CogSci First Reader Faculty
• How to enroll in CogSci 199 units
• Glushko Prize
• Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program
• Research Resources
• CSSA Research Resources
• Honors Program Application Form
• Form to submit completed thesis to CogSci program
• Honor's Designation Form (for Faculty)

Get help with Honors

Honors Theses

What this handout is about.

Writing a senior honors thesis, or any major research essay, can seem daunting at first. A thesis requires a reflective, multi-stage writing process. This handout will walk you through those stages. It is targeted at students in the humanities and social sciences, since their theses tend to involve more writing than projects in the hard sciences. Yet all thesis writers may find the organizational strategies helpful.

Introduction

What is an honors thesis.

That depends quite a bit on your field of study. However, all honors theses have at least two things in common:

• They are based on students’ original research.
• They take the form of a written manuscript, which presents the findings of that research. In the humanities, theses average 50-75 pages in length and consist of two or more chapters. In the social sciences, the manuscript may be shorter, depending on whether the project involves more quantitative than qualitative research. In the hard sciences, the manuscript may be shorter still, often taking the form of a sophisticated laboratory report.

Who can write an honors thesis?

In general, students who are at the end of their junior year, have an overall 3.2 GPA, and meet their departmental requirements can write a senior thesis. For information about your eligibility, contact:

• UNC Honors Program
• Your departmental administrators of undergraduate studies/honors

Why write an honors thesis?

Satisfy your intellectual curiosity This is the most compelling reason to write a thesis. Whether it’s the short stories of Flannery O’Connor or the challenges of urban poverty, you’ve studied topics in college that really piqued your interest. Now’s your chance to follow your passions, explore further, and contribute some original ideas and research in your field.

Develop transferable skills Whether you choose to stay in your field of study or not, the process of developing and crafting a feasible research project will hone skills that will serve you well in almost any future job. After all, most jobs require some form of problem solving and oral and written communication. Writing an honors thesis requires that you:

• ask smart questions
• acquire the investigative instincts needed to find answers
• navigate libraries, laboratories, archives, databases, and other research venues
• develop the flexibility to redirect your research if your initial plan flops
• master the art of time management
• hone your argumentation skills
• organize a lengthy piece of writing
• polish your oral communication skills by presenting and defending your project to faculty and peers

Work closely with faculty mentors At large research universities like Carolina, you’ve likely taken classes where you barely got to know your instructor. Writing a thesis offers the opportunity to work one-on-one with a with faculty adviser. Such mentors can enrich your intellectual development and later serve as invaluable references for graduate school and employment.

Open windows into future professions An honors thesis will give you a taste of what it’s like to do research in your field. Even if you’re a sociology major, you may not really know what it’s like to be a sociologist. Writing a sociology thesis would open a window into that world. It also might help you decide whether to pursue that field in graduate school or in your future career.

How do you write an honors thesis?

Get an idea of what’s expected.

It’s a good idea to review some of the honors theses other students have submitted to get a sense of what an honors thesis might look like and what kinds of things might be appropriate topics. Look for examples from the previous year in the Carolina Digital Repository. You may also be able to find past theses collected in your major department or at the North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library. Pay special attention to theses written by students who share your major.

Choose a topic

Ideally, you should start thinking about topics early in your junior year, so you can begin your research and writing quickly during your senior year. (Many departments require that you submit a proposal for an honors thesis project during the spring of your junior year.)

How should you choose a topic?

• Read widely in the fields that interest you. Make a habit of browsing professional journals to survey the “hot” areas of research and to familiarize yourself with your field’s stylistic conventions. (You’ll find the most recent issues of the major professional journals in the periodicals reading room on the first floor of Davis Library).
• Set up appointments to talk with faculty in your field. This is a good idea, since you’ll eventually need to select an advisor and a second reader. Faculty also can help you start narrowing down potential topics.
• Look at honors theses from the past. The North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library holds UNC honors theses. To get a sense of the typical scope of a thesis, take a look at a sampling from your field.

What makes a good topic?

• It’s fascinating. Above all, choose something that grips your imagination. If you don’t, the chances are good that you’ll struggle to finish.
• It’s doable. Even if a topic interests you, it won’t work out unless you have access to the materials you need to research it. Also be sure that your topic is narrow enough. Let’s take an example: Say you’re interested in the efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and early 1980s. That’s a big topic that probably can’t be adequately covered in a single thesis. You need to find a case study within that larger topic. For example, maybe you’re particularly interested in the states that did not ratify the ERA. Of those states, perhaps you’ll select North Carolina, since you’ll have ready access to local research materials. And maybe you want to focus primarily on the ERA’s opponents. Beyond that, maybe you’re particularly interested in female opponents of the ERA. Now you’ve got a much more manageable topic: Women in North Carolina Who Opposed the ERA in the 1970s and 1980s.
• It contains a question. There’s a big difference between having a topic and having a guiding research question. Taking the above topic, perhaps your main question is: Why did some women in North Carolina oppose the ERA? You will, of course, generate other questions: Who were the most outspoken opponents? White women? Middle-class women? How did they oppose the ERA? Public protests? Legislative petitions? etc. etc. Yet it’s good to start with a guiding question that will focus your research.

Goal-setting and time management

The senior year is an exceptionally busy time for college students. In addition to the usual load of courses and jobs, seniors have the daunting task of applying for jobs and/or graduate school. These demands are angst producing and time consuming If that scenario sounds familiar, don’t panic! Do start strategizing about how to make a time for your thesis. You may need to take a lighter course load or eliminate extracurricular activities. Even if the thesis is the only thing on your plate, you still need to make a systematic schedule for yourself. Most departments require that you take a class that guides you through the honors project, so deadlines likely will be set for you. Still, you should set your own goals for meeting those deadlines. Here are a few suggestions for goal setting and time management:

Start early. Keep in mind that many departments will require that you turn in your thesis sometime in early April, so don’t count on having the entire spring semester to finish your work. Ideally, you’ll start the research process the semester or summer before your senior year so that the writing process can begin early in the fall. Some goal-setting will be done for you if you are taking a required class that guides you through the honors project. But any substantive research project requires a clear timetable.

Set clear goals in making a timetable. Find out the final deadline for turning in your project to your department. Working backwards from that deadline, figure out how much time you can allow for the various stages of production.

Here is a sample timetable. Use it, however, with two caveats in mind:

• The timetable for your thesis might look very different depending on your departmental requirements.
• You may not wish to proceed through these stages in a linear fashion. You may want to revise chapter one before you write chapter two. Or you might want to write your introduction last, not first. This sample is designed simply to help you start thinking about how to customize your own schedule.

Sample timetable

Avoid falling into the trap of procrastination. Once you’ve set goals for yourself, stick to them! For some tips on how to do this, see our handout on procrastination .

Consistent production

It’s a good idea to try to squeeze in a bit of thesis work every day—even if it’s just fifteen minutes of journaling or brainstorming about your topic. Or maybe you’ll spend that fifteen minutes taking notes on a book. The important thing is to accomplish a bit of active production (i.e., putting words on paper) for your thesis every day. That way, you develop good writing habits that will help you keep your project moving forward.

Make yourself accountable to someone other than yourself

Since most of you will be taking a required thesis seminar, you will have deadlines. Yet you might want to form a writing group or enlist a peer reader, some person or people who can help you stick to your goals. Moreover, if your advisor encourages you to work mostly independently, don’t be afraid to ask them to set up periodic meetings at which you’ll turn in installments of your project.

Brainstorming and freewriting

One of the biggest challenges of a lengthy writing project is keeping the creative juices flowing. Here’s where freewriting can help. Try keeping a small notebook handy where you jot down stray ideas that pop into your head. Or schedule time to freewrite. You may find that such exercises “free” you up to articulate your argument and generate new ideas. Here are some questions to stimulate freewriting.

Questions for basic brainstorming at the beginning of your project:

• What do I already know about this topic?
• Why do I care about this topic?
• Why is this topic important to people other than myself
• What more do I want to learn about this topic?
• What is the main question that I am trying to answer?
• Where can I look for additional information?
• Who is my audience and how can I reach them?
• How will my work inform my larger field of study?
• What’s the main goal of my research project?

Questions for reflection throughout your project:

• What’s my main argument? How has it changed since I began the project?
• What’s the most important evidence that I have in support of my “big point”?
• What questions do my sources not answer?
• How does my case study inform or challenge my field writ large?
• Does my project reinforce or contradict noted scholars in my field? How?
• What is the most surprising finding of my research?
• What is the most frustrating part of this project?
• What is the most rewarding part of this project?
• What will be my work’s most important contribution?

Research and note-taking

In conducting research, you will need to find both primary sources (“firsthand” sources that come directly from the period/events/people you are studying) and secondary sources (“secondhand” sources that are filtered through the interpretations of experts in your field.) The nature of your research will vary tremendously, depending on what field you’re in. For some general suggestions on finding sources, consult the UNC Libraries tutorials . Whatever the exact nature of the research you’re conducting, you’ll be taking lots of notes and should reflect critically on how you do that. Too often it’s assumed that the research phase of a project involves very little substantive writing (i.e., writing that involves thinking). We sit down with our research materials and plunder them for basic facts and useful quotations. That mechanical type of information-recording is important. But a more thoughtful type of writing and analytical thinking is also essential at this stage. Some general guidelines for note-taking:

First of all, develop a research system. There are lots of ways to take and organize your notes. Whether you choose to use note cards, computer databases, or notebooks, follow two cardinal rules:

• Make careful distinctions between direct quotations and your paraphrasing! This is critical if you want to be sure to avoid accidentally plagiarizing someone else’s work. For more on this, see our handout on plagiarism .
• Record full citations for each source. Don’t get lazy here! It will be far more difficult to find the proper citation later than to write it down now.

Keeping those rules in mind, here’s a template for the types of information that your note cards/legal pad sheets/computer files should include for each of your sources:

Abbreviated subject heading: Include two or three words to remind you of what this sources is about (this shorthand categorization is essential for the later sorting of your sources).

Complete bibliographic citation:

• author, title, publisher, copyright date, and page numbers for published works
• box and folder numbers and document descriptions for archival sources
• complete web page title, author, address, and date accessed for online sources

Notes on facts, quotations, and arguments: Depending on the type of source you’re using, the content of your notes will vary. If, for example, you’re using US Census data, then you’ll mainly be writing down statistics and numbers. If you’re looking at someone else’s diary, you might jot down a number of quotations that illustrate the subject’s feelings and perspectives. If you’re looking at a secondary source, you’ll want to make note not just of factual information provided by the author but also of their key arguments.

Your interpretation of the source: This is the most important part of note-taking. Don’t just record facts. Go ahead and take a stab at interpreting them. As historians Jacques Barzun and Henry F. Graff insist, “A note is a thought.” So what do these thoughts entail? Ask yourself questions about the context and significance of each source.

Interpreting the context of a source:

• Who wrote/created the source?
• When, and under what circumstances, was it written/created?
• Why was it written/created? What was the agenda behind the source?
• How was it written/created?
• If using a secondary source: How does it speak to other scholarship in the field?

Interpreting the significance of a source:

• How does this source answer (or complicate) my guiding research questions?
• Does it pose new questions for my project? What are they?
• Does it challenge my fundamental argument? If so, how?
• Given the source’s context, how reliable is it?

You don’t need to answer all of these questions for each source, but you should set a goal of engaging in at least one or two sentences of thoughtful, interpretative writing for each source. If you do so, you’ll make much easier the next task that awaits you: drafting.

The dread of drafting

Why do we often dread drafting? We dread drafting because it requires synthesis, one of the more difficult forms of thinking and interpretation. If you’ve been free-writing and taking thoughtful notes during the research phase of your project, then the drafting should be far less painful. Here are some tips on how to get started:

Sort your “evidence” or research into analytical categories:

• Some people file note cards into categories.
• The technologically-oriented among us take notes using computer database programs that have built-in sorting mechanisms.
• Others cut and paste evidence into detailed outlines on their computer.
• Still others stack books, notes, and photocopies into topically-arranged piles.There is not a single right way, but this step—in some form or fashion—is essential!

If you’ve been forcing yourself to put subject headings on your notes as you go along, you’ll have generated a number of important analytical categories. Now, you need to refine those categories and sort your evidence. Everyone has a different “sorting style.”

Formulate working arguments for your entire thesis and individual chapters. Once you’ve sorted your evidence, you need to spend some time thinking about your project’s “big picture.” You need to be able to answer two questions in specific terms:

• What is the overall argument of my thesis?
• What are the sub-arguments of each chapter and how do they relate to my main argument?

Keep in mind that “working arguments” may change after you start writing. But a senior thesis is big and potentially unwieldy. If you leave this business of argument to chance, you may end up with a tangle of ideas. See our handout on arguments and handout on thesis statements for some general advice on formulating arguments.

Divide your thesis into manageable chunks. The surest road to frustration at this stage is getting obsessed with the big picture. What? Didn’t we just say that you needed to focus on the big picture? Yes, by all means, yes. You do need to focus on the big picture in order to get a conceptual handle on your project, but you also need to break your thesis down into manageable chunks of writing. For example, take a small stack of note cards and flesh them out on paper. Or write through one point on a chapter outline. Those small bits of prose will add up quickly.

Just start! Even if it’s not at the beginning. Are you having trouble writing those first few pages of your chapter? Sometimes the introduction is the toughest place to start. You should have a rough idea of your overall argument before you begin writing one of the main chapters, but you might find it easier to start writing in the middle of a chapter of somewhere other than word one. Grab hold where you evidence is strongest and your ideas are clearest.

Keep up the momentum! Assuming the first draft won’t be your last draft, try to get your thoughts on paper without spending too much time fussing over minor stylistic concerns. At the drafting stage, it’s all about getting those ideas on paper. Once that task is done, you can turn your attention to revising.

Peter Elbow, in Writing With Power, suggests that writing is difficult because it requires two conflicting tasks: creating and criticizing. While these two tasks are intimately intertwined, the drafting stage focuses on creating, while revising requires criticizing. If you leave your revising to the last minute, then you’ve left out a crucial stage of the writing process. See our handout for some general tips on revising . The challenges of revising an honors thesis may include:

Juggling feedback from multiple readers

A senior thesis may mark the first time that you have had to juggle feedback from a wide range of readers:

• your adviser
• a second (and sometimes third) faculty reader
• the professor and students in your honors thesis seminar

You may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of incorporating all this advice. Keep in mind that some advice is better than others. You will probably want to take most seriously the advice of your adviser since they carry the most weight in giving your project a stamp of approval. But sometimes your adviser may give you more advice than you can digest. If so, don’t be afraid to approach them—in a polite and cooperative spirit, of course—and ask for some help in prioritizing that advice. See our handout for some tips on getting and receiving feedback .

Refining your argument

It’s especially easy in writing a lengthy work to lose sight of your main ideas. So spend some time after you’ve drafted to go back and clarify your overall argument and the individual chapter arguments and make sure they match the evidence you present.

Organizing and reorganizing

Again, in writing a 50-75 page thesis, things can get jumbled. You may find it particularly helpful to make a “reverse outline” of each of your chapters. That will help you to see the big sections in your work and move things around so there’s a logical flow of ideas. See our handout on  organization  for more organizational suggestions and tips on making a reverse outline

Plugging in holes in your evidence

It’s unlikely that you anticipated everything you needed to look up before you drafted your thesis. Save some time at the revising stage to plug in the holes in your research. Make sure that you have both primary and secondary evidence to support and contextualize your main ideas.

Saving time for the small stuff

Even though your argument, evidence, and organization are most important, leave plenty of time to polish your prose. At this point, you’ve spent a very long time on your thesis. Don’t let minor blemishes (misspellings and incorrect grammar) distract your readers!

Formatting and final touches

You’re almost done! You’ve researched, drafted, and revised your thesis; now you need to take care of those pesky little formatting matters. An honors thesis should replicate—on a smaller scale—the appearance of a dissertation or master’s thesis. So, you need to include the “trappings” of a formal piece of academic work. For specific questions on formatting matters, check with your department to see if it has a style guide that you should use. For general formatting guidelines, consult the Graduate School’s Guide to Dissertations and Theses . Keeping in mind the caveat that you should always check with your department first about its stylistic guidelines, here’s a brief overview of the final “finishing touches” that you’ll need to put on your honors thesis:

• Honors Thesis
• Name of Department
• University of North Carolina
• These parts of the thesis will vary in format depending on whether your discipline uses MLA, APA, CBE, or Chicago (also known in its shortened version as Turabian) style. Whichever style you’re using, stick to the rules and be consistent. It might be helpful to buy an appropriate style guide. Or consult the UNC LibrariesYear Citations/footnotes and works cited/reference pages  citation tutorial
• In addition, in the bottom left corner, you need to leave space for your adviser and faculty readers to sign their names. For example:

Approved by: _____________________

Adviser: Prof. Jane Doe

• This is not a required component of an honors thesis. However, if you want to thank particular librarians, archivists, interviewees, and advisers, here’s the place to do it. You should include an acknowledgments page if you received a grant from the university or an outside agency that supported your research. It’s a good idea to acknowledge folks who helped you with a major project, but do not feel the need to go overboard with copious and flowery expressions of gratitude. You can—and should—always write additional thank-you notes to people who gave you assistance.
• Formatted much like the table of contents.
• You’ll need to save this until the end, because it needs to reflect your final pagination. Once you’ve made all changes to the body of the thesis, then type up your table of contents with the titles of each section aligned on the left and the page numbers on which those sections begin flush right.
• Each page of your thesis needs a number, although not all page numbers are displayed. All pages that precede the first page of the main text (i.e., your introduction or chapter one) are numbered with small roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, v, etc.). All pages thereafter use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.).
• Your text should be double spaced (except, in some cases, long excerpts of quoted material), in a 12 point font and a standard font style (e.g., Times New Roman). An honors thesis isn’t the place to experiment with funky fonts—they won’t enhance your work, they’ll only distract your readers.
• In general, leave a one-inch inch margin on all sides. However, for the copy of your thesis that will be bound by the library, you need to leave a 1.25-inch margin on the left.

How do I defend my honors thesis?

Graciously, enthusiastically, and confidently. The term defense is scary and misleading—it conjures up images of a military exercise or an athletic maneuver. An academic defense ideally shouldn’t be a combative scene but a congenial conversation about the work’s merits and weaknesses. That said, the defense probably won’t be like the average conversation that you have with your friends. You’ll be the center of attention. And you may get some challenging questions. Thus, it’s a good idea to spend some time preparing yourself. First of all, you’ll want to prepare 5-10 minutes of opening comments. Here’s a good time to preempt some criticisms by frankly acknowledging what you think your work’s greatest strengths and weaknesses are. Then you may be asked some typical questions:

• What is the main argument of your thesis?
• How does it fit in with the work of Ms. Famous Scholar?
• Have you read the work of Mr. Important Author?

NOTE: Don’t get too flustered if you haven’t! Most scholars have their favorite authors and books and may bring one or more of them up, even if the person or book is only tangentially related to the topic at hand. Should you get this question, answer honestly and simply jot down the title or the author’s name for future reference. No one expects you to have read everything that’s out there.

• Why did you choose this particular case study to explore your topic?
• If you were to expand this project in graduate school, how would you do so?

Should you get some biting criticism of your work, try not to get defensive. Yes, this is a defense, but you’ll probably only fan the flames if you lose your cool. Keep in mind that all academic work has flaws or weaknesses, and you can be sure that your professors have received criticisms of their own work. It’s part of the academic enterprise. Accept criticism graciously and learn from it. If you receive criticism that is unfair, stand up for yourself confidently, but in a good spirit. Above all, try to have fun! A defense is a rare opportunity to have eminent scholars in your field focus on YOU and your ideas and work. And the defense marks the end of a long and arduous journey. You have every right to be proud of your accomplishments!

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Atchity, Kenneth. 1986. A Writer’s Time: A Guide to the Creative Process from Vision Through Revision . New York: W.W. Norton.

Barzun, Jacques, and Henry F. Graff. 2012. The Modern Researcher , 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Elbow, Peter. 1998. Writing With Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process . New York: Oxford University Press.

Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. 2014. “They Say/I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing , 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.

Lamott, Anne. 1994. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life . New York: Pantheon.

Lasch, Christopher. 2002. Plain Style: A Guide to Written English. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Turabian, Kate. 2018. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, Dissertations , 9th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Cognitive Science

Writing a senior honors thesis.

Undergraduates are encouraged to take advantage of all the exciting and groundbreaking research taking place in the Cognitive Science program at UC Davis.

Graduating with Honors requires a qualifying GPA, set by the  College of Letters and Sciences . Cognitive Science majors that meet this GPA requirement and wish to write an honors thesis can follow these steps:

1) Identify a Faculty Sponsor who is willing to mentor an Honors Thesis. 

Ideally this individual will be a member of the faculty whose home department is providing substantial coursework for the Cognitive Science Major. This currently includes: Psychology, Philosophy, Linguistics, Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior (NPB), Communications and Computer Science.  In most cases, the student will have worked closely with the faculty mentor for at least a year prior to beginning the thesis.

2) Form a Committee. 

The Honors Thesis Evaluation Committee will be a two-person committee. This committee will evaluate and grade the honor thesis (i.e. highest honors, high honors, honors). The evaluation committee will be made up of the faculty mentor and one additional faculty member from a Cognitive Science affiliated department.  

3) Propose a project. 

The student should meet with the faculty mentor and develop a written proposal that clearly:  

• Reflects significant original research.
• Articulates the research to be conducted.
• Motivates the project, citing relevant theoretical background.
• Addresses how this project embraces/derives from a cross-disciplinary perspective.

4) Submit the Undergraduate Thesis Application .

The Undergraduate Thesis Application should be filled out with the chosen Faculty Sponsor and the Cognitive Science  Faculty Advisor . Submit completed and signed form to [email protected] .

5) Complete two quarters of independent study coursework (CGS 194HA & HB, 3 units/quarter, graded) with the faculty mentor while working on the project and thesis.

The written proposal must be approved by the student’s Honors Evaluation Committee by the end of the first quarter of the students 194HA coursework. Note, this coursework must be taken with a grading option (i.e. not P/No Pass).

6) The final thesis will document the student’s efforts and products (research findings, website, computer program, etc.).

The written project should re-articulate the goals outlined in (3). It should be submitted to the Honor’s Evaluation Committee prior to the last day of instruction. Students will be awarded High Honors for a satisfactory thesis and Highest Honors for an ambitious and extremely well executed thesis.

Bachelor of Science in Human Science Honors Program

The honors program in human science recognizes those students pursuing a high level of independent discovery research (laboratory, archival, community, epidemiological) during their undergraduate years, culminating in a senior undergraduate thesis as they complete their Human Science major course of study.

The purpose of this program is to permit students of high academic achievement to enjoy greater responsibility and initiative in their major work. The honors program in Human Science requires a significant mentored research experience in a topic of the student’s choosing.

Graduating with Honors in Human Science requires completion of the Human Science curriculum with the addition of a senior thesis. Students who complete an acceptable Honors Thesis and all other requirements for the Human Science major will graduate with a B.S in Human Science with Honors.

How to Apply

Full-time human science students with at least a 3.0 science GPA may apply anytime after the end of their first year, but before the posted deadline. To apply, students should review and follow the Description of the Human Science Honors Program and complete the Application for the Human Science Honors Program. Questions regarding the program should be directed to Jan LaRocque , Director of the Human Science Honors Program.

Past Honors in Human Science Senior Theses

• Ariel Le. Barriers and Facilitators to Shared Decision-Making and Lung Cancer Screening Among Individuals Who Utilize the Maryland Tobacco Quitline. Honors. (Mentor: Joan Riley)
• Katie Meadows. College Student Wellbeing: Belonging, Flourishing and Social Support. Honors. (Mentor: Joan Riley)
• Brianna Miller. Multilevel Barriers and Facilitators of Healthcare Organization and Delivery Among Childhood Cancer Survivors. Honors. (Mentor: Joan Riley)
• Julie Nguyen. Examining College Student Vaping. Honors. (Mentor: Joan Riley)
• Brandon Peng. Investigation of Transcriptional Drivers of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. Honors. (Mentor: Jan LaRocque)
• Nadia Sadanandan. The Role of Tumor Associated Macrophages and Interleukin-6 in Sonic Hedgehog Medulloblastoma. Honors. (Mentor: Alex Theos)
• Brady Stallman. The Role of Insulin-like Peptides in C. elegans ’ Sodium Chemotaxis Learning. Honors. (Mentor: Ted Nelson)
• Makenzie Thomas. The Role of Drosophila melanogaster Rif1 and CtIP in DNA Double-Strand Break Repair. Honors. (Mentor: Jan LaRocque)
• Elijah N. D. Choos. Empagliflozin Treatment Alters the Inflammatory Response in Hepatic Steatosis of Obese TallyHo Mice. Honors. (Mentor: Blythe D. Shepard)
• Elizabeth “Lizzie” Graham. The Impact of Cell Cycle and Sex on DNA Double-Strand Break Repair Pathway Choice in Drosophila melanogaster. Honors. (Mentor: Jan LaRocque)
• Ileana Mendez Espinoza. Analyzing the Metabolomic and Lipidomic Profiles of Mice Under a High-Milk-Fat Diet Treated with and without Empagliflozin. Honors. (Mentor: Blythe D. Shepard)
• Aneesha Kumar. The Probiotic BB-12, Adverse Events Same as Placebo : Meta-Analysis and Individual Patient-Data Meta Analysis. Honors. (Mentor: Dan Merenstein)
• Britney Shaw. Elucidating the Role of Renal Olfactory Receptor 1393 in Female Type 1 Diabetic Mice. Honors. (Mentor: Blythe D. Shepard)
• Aleksandra “Ola” Swiatek. Investigating the effects of the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) and globus pallidus externa (GPe) on the motor and non-motor behavior output of the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN). Honors. (Mentor: Ted Nelson)
• Julia R. Alvey. Characterizing the DNA Damage Response of the NORAD lncRNA in Human Osteosarcoma. Honors. (Mentor: Alex Theos)
• Elena E. Evans. Dysregulation of FBLP-1 Binding Partner Interactions in the Molecular Etiology of CRMO. Honors. (Mentor: Alex Theos)
• Zahraa S. Hotait. Characterizing Murine Diabetic Glucose Metabolism Under Conditions of Attenuated Renal Glucose Reabsorption. Honors. (Mentor: Blythe Shepard)
• Jen-Yuan Christine Kao. Examining Associations Between Discussing Lung Cancer Screening Results & Determination To Quit Smoking. Honors. (Mentor: Joan Riley)
• Arjun Mathur. Investigating the Role of OCR-2 and OSM-9 in Alkalinity Sensitivity. Honors. (Mentor: Ted Nelson)
• Janessa Mendoza. Literacy, self-stigma, and well-being: the triad of college student mental health – Mental health literacy, self-stigma of seeking help, and well-being in Georgetown students. Honors. (Mentor: Joan Riley)
• Cornelia D. “Nina” Williams. Impact of Emergency Medical Technician Training on the Well-Being of Young Adult Trainees. Honors. (Mentor: Joan Riley)
• Dalton Fowler. Characterization of a Mouse Liver Cell Line to Elucidate Sensory Receptor Function in Hepatic Tissue. Honors. (Advisor: Blythe Shepard)
• Ali Jordan. Elucidating the role of estrogen receptor signaling in the development of STZ-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus. Honors. (Advisor: Blythe Shepard)
• Andrew Tiu. Investigating drivers of influenza seasonality. Honors (Mentor: Shweta Bansal; Advisor: Ted Nelson)
• Elizabeth “Lizzie” Considine. Olfactory Receptor 1393 in Type 1 Diabetic Knockout Mice: Mechanism and Consequences. Honors. (Advisor: Blythe Shepard)
• Sara Misiukiewicz. Neuropeptide-Y Mediated Perineural Invasion as a Mechanism for Ewing Sarcoma Metastasis. Honors. (Advisor: Jason Tilan)
• Sara Niederberger. The Crystallization and Properties of Thymine Hydrate Grown with Tailored Lattice Substitutions. Honors. (Advisor: Joan Riley)
• Jinia Sarkar. Prescription Literacy and Viral Suppression in HIV-Positive Women in Washington D.C.: A Pilot Study. Honors. (Advisor: Joan Riley)
• Carolyn Hofley. Provider-Level Barriers to Hepatitis C Treatment among Persons Who Inject Drugs: A Qualitative Study of Primary Care Providers in southern New Hampshire. Honors.(Advisor: Joan Riley)
• Lindsay Caprio. The role of Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and its Y5 receptor (Y5R) in refractory Neuroblastoma. Honors. (Advisor: Jason Tilan)
• Alexis “Lexi” Schiazza. Sweet Victory: Controlling Glucose Handling via Renal Olfactory Receptor 1393 Offers Protection in a Type 1 Diabetic Mouse Model. Honors.(Advisor: Blythe Shepard)
• Jowan Watson. Role Separation’s Impact on Student-Athlete Well-Being. Honors. (Advisor: Joan Riley)
• Joseph Dao. Investigation of tmc-1 and Salt Chemotaxis Learning with C. elegans . Honors. (Advisor: Ted Nelson)
• Sarah Joseph. Temperature-dependent sorting of fluorescent protein-tagged tyrosinases to the melanosome. Honors. (Advisor: Alex Theos)
• Noori Srivastava. The Role of DmBlm in Double-strand Break Repair and Gene Conversion. Honors. (Advisor: Jan LaRocque)
• Larissa Wietlisbach. A stressful study! Prenatal stress identified as a risk factor for Neuroblastoma development and malignancy in offspring. Honors. (Advisor: Jason Tilan)
• Danielle Zamalin. Identification of SpCas9-Specific Immune Response in Immunocompetent Mice. Honors. (Advisor: Alex Theos)
• Benjamin Johnson. Psychosocial Impacts on College Students Providing Mental Health Peer Support. Honors. (Advisor: Joan Riley)
• Madison Keefe. The Effects of Submaximal Exercise on Autonomic Dysfunction in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Honors. (Advisor: Joan Riley)
• McKenzie Schwarze. Characterization of cell biology and potential functions of Tyrp1 variants. Honors. (Advisor: Alex Theos)
• Kristen Watkins. Huntington’s disease and employment: The relative contributions of cognitive and motor decline to the decision to leave work. Honors. (Advisor: Rosemary Sokas)
• Rachel Acree. Investigating the Role of NPY in Ewing Sarcoma Metastasis Formation. Honors with Distinction. (Advisor: Jason Tilan)
• Shannon Glynn. Smokeless Tobacco Use Among Undergraduate Male College Students: Motivation for Use. Honors. (Advisor: Joan Riley).
• Jeff Haake. Uncovering the Mechanisms behind Rad51 Misregulation in Response to Strigolactone Treatment in Cancer Cells. Honors with Distinction. (Advisor: Ronit Yarden)
• Margaret Krackeler. Characteristics and Behaviors of Male College Student Smokeless Tobacco Users: Nicotine Dependence and Cessation Attempts. Honors. (Advisor: Joan Riley)
• Jennifer LaPier. Investigating the combined effects of Strigolactone and PARP inhibitor in cancer cells as a potential synthetically lethal drug combination. Honors with Distinction. (Advisor: Ronit Yarden)
• Neha Rajpal. Barriers and Facilitators to BRCA1 and BRCA2 Genetic Counseling among at-risk Latina Breast Cancer Survivors in Washington D.C. Honors with Distinction. (Advisor: Joan Riley)
• Pallavi Tatapudy. The Function of RECQ1 in Genome Stability and its Conservation Across Species. Honors. (Advisor: Jan LaRocque)
• Yuzana Khine Zaw. Targeting Mutant p53 in the Growth Inhibition of Human Oral Cancer. Honors. (Advisor: Alex Theos)
• Anthony Do. Determining the role of mismatch repair in suppressing recombination between diverged sequences. Honors with Distinction. (Advisor: Jan LaRocque)
• Christopher Grivas. Strigolactones Compromise Microtubule Integrity and Inhibit Invasive Properties in Cancer Cells. Honors with Distinction. (Advisor: Ronit Yarden)
• Yuhao (Tom) Shi. Rac1-mediated DNA damage and inflammation promote Nf2 tumorigenesis but also limit cell cycle progression by inducing p53 checkpoint and cellular senescence. Honors with Distinction. (Advisor: Jason Tilan)
• Victor Wang. Strigolactone analogue induced reactive oxygen species activate pro survival responses prior to apoptosis in cancer cells. Honors with Distinction. (Advisor: Ronit Yarden)
• James Nolan. Investigating the Role of BRCA1 and Posttranslational Modifications in the DNA Damage Response. Honors with Distinction. (Advisor: Ronit Yarden)
• David Christian. Prenatal Stress Enhances Neuroblastoma Development and Progression Through the Neuropeptide Y system. Honors With Distinction. (Principal Investigator: Joanna Kitlinska, PhD, Mentor: Jason Tilan, PhD)
• Melissa Metcalf. Internally Tagged Glycoprotein Non-metastatic Melanoma Protein B (GPNMB(HT)i) Overexpressed in ARPE19-NHT cells: A Model System for GPNMB Function. (Advisor: Alex Theos, PhD)
• Alexandra Pietraszkiewicz. The G2/ M Key Regulator, Cyclin B, is SUMOylated in Response to DNA Damage. (Advisor: Ronit Yarden, PhD)
• David Barton. Traumatic Brain Injury: Targeting Blood-Brain Barrier Breakdown Via an Apolipoprotein E-dependent Pathway. Honors With Distinction. (Advisor: Maureen Basha, PhD)
• Ryan Bellmore. A Characterization of the Site-specific Dephosphorylation of Microtubule- associated Protein 2 in Response to Neuronal Activity. (Advisor: Maureen Basha, PhD)
• Petar Georgiev. Quantifying Levels of Nicotinic Acetylcholinergic Receptor Ligands In Serum and In Brain. (Advisor: JP Hyatt, PhD)
• Neha Jejurikar. Understanding Subcellular Location of GPNMB Points to Putative Biological Function of the Protein as a Potential Driver of Tumor Progression (Advisor: Alex Theos, PhD)
• Danielle LoRe. Eye Movements and EEG Activity During Task Performance Reveal Personalized Brain Dynamics for Coping with Fear and Anxiety. (Advisor: Alex Theos, PhD)
• Colin Ryan. Strigolactones Cause Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis via Formation of DNA Double-Strand Breaks (Advisor: Ronit Yarden, PhD)
• Madeline Tadley. Investigating the Role of ESCRT in the Intracellular Transport of GPNMB in Human Melanoma. Honors With Distinction. (Advisor: Alex Theos, PhD)
• Scott Wisniewski. EGFP-tagged Temperature-Sensitive Tyrosinase as a Tool for Tracking ER Exit and Potential Protein Refolding. (Advisor: Alex Theos, PhD)
• Dana Alsaadi. Msx1 Expression Analysis in Endometrioid Ovarian Epithelial Carcinoma. Honors with distinction.
• Melissa Gadsden. Missorting of GPNMB-R150X Protein in DBA/2J Mouse Melanocytes: a Model for Pigmentary Glaucoma. Honors with distinction.
• Ashley Huber. Resveratrol Treatment in Rhesus Macaques has Minimal Influence on Skeletal Muscle Genotypic Expression and Glycolytic/Oxidative Enzyme Activity. Honors with distinction.
• Ali Soroush. Challenging the Canonical RNA Binding Model of Hepatitis Delta Antigen Using a Mammalian Cell-based Assay. Honors with distinction.
• Chelsea Feldman. Characterization of the Sorting Signals that Direct GPNMB Internalization and Trafficking. Honors with distinction.
• Lauren McDaniel. The Role of c-Myc in Antiestrogen Resistant Breast Cancer. Honors with distinction.
• Megan McMenamin. The Impact of Method of Delivery on the Development of Allergic Disease. Honors with distinction.
• Laura T. Boitano. The effects of yoga on the immune status of breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. Honors.
• Brigitte L. Granger. Impact of studying abroad on U.S. college students’ tobacco use. Honors with distinction.
• Kaileen Rohr. Complex Dysregulation of Cytokine Production in XLA monocytes following TLR and Bacterial Stimulation. Honors.
• Roland M. Dimaya. Assessing short-term memory in Tourette Syndrome using a nonsense-word repetition task. Honors.
• Bridget Dowd. Cysteine residues within the fractalkine-like domain of the attachment G glycoprotein of respiratory syncytial virus play a critical role in the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response upon infection. Honors.
• Stephanie M. Zare. Navicular drop not static arch height is a better predictor of stress fracture risk in male athletes. Honors with Distinction.
• Allison C. Boyd. Novel HIV-1 Genomic Mutations Related to Antiretroviral Drug Resistance. Honors with Distinction.
• Emily M. Herzberg. PDE-5 inhibitor use and associated risk behavior HIV- patterns among positive males at an urban HIV clinic in Washington, DC. Honors with Distinction.
• Jennifer Mulla. The role of IRF-1 in ICI 182./80 mediated apoptosis of MCF7/LCC9 breast cancer cells. Honors with Distinction.
• Caitlin Wallach, Comparative Pharmacokinetic Parameters of Intravenously Administered Ravuconazole in Healthy and Neutropenic Rabbits with Pulmonary Aspergillosis. Honors.
• Emily P. Wang. The effect of estradiol in the presence/absence of antiestrogens on the ErbB2/PI 3-K/Akt1 pathway in hormone-dependent breast cancer. Honors.
• Bradley M. White. In Vitro Dopamine Sensing Capabilities of Polycarbazole Film-Modified Platinum Electrodes. Honors with Distinction.

About the Information on This Page

Approved by the Human Science Faculty: May 10, 2006

Modifications approved by Human Science Faculty: May 2, 2007; May 13. 2010, April 5, 2013; October 10, 2014; May 16, 2016; August 29, 2016; March 26, 2021; October 6, 2022; May 2023; October 2023

Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science

The honors undergraduate research thesis.

If you're thinking about graduate school, you should get involved in independent research as early as possible — typically no later than your junior year. One way to do this is through the SCS Honors Undergraduate Research Thesis Program. Any CMU undergraduate (including non-SCS students) can complete an honors thesis on any computational topic within SCS.

Browse our archive of past thesis topics.

About the Program

The SCS Honors Undergraduate Research Thesis Program introduces you to the tasks involved in independent research, including library work, problem formulation, experimentation and analysis and/or theoretical proofs of computational principles, technical writing, and public speaking. You'll begin by writing a summary of prior results that will become part of your final thesis. At the end of your first semester of research, you'll present a poster, short talk and progress report at an SCS research event held during finals. Finally, you'll present your results with a poster and an oral presentation in May at CMU's undergraduate research symposium, the Meeting of the Minds , and submit a written thesis for review by an SCS faculty panel.

You must select an advisor and develop a plan for your thesis. While your work must be advised by an SCS faculty member, you can also have a faculty co-advisor from elsewhere at CMU if you'd like to explore a multidisciplinary problem.

To propose and complete an honors thesis, you should be in good academic standing. There is no GPA requirement for proposing or completing an honors thesis — honors will be conferred solely on the merits of the work produced.

Once you've begun your honors thesis, you'll be enrolled in course 07-599 during two semesters and receive a letter grade based on activities assigned in the course and the recommendation from your research advisor. At the end of each semester, you will present your work to a panel from the SCS Undergraduate Review Committee (URC), which will first decide if you can continue to the second semester and then decide to confer honors.

We strongly suggest you complete a research independent study to prepare for your honors thesis. In some circumstances, students may have completed significant research that can form part of their thesis. In such a case, you should clearly indicate this work in your thesis proposal and have it approved by your thesis advisor. The associate dean can then award up to 12 units of independent study research toward the thesis and reduce the number of units required in each semester of the honors thesis course.

Getting Started

If you're planning to complete a thesis, you must assemble a thesis proposal containing the following information:

• The name of the research advisor (an SCS faculty member) as well as a co-advisor, if relevant.
• A short abstract (at most two paragraphs).
• A description of the problem to be worked on and its significance, along with a clear indication of your understanding of the problem’s background and impact.
• A bibliography of related work.
• the background reading to be carried out;
• any preliminary results based on prior research;
• the intended research contribution;
• the expected results of the research; and
• a reasonably detailed timeline for the thesis work.
• The signature of your research advisor(s), signifying endorsement of the project and willingness to provide the significant time investment required to supervise it.

You must submit your thesis proposal to Tom Cortina, associate dean for Undergraduate Programs (or Giselle Reis, the CS area head at CMU-Q) by the first day of classes of the semester in which you're starting your thesis. There will be a rolling review of thesis applications before this deadline. (That is, if you wish to start work on the project earlier, you're encouraged to submit the proposal earlier.) You should plan to meet with your planned research advisor well ahead of time to prepare the proposal.

Mid-Thesis Check-In

At the end of the first semester of 07-599, you'll deliver a poster presentation to your peers in the honors thesis course. You will also submit a written report that should contain:

• An overview of the problem being solved;
• An explanation of the work you have completed during the first semester;
• A justification for any directions you took that deviate from the original proposal; and
• A description of what work you will complete in the second semester to finish the thesis.

Written reports are due on the last day of classes. The URC will review them in consultation with the associate dean (or area head at CMU-Q) and your advisors to determine whether you are making satisfactory progress toward the thesis.

Exceptional Circumstances at Mid-Thesis Check-In

After one semester of 07-599, any students not making satisfactory progress will be converted to an independent study. There may also be extremely extraneous circumstances in which a student has made sufficient progress to complete the thesis in a single semester; in such a case, the student should complete the deliverables indicated in "Finishing the Thesis."

Finishing Your Thesis

At the end of the second semester of 07-599, you will complete three deliverables. First, you will present a poster of your work as part of the Meeting of the Minds celebration. Second, you should complete a final presentation of your thesis at the close of 07-599 via a slide presentation in a public setting. Your final thesis is due the week before the last day of classes. The URC will review the theses in consultation with the associate dean (or area head at CMU-Q) and your research advisors to decide whether to confer College Honors for your thesis, as well as to grant awards to superlative theses.

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Honors Thesis Guide

An honors thesis is required of all students graduating with any level of Latin honors. It is an excellent opportunity for undergraduates to define and investigate a topic in depth, and to complete an extended written reflection of their results & understanding. The work leading to the thesis is excellent preparation for graduate & professional school or the workplace.

Important Dates and Deadlines

Thesis Database

The thesis database is a searchable collection of over 6,000 theses, with direct access to more than 4,000 full-text theses in PDF format. The database—fully searchable by discipline, keyword, level of Latin Honors, and more—is available for student use in the UHP Office, 8am–4:30pm, Monday–Friday.

Thesis Forms & Documents

• Thesis Title Page template
• Thesis work is reported using the "Thesis Proposal" and "Thesis Completion"  found in the Honors Reporting Center.

+ Sample Timeline

Plan ahead! Developing a project, completing research or creative work, and writing your thesis will be a year-long effort at a minimum. Consult with your honors advisor and honors faculty representative to determine a timeline that is appropriate for you.

Freshman & Sophomore Years

• Explore major options; meet with faculty teaching your courses
• Ask faculty and advisors about research opportunities in your department
• Get involved in research to develop topics of interest

Junior Year

• Discuss thesis options with appropriate faculty
• Select a faculty supervisor and additional readers (if required)
• Review current literature
• Define your thesis topic
• Begin (or continue) thesis research

Senior Year, fall 

• Submit your Thesis Proposal form  by the established deadline  using the  Honors Reporting Center.
• Finish thesis research
• Establish a comprehensive outline to inform your preliminary draft
• Submit a preliminary draft to your faculty supervisor

Senior Year, spring

• Please consult your faculty supervisor for discipline-specific guidelines
• Submit final draft to supervisor and readers  by the established deadline.
• Submit revised draft to committee and arrange public presentation (if presentation is required by your department)  by the established deadline.
• Submit your Thesis Completion  by the established deadline  using the  Honors Reporting Center.
• Submit PDF copy of thesis according to  submission guidelines .

+ Requirements and Evaluation Criteria

Whatever form it takes, the purposes of the Honors Thesis are many—all of which develop skills that will serve our students well after graduation. The Honors Thesis must go above and beyond any project done for a course other than thesis or directed-studies/independent-studies courses. It may expand upon a term paper written for a course, but may not simply be a repurposed project completed for another course or requirement. The Honors Thesis must demonstrate that the student:

• Has developed excellent writing skills;
• Understands the project's relevance to the field of study and/or to society;
• Is able to apply theories and methods of research, analysis, or interpretation, or artistic techniques as appropriate to the field;
• Has cited appropriate sources;
• Is able to critically examine the work of other scholars or artists and relate that work to the thesis;
• Has contributed original research, ideas, knowledge, interpretations, or creative expression at a level appropriate for undergraduate study, such that the thesis goes beyond describing existing work;
• Has the ability to digest pre-existing work, present and summarize it succinctly, and, hence, articulate the context in which the student’s new work is situated;
• Has the ability to propose an idea in brief (i.e., the thesis proposal), and then bring that idea to fruition within a given timeline;
• Has the ability to present writing or recordings whose quality and polish are at a publishable or public-presentation level (even if the data, research, or ideas are still at a preliminary level);
• Has the ability to present ideas clearly and compellingly to an audience of non-specialists;
• Has the ability to go beyond programmatic or major capstone requirements for non-UHP students.

Moreover, a summa cum laude Honors Thesis must also demonstrate:

• The ability to do original (i.e., not an extended literature review or synopsis of previous work), highest-quality work;
• The ability to meet department- or program-specific stipulations for summa-level thesis work, as defined on our Major and Thesis Requirements page.

Supervision and Approval

All Honors Theses require approval by a committee of three members—the main thesis advisor and two other readers. One of the three members (not necessarily the main thesis advisor) must be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member in the student's home department. Other members may be tenured, tenure-track, contract, affiliate, adjunct, emeritus, and/or P&A faculty members at the University of Minnesota. Faculty members from other institutions, graduate students, and community members with expertise relevant to the student's topic may serve on the committee if approved by the departmental  Honors Faculty Representative (listed by major) and by UHP. The process for approval is for the Honors Faculty Representative to email UHP's director to explain in a couple of sentences the potential committee member's qualifications, and to then receive approval from the director.

+ Supervision and Approval

All Honors Theses require approval by a committee of three members—the main thesis advisor and two other readers. One of the three members (not necessarily the main thesis advisor) must be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member in the student's home department. Other members may be tenured, tenure-track, contract, affiliate, adjunct, emeritus, and/or P&A faculty members at the University of Minnesota. Faculty members from other institutions, graduate students, and community members with expertise relevant to the student's topic may serve on the committee if approved by the departmental  Honors Faculty Representative  and by UHP. The process for approval is for the Honors Faculty Representative to email UHP's director to explain in a couple of sentences the potential committee member's qualifications, and to then receive approval from the director.

Summa cum laude  theses require students to go above and beyond the requirements for cum laude and magna cum laude theses. The specifics for the students major may be found on our  Major and Thesis Requirements page.

+ Credit and Honors Experience

All students are required to take a classroom-based, Honors Thesis support course of at least one credit, one semester. Many majors and colleges provide such courses. UHP also provides HCol 3101H every spring and HCol 3102H every fall. You can find the required thesis coursework for your major on our  Major and Thesis Requirements page . If the student's major or college offers an Honors Thesis course, taking a different course in lieu of this one requires approval of the Honors Faculty Representative. Completing the approved course with a passing grade fulfills the Honors Thesis course requirement. Additional thesis courses marked with an H or V may count as Honors courses if they comprise 2 or more credits. Additional research activity, whether recognized with credit or not,  may count as a non-course experience.

+ Style and Formatting

Style guides.

When preparing your honors thesis and citing sources, follow the style guide that is most appropriate to your field of study. For example:

• Modern Language Association (MLA) style - common in the humanities
• American Psychological Association (APA) style - common in the social sciences
• Chicago style - common in history

Check with your faculty supervisor before choosing a style. Style and citation resources are available from  the University Libraries .

The following formatting parameters should be strictly followed in most cases. However, certain types of theses, such as collections of poetry, may vary from these guidelines if necessary to the integrity of the work, with the faculty supervisor's assent.

• Margins:  at least 1" on all sides
• Type size:  no smaller than 11 point; 12 point preferred; a smaller font may be used for footnotes or end notes
• Font:  use a standard, easily-readable font, such as Times New Roman
• Spacing:  double space all main text

Sections of the thesis include (and should be sequenced as follows):

• Title Page:  Prepared according to the  thesis title page template
• Acknowledgements  (optional)
• Abstract or Summary:  No more than one double-spaced page. For thesis projects in the creative and performing arts, the summary must provide specifics about the exhibition or performance that the written thesis complements.
• Non-technical Summary:  (optional) recommended in cases where the abstract and thesis are too highly technical to be easily understood by non-specialists
• Table of Contents  (optional)
• Body of the Thesis
• Appendices  (optional)
• Bibliography or List of Works Cited

+ Thesis Submission

By the last day of final examinations in the semester in which you are graduating, you must:

• Submit your final thesis in  PDF format  via the "Thesis Completion" WorkflowGen process in the  Honors Reporting Center

How to Create a PDF Document

• On a Mac:  From the print dialog, select the PDF option from the lower left-hand corner. Or, from Microsoft Word, select "Save As" and change the format to PDF.
• On a Windows PC:  From Microsoft Word, select "Save As" and change the file type to PDF.

Combine Multiple PDFs

Your thesis should be submitted as one singular file. Multiple PDF documents can be combined using Adobe Acrobat Pro (available in most campus computer labs). You can also use a free online tool such as  SmallPDF.

Please note: the thesis completion form should not be included in this file.

Non-Electronic Documents

Non-electronic portions of your thesis should be scanned and included as part of your PDF. Scanners are available at the University computer labs in Coffman Memorial Union, Humphrey Center, McNeal Hall, and Walter Library.

+ Publication

The  University Digital Conservancy  provides permanent online access to academic works produced at the University. Benefits of placing your thesis in the conservancy include:

• Free, public accessibility
• Long-term storage and preservation
• Improved rankings in search engine results
• A direct, public URL for reference in resumes, applications, CVs, etc.

Submission Process

To have your honors thesis placed in the Digital Conservancy, you must submit the following forms to the honors office:

• a signed copy of the  Digital Conservancy Deposit Agreement
• a  Digital Conservancy Agreement Addendum  signed by your faculty thesis advisor. At the discretion of your thesis advisor, signatures of additional readers or research contributors may be required.

After receiving these forms, the honors program will submit your thesis to the Digital Conservancy within a few months. Upon submission, you will receive instructions on how to access the digital copy of your thesis.

Further Submission Considerations

You may not want to submit your honors thesis to the conservancy if it:

• Contains sensitive data or information about potentially patentable inventions
• Is something you may want to commercially publish
• Involved other authors, collaborators, or advisors who have not granted their permission for you to submit.

View the  Digital Conservancy Policies and Guidelines  for more information.

+ What if I choose not to submit my thesis in the Digital Conservancy?

The University Honors Program will keep an electronic copy of your thesis in our internal thesis database. It will not be available publicly or on the Internet.

+ Will choosing not to submit affect the approval and/or grade of my thesis?

No. Submitting your thesis to the conservancy is completely optional and has no bearing on grades, the acceptance of your thesis, or your graduation.

+ Will submitting my thesis affect my ability to publish it elsewhere?

It might. Some academic journals have policies against publishing previously printed or archived work. Consult your thesis advisor or the honors office if you have questions about this.

+ Who holds the copyright to my thesis?

Your work will be protected by U.S. copyright law to the same extent it would be if it were on a shelf in the library or University archives. The deposit agreement gives University Libraries rights to store, preserve, and make your work available to the public, but you still hold the rights to publish and distribute it as you see fit.

+ What if my thesis includes images, videos, or other non-PDF materials?

Materials in formats other than PDF may be submitted to the Digital Conservancy; however, the level of preservation support provided for such works varies. To learn more,  view the conservancy’s preservation policy .

+ Can my thesis be removed from the Digital Conservancy if I change my mind later?

No. If you are in doubt, you may want to consider not submitting your thesis to the conservancy.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs): Undergraduate Honors Theses

• Graduate School ETDs
• ETDs Outside the Graduate School
• Supplemental Materials and Data for ETDs
• Undergraduate Honors Theses
• ETD Restrictions
• Emailing Permission Agreements

The Institutional Repository at UF (the  IR@UF ) includes the Undergraduate Honors Theses collection . During their graduating term*, Honors students are invited to submit their their final Honors project for inclusion in this collection. This is a free service of the UF Libraries. After students who have completed their submission graduate with Honors, the Libraries will add their works to the IR@UF and email a permanent link to them that they can include in applications, résumés, social media, or share with friends, colleagues, and family.

Honors degree requirements vary by department , so be sure to check with your advisor and/or undergraduate coordinator to see whether your department requires you to submit your thesis or other project to the IR@UF.

*Students in the Medical Honors Program complete their theses during their third undergraduate year because they start their first year of medical school during their last year as undergraduates.

Guidelines vary by degree program

Be sure to talk to your thesis or project advisor and/or your department's Honors coordinator about department-specific guidelines and their deadline for submission. Departments can set their own deadlines for Libraries submissions and we can provide them with a list of successful submissions after the department's deadline passes.

Libraries' default submission deadlines

• Spring 2024 Graduates - April 26
• Summer 2024 Graduates - August 2

Important: If your department requires you to defend your thesis or project, your Libraries submission deadline might be different. Please contact your faculty advisor or Honors coordinator if you do not already know your department's deadline for Libraries submissions.

Graduation requirements

Libraries : Deadlines to submit to the Libraries will not affect your graduation unless your department requires a completed Libraries submission .

Department : Deadlines to submit your Honors thesis/project to your department might affect your graduation.

Submission assistance

Department : Contact your academic mentor and/or your department's undergrad coordinator.

Libraries : Contact the submissions team at [email protected] or 352-294-3785.

• Honors co-author grant of permission
• Permission to exceed fair use

Submitting to the Libraries

• Do I need to submit?
• What do I submit?
• How do I submit?
• Why should I submit?
• Your faculty advisor and/or your department’s undergrad coordinator can tell you whether you must submit a thesis or other terminal project.
• For preservation purposes, you need to submit the approved version of your Honors work to the Libraries.
• You also have several options for restricting access to your thesis or project; see the document linked below for details.
• If you unfortunately fail to graduate with Honors but your faculty advisor accepted your Honors thesis or project, we can include it in our Undergraduate Works collection. Please email [email protected] to let us know that you want to take advantage of this service.
• Restriction Options for Honors Theses and Projects

Thesis or project file(s):

• "Standard" here means a plain PDF saved from Microsoft Word or another word processor.
• Do not include any departmental or college forms in your thesis or project file(s).
• Do not scan a printed copy of your work to send to us.
• Media, dataset, and other types of submissions must conform to the acceptable formats list .

If necessary, please upload a signed letter (or letters) of permission to quote or reproduce copyrighted material for all copyrighted material included beyond fair use (i.e., entire graphics and large portions of text or data where someone else holds the copyright). If you cannot get the answer you need from the copyright guide, you can email your question(s) to [email protected].

• As the (an) author of the work, you do not need to submit a Permission to Quote form.
• You also do not need to upload a grant of permission form; the online form collects your permission agreement.
• If you have co-authors who are not UF employees or graduate students, you will need a signed  Honors Co-author Grant of Permissions from them.

NOTE : For our purposes, only list co-authors who contributed substantial writing (including code) to the work. Do not include research collaborators, reviewers, or editors. Use your acknowledgements or dedication to thank them.

Please do not submit your Honors thesis or project until you have final approval of your work from your department.

Write to us at [email protected] if you have any questions while you are preparing your Honors submission to the Libraries.

• IR Accepted Formats A list of the accepted format types for inclusion in the IR@UF
• Keep copies of your work and the form(s) that you submit to your department.
• Requirements vary by department . Be sure that you understand yours well before their deadline.
• Example: Alligator_Alberta_permission_to_exceed_fair_use_archive
• After you log in with your GatorLink credentials, complete the online form at  https://apps.uflib.ufl.edu/Honors/ to submit your work to the Libraries by our deadline (see the Basics box on the left for deadlines). If you are not using a campus computer , connect to the VPN.

Note: If you see an Honors level that seems wrong to you, or no Honors level at all, please do not be concerned. The form uses the Honors pre-certification data. Not all colleges/schools enter that data and the final Honors level is occasionally different from what colleges enter for pre-certification.

• If your project file is larger than 50 MB, you will not be able to upload it to the form. Please do not compress the file; instead, send a OneDrive link to [email protected] and we will assist you. There is effectively no file size limit and we want to archive the highest possible quality version of your work.
• Overview of the Online Submission Form
• Publishing your work in the IR@UF is a free service
• Enhance résumés and applications
• Show off to friends and family
• Support ongoing scholarship by enabling others to cite your work in their own
• Prospective students can see the variety and strength of undergraduate research opportunities at UF

Who should I list as co-authors?

Items in the Honors collection are treated similarly to graduate-level theses and dissertations, except that you can work with a co-author (co-creator). Unlike articles in scientific journals, you should only list people who contributed substantially to the writing. Use your acknowledgements section to list people who helped with the research itself.

What if my mentor/advisor is not in my college? All you need to enter for a mentor is their name and their primary organizational affiliation (department or school at UF or other academic institutions; unit of government; non-profit organization; or business). When do I need to upload a signed grant of permissions form? First, you do not need to sign and upload a form yourself. The online submission form collects your permission agreement. If you have a co-author who is not a UF employee or graduate student, you need a signed form from them. If you have included enough content copyrighted by someone else that you have exceeded fair use , you need a signed form from them. What do I do if my thesis/project file is too large for my web browser to upload? Although there is no size limit for your submission, many browsers time out trying to upload files larger than 10-15 MB. If your browser is failing to upload your file, please share it with OneDrive and send the link to [email protected] . You can upload a dummy file, text, Word, or PDF to complete the form. Feel free to include a note mentioning the large file transfer, or just leave the file empty. What problems should I check for before I submit my thesis/project file? Before you upload your thesis/project file, check to ensure that:

• It is the exact version that your advisor and/or department approved.
• It is in PDF format.
• You created the PDF directly from Word or another text tool and did not scan a printout.
• No tracked changes or comments are present.
• Your margins are at least .5" (make table pages portrait orientation if needed).
• References are single-spaced.
• Your name appears as it will on your diploma.
• Your UFID is not present.

Related Links

• Institutional Repository at the University of Florida (IR@UF)
• Graduate Editorial Office thesis and dissertation resources
• Graduate School ETD Formatting
• Making your work accessible
• UF LibGuide: Copyright
• UF LibGuide: Fair Use
• UF LibGuide: Open Access
• << Previous: Supplemental Materials and Data for ETDs
• Next: ETD Restrictions >>
• Last Updated: Jul 9, 2024 7:26 AM
• URL: https://guides.uflib.ufl.edu/etds

Undergraduate Honors Thesis

About the senior honors thesis.

An honors program is available to IS majors who have demonstrated their ability to perform distinguished work. The Honors Thesis allows exceptional students in the undergraduate major to demonstrate the ability to treat a problem in a substantial and scholarly way.  Students write an honors thesis on a topic related to information science and defend it before a faculty committee.  They may graduate with honors or highest honors; this designation is printed on the final transcript and diploma.

Registering for an Honors Thesis at SILS

Registering for Honors at SILS requires an application . The application should be submitted to the Undergraduate Student Services Manager prior to  April 1 during the year in which the student plans to register for INLS 691H.

To conduct an Honors Thesis in Information Science, students must complete INLS 691H (offered in the Fall) and INLS 692H (offered in the Spring).  To be considered for admission into this course of study, students must meet the following course requirements and submit an application.

Course Requirements

The requirements for conducting an Honors Thesis in Information Science include having taken at least four INLS courses, including two numbered higher than 299, and having a total INLS GPA of at least 3.5.  The student should have an overall GPA of at least 3.3.

Application & Schedule

Prior to april 1st (effective for the fall semester).

•  Provide a list of all courses taken by the student, along with the grades earned in those courses.  A print out from Carolina Connect is sufficient documentation.  Students are not required to request an official transcript from the registrar.
• Create a one-page proposal including a one paragraph description of the research topic, several questions related to the topic (i.e., what you want to discover or learn), and a short list of approximately five sources related to the topic. Also, add the name of the SILS faculty member you would like to serve as you advisor on this document.
• Gather the name of a SILS faculty member the applicant would like to serve as his/her advisor.  (It is required for the student to talk this over with the faculty member first and ensure they are in agreement to advise your Honors Thesis)
• The application will be submitted using the following form: SILS BSIS Honors Application 
• The advisor and the DUS, in consultation, will decide whether the student will be permitted to register for INLS 691H, and also whether the proposed advisor will serve as the Thesis Advisor.
• Once approved, you will be enrolled in INLS 691H for the Fall semester.

Prior to your registration period for the Spring semester

• If satisfactory progress is made, you will submit the Courses Requiring Instructor Permission form to be enrolled for the corresponding course
• Once approved, you will be enrolled in INLS 692H for the Spring semester
• Submit your final project to the Honors Carolina office by the required deadline; failure to submit your final Honors thesis will result in you not receiving Honors recogntion on your official record – Honors Carolina

Course Sequence

The honors program consists of two courses:   INLS 691H – Research Methods in Information Science, and INLS 692H – Honors Thesis in Information Science. INLS 691H will be taken in the fall of the senior year.  In this course, each student selects a research topic of interest, learns about research methods, and writes a research proposal.  Assuming satisfactory completion of INLS 691H , students register for INLS 692H in the spring of their senior year.  You must submit the form Courses Requiring Instructor Permission prior to your registration period to be enrolled for INLS 692H

Each student should select a thesis advisor based on mutual interest in the topic, and the availability of the faculty member to advise the student during the thesis work.  The student and advisor should meet regularly to discuss the student’s research and writing.

• The student’s thesis advisor, chosen when submitting the Honors Thesis application
• A second reader, identified jointly by the student and advisor, and
• The SILS Director of the honors program (Director of Undergraduate Studies)

The thesis must be completed and circulated to the thesis committee by the end of March, and the oral defense of the thesis must take place in the middle of April (exact dates will be based on the registrar’s calendar for the year).  The final approved copies of the thesis must be submitted to the SILS office; the due date will be communicated to those in the honors program, and it is always before the end of the semester.

Students who complete a high-quality thesis will graduate with honors; those whose thesis is exceptional will graduate with highest honors.  The SILS Director of the honors program will assemble all thesis advisors and second readers to evaluate the theses to be considered for honors each year.

BSIS Honors Thesis titles from the past:

• Student and Faculty Perceptions, Attitudes and Use of Wikipedia by Alexander Foley (BSIS ’08)
• Cognitive Strategies for Constructing and Managing Passwords for Multiple Accounts by Julia Kampov-Polevoi (BSIS ’08)
• Illusionary Privacy in the Digital Landscape:  Identity, Intellectual Property and Privacy Concern on Facebook by Elizabeth Lyons (BSIS ’08)
• PDA:  Personal Digital Assistant or Personally Distracting and Addicting? by Robert Shoemake (BSIS ’09)
• Information Overload in Undergraduate Students by John Weis (BSIS ’09)
• Faceted Search Implementation on Mobile Devices by Ashlee Edwards (BSIS ’11)
• Self-Initiated Search Versus Imposed Collaboration by Beth Sams (BSIS ’11)
• Building a Memory Palace in the Cloud: Instructional Technologies and the Method of Loci by Marla Sullivan (BSIS ’12)
• Unfriending and Unfollowing Practices of College Student Users of Facebook by Eliza Hinkes (BSIS ’15)
• Music in the Real World: Live Music Retrieval and the Limitations Thereof by Ryan Burch (BSIS ’15)
• Investigating the Effect of Familiarity with Target Document on Retrieval Success in Group Information Repositories by Kimberly Hii (BSIS ’16)
• Cross-Cultural Usability for Product Customization on the Web by Kristian Perks (BSIS ’16)
• Library Policy as a Potential Barrier to the Access of Public Library eBook and eReader Services by People Experiencing Homelessness by Rachel Spencer (BSIS ’17)
• Scaling Smart Cities: An Analysis of how Small Cities Implement Smart Technologies by Ryan Theurer (BSIS ’18)
• The Impact of Social Norms on Users’ Smartphone Notifications Management Strategies by Cami Goray (BSIS ’18)
• Visualization Technology Use in Secondary Mathematics Classroom Education by Xiaoqian (Sophie) Niu (BSIS ’18)
• Is Mobile Work Really Location-Independent? The Role of Space in the Work of Digital Nomads  by Evyn Nash (BSIS ’19)
• A Bibliometric Analysis of Research Publications that Adopted the Medical Expendture Panel Survey (MEPS) Data  by Jiacheng Liu (BSIS ’19)
• A Usability Study of the Intelligent Assitant for Senior Citizens to Seek Health Information  by Silu Hu (BSIS ’19)
• The Drama of Dark Patterns: History, Transformation, and Why it Still Matters by Michael Doucette (BSIS ’20)
• Human-AI Partnership In Underwriting: A Task-Centered Analysis of the Division of Work by Preston Smith (’20)
• Self-Presentation Strategies in the Platform Profiles of Successful Freelancers by Mara Negrut (BSIS ’21)
• Keep the Checking in Check: Analyzing Feedback and Reflection as a Strategy for Controlling Smartphone Checking Habits  by John Lickteig (BSIS ’21)
• Evaluating Collaborative Filtering Algorithms for Music Recommendations on Chinese Music Data by Yifan He (BSIS ’21)

These titles are available in the North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library.  Check out the UNC Library Catalog for more information.

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The Cognitive Science Honors major provides students with the in-depth research experience of writing an Honors Thesis under the close supervision of a faculty mentor. Majors who are considering graduate study are strongly encouraged to participate. Students working on an empirical thesis are strongly encouraged to take a course in statistical analysis and/or experimental design (i.e., PSYCH 303, STATS 250, STATS 412, STATS 470, or equivalent).

Demystifying Honors at U-M

What is Honors in Cognitive Science vs. the LSA Honors Program vs. University Honors vs. Degrees with Distinction? 

Honors in Cognitive Science . The requirements for receiving honors in Cognitive Science are: (1) being a declared Cognitive Science major, (2) having a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.4, and (3) submitting an approved thesis via the process outlined below. Registration in the COGSCI Independent Study Courses (497 and 499) is optional. Students may pursue Honors in Cognitive Science without previous affiliation with the LSA Honors Program. Upon declaring the honors major (by submitting an Honors Thesis Application) students are affiliated with the Honors Program and have access to all the resources they provide. Students who complete their honors requirements graduate with “honors,” “high honors,” or “highest honors,” which is noted on the diploma and the official transcript. These honors are given by Cognitive Science based on the quality of the work submitted.

LSA Honors Program . The LSA Honors Program is a four-year academic program divided into two parts: 1) Lower-division honors requirements and the honors core curriculum are completed by students who are admitted to the Honors Program as freshmen. 2) An honors major is completed by students who pursue an honors thesis (regardless of prior enrollment in the Honors Program).  

University Honors . The University Honors designation, noted on students' transcripts, is awarded on a term-by-term basis to students who earned a 3.5 grade point average or higher during a given term (at least 14 credits must have been elected that term, at least 12 of which were elected on a graded basis).

Degrees with Distinction . At graduation, degrees with distinction are awarded based on class ranking. Students who have been approved for graduation, have completed at least 45 graded in-residence credits, and rank in the top 3% of their class will receive a degree "with Highest Distinction." Those who rank in the top 10% of their class but not in the top 3% will receive a degree "with High Distinction." Those who rank in the top 25% of their class but not in the top 10% will receive a degree "with Distinction." Distinction levels are noted on the diploma and the official transcript. Degrees with Distinction may be awarded with or without Honors designation.

Honors Thesis Timeline and Application Process

The timeline below shows a suggested timeline, with students beginning the honors process in the fall term of their junior year. However, many students have discovered the possibility of doing honors in their major later than that and have still gone on to write excellent senior theses. Please take this timeline as a suggested path; the first actual deadline is the Oct. 1 date to declare honors. Students wishing to declare honors after that date are required to reach out to [email protected] first to discuss the honors plan.

The timeline below is based on a Winter semester graduation. If you plan to graduate in Fall or Summer term, please see the section below titled “Alternate Timelines.”

Junior Year

By end of Fall Semester:

• Let the Weinberg Institute know you are interested in pursuing an honors thesis. (Via advising appointment or the Honors Interest Form, typically sent out in early December.)
• Read more about the Honors Summer Fellowship program and decide if you would like to apply.

By the end of Winter Semester:

• Find faculty mentor and identify a proposed title of your project (for more details on choosing a faculty mentor see “Faculty Mentors” below)

During Spring/Summer Semester:

• Register for COGSCI 497 for Fall Term (optional, see “Honors and Course Credit” below)
• At a minimum, work on your thesis abstract and proposed timeline. Some students may choose to conduct thesis research over the summer as well.

Senior Year

Early September (at least two weeks before the Fall Add/Drop deadline)

• Submit the Honors Thesis Application if you are planning to register for Fall term honors thesis independent study credits (optional)

October 1:       

• Deadline to submit the Honors Thesis Application

By the end of Fall Semester:

• Register for COGSCI 499 for Winter Term (optional, see “Honors and Course Credit” below)
• Contact a second faculty member who you would like to serve as your second reader. Make sure to connect your second reader with your faculty mentor.

Mid-March (recommended)

• Discuss with your faculty advisor whether or not you plan to meet the April 1 deadline for submission of a near-finished draft of your thesis to be considered for Honors Program and Cognitive Science thesis awards.
• If you are planning to meet the April 1 deadline, share with your advisor the link to the Honors Award Endorsement form that you will receive by email from the Weinberg Institute.

Deadline to submit thesis for consideration for  LSA Honors Awards . 

The thesis draft you submit for consideration should be near-complete and should have already been submitted to your thesis advisor. You will submit the thesis, along with an unofficial transcript and a CV/resume, in a form you will receive from the Weinberg Institute in March.

• Submit final version of your thesis to your advisor (unless you have agreed on a different deadline with your advisor that will still allow your advisor to submit the final rubric to us by April 15).
• Final deadline to submit thesis and receive honors in your major. Email your thesis to [email protected] and copy your faculty advisor and second reader. Please remind your thesis advisor to complete the honors evaluation form and submit it to us by that deadline as well.

Alternate Timelines

We often have students working on honors theses who are not graduating in a winter term. If this applies to you -- whether your timeline was intended for a non-Winter graduation from the start or your plans changed during the honors process -- we are happy to work with you on an adjusted plan. The deadlines for requirements are listed below, but please feel free to reach out to an advisor here to discuss the timeline in more depth.

Fall Term Graduation

• Deadline to submit your Honors Thesis Application: May 1.
• Deadline to receive honors in your major: Dec. 1. Please send the final version of the thesis to [email protected] and copy your faculty advisor and second reader. Confirm that your advisor has submitted the Honors Thesis Evaluation form to the Weinberg Institute by Dec. 1 as well.
• Honors and Department Awards: Cognitive Science and the LSA Honors Program consider theses for honors only once a year, at the end of Winter term. When you submit your honors thesis on or before the Dec. 1 deadline, you will receive an email with a link at which you can submit your thesis for honors consideration, as well as a link to another form to share with your faculty advisor. The deadline for you and your faculty advisor to fill out these forms will be April 1 during the Winter term after your graduation.

Spring/Summer Graduation

• Deadline to submit your Honors Thesis Application: Jan. 8.
• Deadline to receive honors in your major: Aug. 1. Please send the draft of the thesis to [email protected] and copy your faculty advisor and second reader. Confirm that your advisor has submitted the Honors Thesis Evaluation form to the Weinberg Institute by Aug. 1 as well.
• Honors and Department Awards: Cognitive Science and the LSA Honors Program consider theses for honors only once a year, at the end of Winter term. When you submit your honors thesis on or before the Aug. 1 deadline, you will receive an email with a link at which you can submit your thesis for honors consideration, as well as a link to another form to share with your faculty advisor. The deadline for you and your faculty advisor to fill out these forms will be April 1 during the Winter term after your graduation.

Finding a Faculty Mentor

Primary Faculty Mentor

Students work closely with their faculty mentor throughout the duration of their Honors Thesis experience. Students are encouraged to identify a faculty member as early as possible to receive guidance from the faculty mentor from the beginning of the process. Students pursuing an honors thesis are expected to coordinate regular meetings with their faculty mentor throughout the honors thesis process, and the thesis may not be submitted without the approval of the faculty mentor. Faculty mentors may belong to affiliated departments and are expected to have some pre-existing familiarity with the topic.

Second Reader

In addition to their primary faculty mentor, students are expected to contact a second faculty member to serve as their second reader during the fall of their senior year. Second readers provide an instrumental role in thoughtfully critiquing the honors project and contributing to its success. Students are expected to incorporate the suggestions and edits of the second reader into subsequent drafts of the thesis, and the second reader must approve the final paper and communicate their approval to the student’s primary mentor. 

1. Find a research mentor or faculty sponsor

If you need support finding a research mentor/faculty sponsor, you may find the links below helpful:

• Research Laboratories: On this website you will see a list of Cognitive Science related labs. 
• Faculty Research Interests : This website will allow you to search for faculty who are doing research with your topic of interest. If a list of faculty appears after your search, check their research and teaching interests description on their profile. Contact the faculty if you want to know more about their research or want to ask for opportunities to work in their lab.

Honors and Course Credit

Students writing an Honors Thesis may, but are not required to, register for one or two special independent study courses (COGSCI 497 and COGSCI 499, non-repeatable). These do count toward the limit of 6 independent study credits allowed for the Cognitive Science major.

Psychology Honors Thesis Courses

Students doing honors theses in Cog Sci are also eligible to take part in the Psychology Department’s honors thesis course. This year-long course provides structure and mentoring for students working on a thesis. Because of the earlier deadline for the start of the class, students who are interested in participating must submit their honors thesis application by August 1 (instead of October 1).

Honors Thesis Resources

The University of Michigan provides multiple resources to students writing an honors thesis.

Weinberg Institute Resources:

• This pdf shows the criteria advisors are asked to consider when assessing students' theses.

University Resources:

• The University Library has set up a Cognitive Science Research Guide which includes materials from linguistics, philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and computer science. Each Cognitive Science track also has its own Library Specialist, whose contact information can be found on the left-hand side of the Research Guide.
• The Honors Summer Fellowship program offers peer and monetary support for a small cohort of students starting the honors thesis process during the summer before their senior year. Spaces are limited, and applications are typically due at the beginning of the Winter semester of students’ junior year.
• The LSA Honors Program , in conjunction with the Sweetland Writing Center , offers weekly thesis discussion groups for seniors involved in the process to give and receive feedback on their work, as well as learning ways to become a more effective writer. Read more and sign up here .

Funding Support:

• LSA Honors Grants provide funding to thesis-related research, including research-related travel. 
• The Weinberg Institute for Cognitive Science is able to provide funding for thesis-related research and travel via the funding request process

Other Resources:

• Former Cognitive Science students who completed an honors thesis can be great resources. Please contact [email protected] if you would like the Weinberg Institute to connect you with U-M alumni who have completed the process. You can also read previous Cognitive Science honors theses through the University's online research archive, Deep Blue .
• Statistical consulting is provided to students by the Center for Statistical Consulting and Research (CSCAR) and during drop-in hours in the Psychology Department .
• If you would like to learn more about the actual process of  writing  your thesis, check out this  Guide to Writing a Thesis or Article .

Honors Awards

LSA Honors Awards . The LSA Honors Program awards several scholarships and prizes to thesis-writing students. Please see their website for details.

• Introducing the Robert J. Glushko Undergraduate Thesis Award for Outstanding Cognitive Science Research.  This annual prize may be awarded to up to two (2) exemplary honors theses submitted by cognitive science majors in recognition of outstanding research performance in cognitive science. No application is required: all cognitive science majors who submit an honors thesis by April 1 are automatically considered for this award. 
• Sam Epstein Award for Contributions to Theoretical Cognitive Science. Theses eligible for this award will demonstrate significant engagement with foundational, theoretical, or conceptual issues in cognitive science.

Past Honors Awards in Cognitive Science

Ilana Mermelstein - Robert J. Glushko Undergraduate Thesis Award for Outstanding Cognitive Science Research

Hattie Benedetti - Robert J. Glushko Undergraduate Thesis Award for Outstanding Cognitive Science Research Shuchen Wen - Samuel D. Epstein Award for Contributions to Theoretical Cognitive Science

Faye Polasek - Patricia Kennedy Award 

Russell Noble - Robert J. Glushko Undergraduate Thesis Award for Outstanding Cognitive Science Research

Sean Anderson - Samuel D. Epstein Award for Contributions to Theoretical Cognitive Science. Yongjing Ren - Marshall M. Weinberg Award Maria Marginean - Cognitive Science Service Award

Meryl Rueppel - Marshall M. Weinberg Thesis Award

Camille Phaneuf - Marshall M. Weinberg Thesis Award

Jocelyn E. Brickman - Donna Wessel Walker Award

Past Honors Theses in Cognitive Science

Ilana Mermelstein Shopping with the Future in Mind: The Role of Delay Discounting in the Decision to Shop Fast Fashion in an Environmental Context Supervisor: Stephanie Preston

Myles Williamson Carries and Facilitators: Role-motivated Communication in League of Legends Supervisor: Myles Durkee

Bailey Redler Investigating External Distractibility in Adults with ADHD using Standard Conflict Tasks and the Forced-Response Paradigm Supervisor: John Jonides

Grace DesJardins Cumulative Risk and Icon Arrays: Attempting to Increase Risk Understanding Supervisor: Priti Shah

Nat Shi On Modeling Dative Alternations in Large Language Models Supervisor: Lisa Levinson  

Yiran Fan  Exploration of Person-Specific Functional Organization in Right Prefrontal Cortex Supervisor: Thad Polk 

Emma Osterrieder Cause-Marketing and Donations: Moral Self-Image and Subsequent Donations Supervisor:  Richard Lewis

Anusha Santhapur Number Absolutism in Everyday and Medical Decision-Making  Supervisor: Priti Shah

Shuchen Wen Rethinking the Prediction-as-chronometer Method Through Disentangling Argument Role Computations In Active and Passive Sentences: A Pilot Study  Supervisor: Jon Brennan

Hattie Benedetti  Evaluating the Benefits of Verbal Working Memory Training in Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment Supervisor: Patricia Reuter-Lorenz

Isha Shinde  Scientific Cognitive Reasoning Skills Supervisor: Audrey Michal 

Xinyi Wang How Targeted Health Campaigns Affect People’s Vaping Beliefs And Behaviors Supervisor: Audrey Michal 

Samuel Uribe-Botero Noisy Attention: A preliminary study of the Modulating Effect Noise Has on Different Forms of Selective Attention Within a Load Theory Context Supervisor: Sile O'Modraine 

Akshaya Ravikumar Establishing a Pipeline for Validating Wearable EEG for Real-Time EEG Signal Processing of Entrained Neural Activity Response to Rhythmic Input Stimuli Supervisor: Jon Brennan 

Anusha Kallapur  Can Narratives Decrease Cognitive Bias? Supervisor: Stephanie Preston

Faye Polasek Paving a Path to Women’s Reproductive Disease Management through BIT Design Supervisor: Gabriela Marcu

Stephanie Hong The Instagram Reels Effect: How the order of emotions impact WTP and perception of advertisements  Supervisor: Shalena Srna Alexander Daines Trading in the Age of Social Media: Can communities of amateur investors meaningfully influence the market in 2021? Supervisor:   Daniel Romero Julia Smoot Revised Sex Guilt Scale  Supervisor: Terri Conley Russell Noble Warm Glow and Price Setting  Supervisor: Stephanie Preston Alexander Yood Field Goal Kicking Under Pressure Supervisor: Taraz Lee

Yongjing (Linda) Ren   Modeling Age-related Reductions in Neural Distinctiveness Using a Self Organizing Map Sean Anderson   A linguistic model of minimalist syntax composes Tebe Poem Alyssa Chua   The Interplay of Gender Composition and Dominance vs. Prestige Dynamics in Group Settings Duncan Drewry   The Effect of Uncertainty on Competitive Behavior Levi Meyers   How Cognitive Reappraisal Enhances Interpersonal Negotiations in Professional Settings Michelle Lu    The Value of Artificial Intelligence in Detecting and Monitoring Mental Illness Mollie Bakal  Graph-to-Graph Translations To Augment Abstract Meaning Representation Tense And Aspect Ross Kempner   Information Theoretic Accounts of Reaction Times in a Probabilistic Artificial Sophia Katz     Feeling Morally Gray: Emotions in Responding to Immoral Acts by Others Talia Rizika   Audience Engagement and Attitude in Virtual YouTube Concerts

Nick Hollman Aggression and Weight Bias in the Trolley Problem Supervisor - Dr. Stephanie Preston, Department of Psychology

Meryl Rueppel Relationships Among Internalizing vs. Externalizing Symptoms, Post-Error Slowing, and Gender Supervisor - Dr. Bill Gehring, Department of Psychology

Alice Sorel Impaired brain development caused by Actb overexpression Supervisor - Dr. Richard Lewis

Rohini Majumdar Decisional Authority and Values in Shared Decision-Making: Are They Enough? Supervisor - Dr. Patricia Deldin

Jocelyn E. Brickman The Linguistics Cues Observed when Lying in Realistic Personal Stake Situations Supervisor - Dr. Julie Boland

Kelly Kendro The Lasting Effects of Language Acquisition: Testing Cognitive Abilities after L2 Attrition Supervisor - Dr. Julie Boland

Camille Phaneuf Cell Phone Dependence and Socialization: Digital Devices and their Impact on Undergraduate Communication and Behavior Supervisor - Dr. Daniel Kruger

Rennie Pasquinelli Neurocognitive Basis of Prosody Perception in Children Supervisor - Dr. Ioulia Kovelman

Tyree S. Cowell Can Natural Language Processors Help Unlock the Black Box of Language Comprehension Supervisor -Dr. Jonathan Brennan 

Sanuri Gunawardena Does Improvisation Promote Divergent Thinking and Tolerance of Uncertainty? Supervisor - Dr. Colleen Seifert

Kira Breeden What Factors are Most Effective in Predicting Noun Learning in English-Learning Children? Supervisor - Dr. Twila Tardif

Alexander Brown The Evolution of Cooperation, the Superorganism, the Emergent Properties Supervisor - Dr. James Joyce 

Logan Bickel Feeling Dispassionate about Environmental Harm is Linked to Late Emotion Regulation Strategies Supervisor - Dr. Stephanie Preston

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STS Honors Theses

The Stanford Program in Science, Technology, and Society (STS) invites undergraduate students from all majors to apply for admission to its Honors Program . Since the program was launched in 1978, STS honors students have carried out a variety of innovative research projects that address the intersection of science, technology and society. The Stanford SearchWorks Catalog contains more than fifty STS honors theses dating from 1991. We hope that you will take some time to explore our honors students research. 

Explore STS Honors Theses in  SearchWorks

Award Winning Theses

The Firestone and Golden Medals are awarded to the top 10 percent of Stanford honors theses completed in a given year. The Firestone Medal for Excellence in Undergraduate Research recognizes theses written in the social sciences, natural sciences and engineering. The Golden Medal for Excellence in Humanities and Creative Arts similarly distinguishes theses in the humanities or creative projects in the fine arts. Many of our STS Honors Program students have received this prestigious recognition.

STS Honors Program Medal Recipients

2024 Tianyu Fang , "Cybernetic Reformers: Young Intellectuals and Rural Research in Post-Mao China", Science, Technology, and Society, advised by Fred Turner (Communication).

2023 Erica May Naa Okaikor Okine , “Demanding Beauty: A Critical Analysis of Quality of Life for Women with Facial Disfigurement”, Science, Technology, and Society, advised by Tanya Luhrmann (Anthropology).

2022 Veronica Ayala , "It Takes A Village... and More: Southeast Los Angeles as a Model for Alleviating Infrastructure Deficits and Environmental Injustices Through Community Based Resistance", Science, Technology, and Society, advised by Sibyl Diver (Earth Systems Program).

2021 Hannah Scott , “Light and Sound, Not Song and Dance: Cybernetic Subjectivity in the Environmental Art of the Pulsa Group, 1966–1973” Science, Technology, and Society, advised by Fred Turner (Communication).

2020 Harika Kottakota , “Who ‘Speaks’ for Autism and Who is ‘M[i]ss[i]ng’? Examining Autism Narratives and Advocacy in the Era of Genomics,”  Science, Technology, and Society, advised by Duana Fullwiley (Anthropology).

2019 Elle Billman , “More than Medical Records: Uncovering How Childhood Cancer Survivors Learn About and Interact with their Cancer Histories,”, Science, Technology & Society, advised by S. Lochlann Jain (Anthropology). 

2018  Janna Huang , “A Break in the Cloud: Finding the Local in the Global Internet,”, Science, Technology, and Society, advised by Paul Edwards (Science, Technology, and Society and Center for International Security and Cooperation).

2017 Sophia Laurenz i, “The Gray Matter of Young Adulthood: Neuroscience, Social Trends, and Justice Reform”, Science, Technology, and Society, advised by Angela Garcia (Anthropology).

2016 Vienna Harvey , “The Role of Ethics in the Design and Regulation of Autonomous Vehicles,”, Science, Technology , and Society, advised by Robert McGinn (Management Science and Engineering).

2014 Jeff Chen , "Exploring Consumer Behavior: How Prior Product Experience and Consumer Feedback Impact Online Search For Product Information, " , advised by Advised by Mark Granovetter (Sociology).

2012 Sanna Ali, “Unlocking the Power of Your Genome: Financial and Regulatory Challenges," Science, Technology and, Society, advised by Russ Altman (Bioengineering).

2011 Danny Crichton , "Academic revolution and regional innovation: The case of Computer Science at Stanford 1957-1970", Science, Technology, and Society, advised by Barton Bernstein (History) and Rebecca Slayton (Science, Technology, and Society).

2010  Greg Gaskin , "Embracing Complexity: Using Qualitative Research Methodology to Understand the Process of Implementing a Hybrid Personal Health Record in a Hospital Setting", Science, Technology, and Society, advised by  Amar Das (Medicine) and Rebecca Slayton (Science, Technology, and Society).

2008  Lee Trope "Preventing Cervical Cancer: Stakeholder Attitudes Toward Fast HPV-Focused Screening Programs in Roi-Et Province, Thailand", Science, Technology, and Society, advised by Paul Blumenthal (Obstetrics and Gynecology), Paul Wise (Pediatrics), and Rebecca Slayton (Science, Technology and Society).

2006 Jonathan Pearlstein , "Implementing Electronic Health Records in Ambulatory Care Organizations: Expectations, Perceptions and Conflicts", Science, Technology, and Society, advised by Amar Das (Medical Informatics) and Rebecca Slayton (Science, Technology and Society).

2005  Alejandro Diaz , "Through the Google Goggles: Sociopolitical Bias in Search Engine Design", Science, Technology, and Society, advised by  Robert McGinn (Science, Technology, and Society; Management Science and Engineering), Terry Winograd (Computer Science), and Aneesh Aneesh (Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee).

2004 Harini P. Raghupathi , "Clinical Adaptations to Diagnostic Reproductive Technologies: Toward a Hegelian Synthesis on Sex-Selective Abortions in Tamil Nadu, India", Science, Technology, and Society, advised by Robert McGinn (Science, Technology, and Society).

2003 Lilly Irani , "A Different Voice: Women Exploring Stanford Computer Science", Science, Technology, and Society, advised by Eric Roberts (Computer Science).

2000 Erin Raye Anderson, "Bicycles for South African Women: A Case Study of Cross-Cultural Technology Transfer", Science, Technology, and Society, advised by  Robert McGinn (Management Science and Engineering).

1997 Michael J. Putnam "Computerization, Human Rights Advocacy and Organizational Change: A Case-Study of the Czech Helsinki Committee", Science, Technology, and Society, advised by Robert E. McGinn (Science, Technology, and Society).

To learn more about Undergraduate Honors Theses awards visit Stanford Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education .

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Honors Program

• CogSci Pride

Undergraduates

Eligibility requirements.

Students are eligible for admission to the program when they:

• For CogSci BA / BS * 6 courses chosen from Cogs: 100, 101A-B-C, 102A-B-C, 107A-B-C, 108, 109
• For Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience * Must complete Cogs 107A, Cogs 101A or Psyc 102, Cogs 107B or Psyc 106, Cogs 107C or Psyc 108 * And choose two of the following, Cogs: 101B, 101C, 102A, 102B, 102C, 109–189, PSYC: 100, 101, 104, 105, 110–193
• Have at least Senior level standing
• Have at least a 3.5 GPA in upper-division major courses and at least a 3.0 overall GPA

Eligible students will enroll in 4 units of 190A (Pre-Honors Project in Cognitive Science) under a faculty member who has agreed to advise them on a potential honors project. Students may apply the COGS 190A course as an elective toward major requirements whether or not they enter the Honors Program.

At the end of the 190A course, students will submit to their faculty mentor a written project proposal. The proposal will define the question to be investigated, survey existing literature, describe the approach and methods that will be used, explain how data will be collected if it is an empirical study, detail how human subjects requirements will be met if necessary, discuss expected results, and provide a timeline for project completion.

Download the Honors Application Form  & submit to the CogSci Online Form Submission before the start of Fall quarter.

Acceptance into the Honors Program

To formally enter the Honors Program:

• Students must meet the eligibility requirements above
• Receive a grade of A- or better in COGS 190A
• Establish an honors committee of at least two faculty and one graduate student to review the proposal and advise them during the process of completing the honors project
• Have their project proposal approved by their honors committee

The honors committee must be kept informed of any deviations from the original approved project proposal and timeline. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress may be asked to withdraw from the program at any point the advisor or the department chair deems necessary.

Successful completion of the Honors Program requires:

• Maintenance of a 3.5 GPA in upper-division major courses, and a 3.0 overall GPA
• Completion of one cognitive science (or related) graduate level course (may be taken P/NP). Students may use the required graduate course as one of their electives for the major whether or not they complete the honors project
• Completion of COGS 190B and 190C with letter grades of A- or better
• Completion of Cogs 198 (Direct Group Study-Honors CogSci Skills Workshop), a 2 units course given each winter (P/NP)
• Completion of COGS 190D (Preparation for Thesis Presentation), a 1 unit seminar given each spring (P/NP)
• Completion of a written honors thesis describing the project
• Approval of the thesis by the honors committee and the department chair
• Satisfactory presentation of the honors thesis to the cognitive science community at the Honors Thesis Presentation Conference at the end of Spring quarter

Students who successfully complete all of the requirements for the Honors Program will graduate with Distinction in Cognitive Science recorded on their transcripts.

• Glushko Winners
• Past Honors Theses

Undergraduate Advising

In-Person Advising is unavailable.

Virtual Advising:  vac.ucsd.edu

[email protected]

Please see Advising  for Walk-In Hours.

• Senior Honors Thesis
• Golding Fund for Study of Slavery and the African American Experience

Many Honors Carolina students cap their undergraduate experience with a Senior Honors Thesis, partnering with a faculty mentor to develop original research or creative work. Students who successfully defend their thesis before a faculty review panel graduate with Honors or Highest Honors.

Each year, approximately 350 students complete a Senior Honors Thesis. For many of those students, the thesis becomes a first publication or an important part of their application to graduate or professional school.

Students may undertake a Senior Honors Thesis project only in their major field of study (with an exception for students who minor in Creative Writing). Students with double majors may graduate with Honors or Highest Honors in both fields of study. To do so, they must complete a distinct project in each field. All Senior Honors Thesis projects must be completed under the direct supervision of a faculty advisor. Tenured and tenure-track faculty, postdoctoral fellows with teaching appointments, and fixed-term faculty who have been employed by an academic unit for at least one year may serve as thesis advisors. Retired faculty and graduate students may not serve as advisors for Senior Honors Thesis projects.

Eligibility

Students who wish to undertake a Senior Honors Thesis project must have a cumulative GPA of 3.300 or higher. Academic departments may set higher thresholds for course work within students’ major field of study.

Students enrolled in the final semester of their thesis course work must complete their project (including the oral defense) by the following deadlines:

Fall 2024: Monday, November 11, 2024 4:00 p.m.

Spring 2025: monday, april 14, 2025 4:00 p.m..

These dates are subject to change if adjustments are made to the University Registrar’s calendars.

Your department should report your name to the Honors Carolina office by the relevant deadline above to confirm that you have met the requirements to graduate with Honors or Highest Honors.

Students are required to upload the final version of their thesis to the  Carolina Digital Repository  by the final day of class in the semester in which they complete the thesis course work . Detailed instructions are included in the guidelines at the bottom of this page.

Research Awards Available

Honors Carolina offers financial awards to support Senior Honors Thesis research. These awards, up to $500, may be used to cover any legitimate cost directly connected to a thesis project: laboratory equipment and supplies, computer software and hardware, travel, artistic supplies, books and periodicals not available through normal library sources, illustrations and duplication, etc.

Students must apply through their major department’s Honors director or their faculty thesis advisor (for units without Honors directors). A Call for Applications is sent to departments early each semester. Students may not submit applications directly to Honors Carolina.

The Fall 2024 Call for Proposals will be distributed to academic units on September 3, 2024. Applications for this round of awards will be due by Monday, September 30 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time .

Additional funding is available through the  Office for Undergraduate Research  and individual academic units.

The following research awards are made possible through gifts to Honors Carolina and are awarded annually:

• The Michael P. and Jean W. Carter Research Award
• The Gillian T. Cell Senior Thesis Research Award in the College of Arts & Sciences
• The Sarah Steele Danhoff Undergraduate Research Award
• The Dunlevie Honors Undergraduate Research Award
• The Gordon P. Golding Senior Honors Thesis Award
• The Gump Family Undergraduate Research Award
• The Honors Undergraduate Research Award
• The Rodney F. Hood Undergraduate Research Award
• The Kimball King Undergraduate Research Award
• The William F. Little Prize for Creative Research in Honors

Helpful Resources

• Senior Honors Thesis Guidelines for Academic Units, Faculty Advisors, and Students
• Senior Honors Thesis Learning Contract (forms for Computer Science majors are here )
• Sample Senior Honors Thesis title page

INVEST IN OUR STUDENTS

Theses from Previous Years

We have collected some theses from previous years to help guide you. Please use them as examples of how to structure your own thesis. 

Theory  .

Theory Thesis 1  

Theory Thesis 2  

Theory Thesis 3  

Theory Thesis 4  

Theory Thesis 5  

Comparative   

Comparative Thesis 1  

Comparative Thesis 2  

Comparative Thesis 3  

Comparative Thesis 4  

Comparative Thesis 5  

Comparative Thesis 7  

Comparative Thesis 8  

American  

American Thesis 1  

American Thesis 2  

American Thesis 3  

American Thesis 4  

American Thesis 5  

American Thesis 6  

American Thesis 7  

American Thesis 8  

International Relations  

IR Thesis 1  

IR Thesis 2  

IR Thesis 3  

IR Thesis 4  

IR Thesis 5  

IR Thesis 6  

Research and Sponsored Programs

• Departmental Honors
• Research and Sponsored Programs - Home

(The HONORS THESIS)

The departmental Honors Thesis presents advanced students in a major the opportunity to perform individual research in their field, under close faculty supervision, on a topic of their special interest. Note: Departmental Honors is distinct from Honors College and does not require membership or participation in Honors College. See below for eligibility requirements for departmental honors.

The course name varies (Departmental Honors, Honors Essay, Honors Project, Honors Research) but each earns departmental honors. Honors Thesis is the general rubric.

The Honors Thesis marks the culmination of the student's general preparation in the field with a specific and specialized research project that represents the student's mastery of the methods and content of the discipline. It is each advanced student's academic masterpiece!

The Honors Thesis/Research allows students:

• to define themselves intellectually with an area of special expertise.
• to develop a deeper understanding of the issues and methods of their field of study.
• to enjoy close collaboration with faculty experts.
• to earn credits in the major and graduate with departmental honors.
• to develop presentation skills, and qualify to present research in the department, at Hofstra on Undergraduate Research Day (in December and May), regionally at the Colonial Academic Alliance undergraduate research conference, and even nationally at professional conferences.
• to increase their chances for a top graduate school through a polished example of writing and research of greater scope or depth than possible in a seminar. Graduate schools like to see proof of sustained and well-documented research.
• to develop talking points based on extended research for job interviews.
• to position themselves to apply for prestigious inter/national postgraduate scholarships.
• to build confidence in their abilities and knowledge for the future!
• to earn more detailed, fuller letters of recommendation for subsequent applications for graduate school or grants.

Requirements:

The general requirements throughout the University are a G.P.A. of 3.4 overall and 3.5 in courses in the major; senior or 4th-year status; permission of the departmental chairperson and of the faculty adviser or research supervisor; a presentation and oral defense of the research, the format of which varies by discipline and department. A minimum of 60 semester hours must be completed in-residence at Hofstra including at least 15 hours in the student’s major field; transfer students might complete that total at graduation with the departmental honors thesis, otherwise if eligible beforehand. Note: Membership or participation in Honors College is not required for departmental honors.

The final presentations range from research posters to formal lecture (paper or PowerPoint) presentations, to performances or exhibits.

The specific requirements vary by discipline, department and adviser, such as number of pages, format, method, mode of presentation.

Registration:

Departments offering departmental honors have a specific course listing (usually 100 or 199) that indicates departmental honors, but can be called, variously, Departmental Honors, Honors Essay, Honors Project, Honors Research. Honors Thesis is the general rubric.

N.B. The Honors Thesis or Honors Essay listing does not automatically appear in the department's course listings each semester. The chairperson adds a listing with a new section number for each student, assigned to the respective faculty adviser. The listing acts as permission of the department to proceed.

The Honors Thesis listing earns three (3) credits. Some departments encourage or require students to complete a related independent study prior to the Honors Thesis; others require two semesters (6 credits) of honors research. Honors College counts all departmental honors credits earned by its students towards the Honors College requirements.

The Honors Thesis requires senior status, but students can begin to develop a topic in course work during the junior year. Though the thesis commonly gets done in the spring or final semester, it is possible and even advantageous for graduate school and postgraduate scholarship applications to perform the research and finish the essay or project in the fall, if possible. In that case, background research can begin in the summer and even continue in the spring. In all cases, the schedule develops in consultation with the department and faculty adviser(s).

See your major faculty adviser and departmental chairperson to discuss the possibility in your field, and to get started!

- Elfreda Blue, Vice Provost for Graduate and Undergraduate Studies

Harvard University Theses, Dissertations, and Prize Papers

The Harvard University Archives ’ collection of theses, dissertations, and prize papers document the wide range of academic research undertaken by Harvard students over the course of the University’s history.

Beyond their value as pieces of original research, these collections document the history of American higher education, chronicling both the growth of Harvard as a major research institution as well as the development of numerous academic fields. They are also an important source of biographical information, offering insight into the academic careers of the authors.

Spanning from the ‘theses and quaestiones’ of the 17th and 18th centuries to the current yearly output of student research, they include both the first Harvard Ph.D. dissertation (by William Byerly, Ph.D . 1873) and the dissertation of the first woman to earn a doctorate from Harvard ( Lorna Myrtle Hodgkinson , Ed.D. 1922).

Other highlights include:

• The collection of Mathematical theses, 1782-1839
• The 1895 Ph.D. dissertation of W.E.B. Du Bois, The suppression of the African slave trade in the United States, 1638-1871
• Ph.D. dissertations of astronomer Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (Ph.D. 1925) and physicist John Hasbrouck Van Vleck (Ph.D. 1922)
• Undergraduate honors theses of novelist John Updike (A.B. 1954), filmmaker Terrence Malick (A.B. 1966),  and U.S. poet laureate Tracy Smith (A.B. 1994)
• Undergraduate prize papers and dissertations of philosophers Ralph Waldo Emerson (A.B. 1821), George Santayana (Ph.D. 1889), and W.V. Quine (Ph.D. 1932)
• Undergraduate honors theses of U.S. President John F. Kennedy (A.B. 1940) and Chief Justice John Roberts (A.B. 1976)

What does a prize-winning thesis look like?

If you're a Harvard undergraduate writing your own thesis, it can be helpful to review recent prize-winning theses. The Harvard University Archives has made available for digital lending all of the Thomas Hoopes Prize winners from the 2019-2021 academic years.

Accessing These Materials

How to access materials at the Harvard University Archives

How to find and request dissertations, in person or virtually

How to find and request undergraduate honors theses

How to find and request Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize papers

How to find and request Bowdoin Prize papers

• email: Email
• Phone number 617-495-2461

Related Collections

Harvard faculty personal and professional archives, harvard student life collections: arts, sports, politics and social life, access materials at the harvard university archives.

• Equity & Inclusion

• Data Science Honors Program
• Data Science Major
• Data Science Minor
• Forms & Procedures
• Meet with an Advisor
• Transfer Mentors
• Peer Advising (DSPA)
• Career Services
• Student Teams
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• Discovery Research
• Data Scholars
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• External Resources

The Data Science Honors Program consists of a year-long research and thesis project, conducted over 2 consecutive semesters. Students will complete 2 courses as part of the honors program:

• DATA H195A (Fall semester, 2 units) assists students with writing their research proposal, beginning to collect data, and with finding a thesis mentor.
• DATA H195B (Spring semester, 2 units) provides a regular meeting time for students to receive feedback on their thesis drafts and prepare for written and oral presentation of their final thesis.

Student Eligibility to Apply

All eligibility requirements must be satisfied before the start of the Fall semester when you are applying:

• Must be declared in Data Science.
• Must have completed Data C100 (CompSci/Stat C100).
• Must have a minimum overall 3.5 GPA and a minimum 3.5 GPA in the major.

Requirements to Enroll in Data H195B

• Must obtain a commitment from a faculty advisor to serve as thesis mentor.
• Must meet all deadlines in Data H195A to be on track for thesis completion in Spring.

Requirements to Graduate with Honors

All requirements must be satisfied by the end of your final term at UC Berkeley:

• Must complete all requirements for the BA in Data Science.
• Must maintain a minimum overall 3.5 GPA and a minimum 3.5 GPA in the major.
• Must successfully pass DATA H195A and H195B.
• Must submit a thesis of passing quality by Friday of RRR week of the final semester before graduation.
• Must participate in the end-of-year Data Science Honors Research Symposium.

Application Timeline

Download the 2024-25 Data Science Honors Program Application .

• Application Deadline:   Sunday, July 21, 2024 at 11:59pm.
• Please refer any questions to [email protected].
• Students will be notified with final decisions by mid-August.

Submit application here

Frequently Asked Questions

How will i find a faculty mentor to work with.

• Prior to applying, research which faculty members at UC Berkeley teach classes or conduct research in areas you are interested in. You may want to explore UC Berkeley’s faculty expertise database
• Consider talking with faculty affiliated with the Data Science  Degree Programs Governance Committee or Divisional Faculty Advisory Committee .
• See these suggestions from the Office of Undergraduate Research about how to identify a faculty mentor.
• If accepted to the Data Science honors program, program staff will provide further guidance about this process during the Fall semester.

Do I need to have a research proposal ready in order to apply?

No. However, you should have some ideas about specific research areas that you are interested in exploring.

We recommend talking with professors, GSIs or others working on topics you are considering in order to ensure that your research interests are reasonable for your field, doable within the time frame of the Data Science honors program, and appropriate for your academic background.

How will my application be evaluated?

Applicants will be considered based on the following:

• demonstrated potential for success in academic research, through coursework or other experience
• ability to clearly describe research interests
• interest in conducting original research on a data science topic that will expand existing knowledge in the field
• academic performance, with an emphasis on courses related to data science and your research interests

Can I use summer classes to qualify for the program or improve my GPA?

Yes, you can apply to the honors program with summer classes in progress, and your acceptance to the program will be conditional until summer grades are released.

Can I do the honors program in a single semester, or in the summer?

Our faculty feel that the research and thesis-writing process requires two semesters to complete an effective project.

The required courses for the honors program are expected to be offered only in Fall and Spring, so students must be able to enroll in consecutive Fall and Spring semesters to participate.

How much time should I plan to spend on the honors program?

We recommend taking no more than 2 other academic courses while pursuing the honors program, especially if they are rigorous, upper-division courses. You can also consider talking with an L&S College Advisor about a reduced course load (minimum of 6 units).

How many students will be accepted to the honors program?

The size of the program will depend largely on the number of applications received. While we do not have a maximum capacity for the program, we anticipate that the program will remain small.

Do I have to apply to do the honors program in my senior year?

While we expect that most qualified candidates will be seniors, you do not necessarily have to have senior standing or be graduating in the semester you will complete the honors program.

Can I extend my graduation date to participate in the honors program?

If necessary, you should consult with an L&S College Advisor about the possibility of changing your Expected Graduation Term, especially if you will exceed the L&S unit ceiling .

Archive of Symposium Programs

2024 Data Science Honors Symposium Program

2023 Data Science Honors Symposium Program  

2022 Data Science Honors Symposium Program

2021 Data Science Honors Symposium Program

Undergraduate Program

Honors program.

The application is now closed. The form was due 4:00 pm PST, Thursday, July 18th, 2024 and the proposal was due 4:00 pm PST, Thursday, July 25th, 2024.

Give yourself plenty of lead time to proofread and complete your application.  

Late and incomplete applications will NOT be accepted .

If you missed the deadline, reach out and let's discuss other options, such as independent study .

Eligibility

To apply, students must meet the minimum eligibility standards at the time of application. These are:

• being declared in Political Science;
• having completed 90 units;
• having completed at least two upper-division political science courses at UC Berkeley*;
• having a GPA of 3.3 overall and 3.5 in the major at the time of application. (Only courses taken at UC Berkeley count towards these GPAs.)

 *  Applicants who have not yet completed PS 3 must complete it no later than the fall semester of their senior year and should have some equivalent course background prior to applying. If admitted to the honors program, they must also maintain a 3.5 in the major upon completion of PS 3 to continue with the honors program in the spring.

What's involved?

Doing honors requires taking a year-long seminar, PS H190A and B, and, at the same time, working independently with a faculty sponsor. The seminar provides structure, feedback, and guidance for students in a classroom setting. The additional faculty sponsor advises and guides the research on the student's specific thesis topic.

PS H190 A and B are offered as a Fall-Spring sequence and must be completed in residence at UC Berkeley. PS H190A is a fall only, 4-unit, P/NP course; PS H190B is a spring only, 4-unit, letter-graded course.

The honors seminar is a limited enrollment course. There are two sections, each capped at approximately 20 students. Section assignments are determined by the two instructors and are based on the subject of the student's research. Students could be assigned to either section. 

For thesis topics in the area of international relations, comparative politics, and political theory, students could be assigned to Prof. Amy Gurowitz's course (section 001).

For thesis topics in the area of American politics, public law, and formal theory or quantitative methods, students could be assigned to Prof. Terri Bimes' course (section 002).

Selection and notification will occur in AUGUST (after PHASE II).  Please keep the time slot for H190A [Monday 10:00am to 12noon] open as you are planning your schedule.   Course control numbers will be given to successful candidates (via e-mail in AUGUST) once they have been admitted to the class.  

PS H190A will begin the second week of classes.

Faculty sponsor

In addition to the seminar, students must enlist a secondary faculty advisor with whom they meet to discuss the content of their thesis topic throughout the year. An advisor is not required at the time of application, but often knowing that a student has a committed advisor who is supportive of the project can increase the chances of an application being accepted. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to start early to find a sponsor, preferably during the spring semester of their junior year. Most faculty will only advise on a thesis topic that is within their subject area and many prefer to work with students they know or have taught.

How to apply

Applications can be made on-line only. Students should review the application in advance and gather the information needed. This will include, for example: the total number of units completed, overall gpa, a list of all courses completed for the major, including grades, major gpa, any non-Political Science courses relevant to your thesis topic that you have already taken, and a two-page statement describing your honors thesis proposal. Guidelines for writing the statement are available online and in hardcopy at the Undergraduate Office, 296 Social Sciences Building.

For informational purposes i.e., organization, check out these research proposal samples from previous years. These are NOT meant as templates. Your proposal should not exceed two pages (double spaced, typed). Edit as needed. Sample #1 - Sample #2 - Sample #3 - Sample #4 - Sample #5

The quality of your proposal represents a critical component, and the strength of an application will be based on how well thought out the honors proposal is. Please read the proposal guidelines carefully.

Application deadlines

For the 2024-2025 academic year, the Google Docs form  must be submitted  by 4:00 pm PST, Thursday, July 18th, 2024.

The second component of the application - the proposal - must be submitted/ shared  by 4:00 pm PST, Thursday, July 25th, 2024 . 

Last-minute entries are always risky! Plan ahead, so that you can meet the application deadline! Incomplete and late applications will NOT be accepted.  

Who can do honors?

Important to keep in mind! Admission to the honors program is competitive. Decisions are final and will be based on both eligibility and the strength of the thesis proposal. There are enrollment limitations on the honors program. Students who are otherwise eligible may not be admitted because of limited seating. Applicants are advised to sign up for an alternative course in Phase II should their application to honors be unsuccessful.

What is it?

An honors thesis is a major research paper in which a student explores and analyzes a topic of his/her choosing. Theses vary in length but are generally 50 to 60 pages or longer, depending on the scope of the topic. Approximately 10-15% of Political Science majors complete an honors thesis.

For a listing of previous Political Science senior honors theses titles, click here .

Why write an honors thesis?

The best reason for tackling a major research project is out of sincere interest. Think carefully about the trade-offs between doing honors and your other interests and opportunities. Speak to students who are currently enrolled in honors. They will have the best "take" on how much work is entailed.

Can the honors thesis seminar count as an upper-division requirement for the major?

Yes. Students pursuing the honors program can have the second half of the honors seminar (H190B, letter-graded) count as 1 of their 8 upper-division requirements for the major if they successfully complete the honors program.

Is funding available?

Yes. Various campus units offer or administer grants, scholarships, and awards for purposes ranging from: introductory and senior thesis research, study abroad and research related travel, and merit based awards acknowledging outstanding scholarship. For more information about these funding opportunities, please view the listings below.

• Charles H. Percy Grant for Public Affairs Research http://igs.berkeley.edu/csr/csr_percy_grant.html (external link)
• Florence Mason Palmer Memorial Prize http://students.berkeley.edu/finaid/undergraduates/palmerprize.htm (external link)
• Institute of International Studies (IIS) Undergraduate Merit Scholarship http://iis.berkeley.edu/funding-opportunities/undergraduate-merit-scholarship (external link)
• Owen D. Young Prize in International Relations http://students.berkeley.edu/finaid/undergraduates/youngprize.htm (external link)
• Philo Sherman Bennett Prize in Political Science http://students.berkeley.edu/finaid/undergraduates/bennettprize.htm (external link)
• Office of Undergraduate Research & Scholarships - Listings open to students in the Social Sciences https://research.berkeley.edu/ opportunities/discipline? field_discipline_value=Arts- Humanities-Social% 2FBehavioral+Science  (external link)

Can you recommend any helpful research and writing resources?

Check out this list of resources for prospective and current thesis writers compiled by Dr. Terri Bimes. Many of these books can be found at one of the campus libraries (external link) .

• Haas Scholars Undergraduate Research Guide http://hsp.berkeley.edu/documents (external link)
• Kate L. Turabian, Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Univ. of Chicago Press). 7th.
• W. Phillips Shively, The Craft of Political Research (Prentice Hall)
• Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, The Craft of Research (Univ. of Chicago Press)
• Gregory C. Scott and Stephen M. Garrison, The Political Science Student Writer's Manual (Prentice Hall)
• Stephen Van Evera, Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science (Cornell University Press)
• Janet Johnson, Richard Joslyn, and H.T. Reynolds, Political Science Research Methods (CQ Press)
• Michael Corbett, Research Methods in Political Science (Thompson)
• Stella Theodoulo and Rory O'Brien, eds., Methods for Political Inquiry (Prentice Hall)
• John Creswall, Research Design (Sage)
• James Carlson and Mark Hyde, Doing Empirical Political Research (Houghton Mofflin)
• DataCamp (Online tutorial to learn R, Python, and Data Science) (external link)

What if I don't finish my honors thesis by the end of spring semester?

If you are graduating that semester, you must finish your thesis on time in order to graduate with honors. If necessary, you may take an incomplete and postpone your graduation (i.e. take yourself off the degree list) until the thesis is finished. If you take an incomplete but do not postpone graduation, you will automatically graduate (if you would have satisfied all of your degree requirements) but you will not receive honors.

What are the levels of honors?

The level of honors you receive (Honors, High Honors, or Highest Honors) will be determined by three factors: 1) your grade in H190B, 2) your Political Science GPA**, and 3) your overall GPA. All three factors must meet the minimums given in the table below in order to earn the designated level. ** Thesis grade is not factored into the calculation of the Political Science GPA, nor is coursework outside of Berkeley.

Is it possible to get departmental honors without writing an honors thesis?

No. However, students with high GPAs automatically graduate with Distinction, High Distinction, or Highest Distinction in General Scholarship (comparable to cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude). This is noted on your transcript and diploma. Distinction GPAs are set by the Registrar and vary slightly each year, but they are approximately 3.6, 3.75, and 3.9. For the specific criteria and grade point averages (for the current year), see the honors section (external link) on the College of Letters and Science web site. Berkeley does not rank its graduates.