college thesis project

The Thesis Process

The thesis is an opportunity to work independently on a research project of your own design and contribute to the scholarly literature in your field. You emerge from the thesis process with a solid understanding of how original research is executed and how to best communicate research results. Many students have gone on to publish their research in academic or professional journals.

To ensure affordability, the per-credit tuition rate for the 8-credit thesis is the same as our regular course tuition. There are no additional fees (regular per-credit graduate tuition x 8 credits).

Below are the steps that you need to follow to fulfill the thesis requirement. Please know that through each step, you will receive guidance and mentorship.

1. Determine Your Thesis Topic and Tentative Question

When you have completed between 24 and 32 credits, you work with your assigned research advisor to narrow down your academic interests to a relevant and manageable thesis topic. Log in to MyDCE , then ALB/ALM Community to schedule an appointment with your assigned research advisor via the Degree Candidate Portal.

Thesis Topic Selection

We’ve put together this guide  to help frame your thinking about thesis topic selection.

Every effort is made to support your research interests that are grounded in your ALM course work, but faculty guidance is not available for all possible projects. Therefore, revision or a change of thesis topic may be necessary.

• The point about topic selection is particularly pertinent to scientific research that is dependent upon laboratory space, project funding, and access to private databases. It is also critical for our candidates in ALM, liberal arts fields (English, government, history, international relations, psychology, etc.) who are required to have Harvard faculty direct their thesis projects. Review Harvard’s course catalog online ( my.harvard.edu ) to be sure that there are faculty teaching courses related to your thesis topic. If not, you’ll need to choose an alternative topic.
• Your topic choice must be a new area of research for you. Thesis work represents thoughtful engagement in new academic scholarship. You cannot re-purpose prior research. If you want to draw or expand upon your own previous scholarship for a small portion of your thesis, you need to obtain the explicit permission of your research advisor and cite the work in both the proposal and thesis. Violations of this policy will be referred to the Administrative Board.

2. Prepare Prework for the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP) Course or Tutorial

The next step in the process is to prepare and submit Prework in order to gain registration approval for the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP) tutorial or course. The Prework process ensures that you have done enough prior reading and thinking about your thesis topic to benefit from the CTP.

The CTP provides an essential onramp to the thesis, mapping critical issues of research design, such as scope, relevance to the field, prior scholarly debate, methodology, and perhaps, metrics for evaluating impact as well as bench-marking. The CTP identifies and works through potential hurdles to successful thesis completion, allowing the thesis project to get off to a good start.

In addition to preparing, submitting, and having your Prework approved, to be eligible for the CTP, you need to be in good standing, have completed a minimum of 32 degree-applicable credits, including the statistics/research methods requirement (if pertinent to your field). You also need to have completed Engaging in Scholarly Conversation (if pertinent to your field). If you were admitted after 9/1/2023 Engaging in Scholarly Conversation (A and B) is required, if admitted before 9/1/2023 this series is encouraged.

Advising Note for Biology, Biotechnology, and Bioengineering and Nanotechnology Candidates : Thesis projects in these fields are designed to support ongoing scientific research happening in Harvard University, other academic institutions, or life science industry labs and usually these are done under the direction of a principal investigator (PI). Hence, you need to have a thesis director approved by your research advisor  prior  to submitting CTP prework. Your CTP prework is then framed by the lab’s research. Schedule an appointment with your research advisor a few months in advance of the CTP prework deadlines in order to discuss potential research projects and thesis director assignment.

CTP Prework is sent to our central email box:  [email protected]  between the following firm deadlines:

• April 1 and June 1 for fall CTP
• September 1 and November 1 for spring CTP.  
• August 1 and October 1 for the three-week January session (ALM sustainability candidates only)
• International students who need a student visa to attend Harvard Summer School should submit their prework on January 1, so they can register for the CTP on March 1 and submit timely I-20 paperwork. See international students guidelines for more information.

Your research advisor will provide feedback on your prework submission to gain CTP registration approval.  If your prework is not approved after 3 submissions, your research advisor cannot approve your CTP registration.  If not approved, you’ll need to take additional time for further revisions, and submit new prework during the next CTP prework submission time period for the following term (if your five-year degree completion deadline allows).

3. Register and Successfully Complete the Crafting the Thesis Proposal Tutorial or Course

Once CTP prework is approved, you register for the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP) course or tutorial as you would any other course. The goal of the CTP is to produce a complete, well-written draft of a proposal containing all of the sections required by your research advisor. Creating an academically strong thesis proposal sets the foundation for a high-quality thesis and helps garner the attention of a well-respected thesis director. The proposal is normally between 15 to 25 pages in length.

The CTP  tutorial  is not a course in the traditional sense. You work independently on your proposal with your research advisor by submitting multiple proposal drafts and scheduling individual appointments. You need to make self-directed progress on the proposal without special prompting from the research advisor. You receive a final grade of SAT or UNSAT (failing grade).

The CTP for sustainability is a three-week course in the traditional sense and you receive a letter grade, and it must be B- or higher to receive degree credit for the course.

You are expected to incorporate all of your research advisor’s feedback and be fully committed to producing an academically strong proposal leading to a thesis worthy of a Harvard degree. If you are unable to take advice from your research advisor, follow directions, or produce an acceptable proposal, you will not pass the CTP.

Successful CTP completion also includes a check on the proper use of sources according to our academic integrity guidelines. Violations of our academic integrity policy will be referred to the Administrative Board.

Maximum of two attempts . If you don’t pass that CTP, you’ll have — if your five-year, degree-completion date allows — just one more attempt to complete the CTP before being required to withdraw from the program. If you fail the CTP just once and have no more time to complete the degree, your candidacy will automatically expire. Please note that a WD grade counts as an attempt.

If by not passing the CTP you fall into poor academic standing, you will need to take additional degree-applicable courses to return to good standing before enrolling in the CTP for your second and final time, only if your five-year, degree-completion date allows. If you have no more time on your five-year clock, you will be required to withdraw.

Human Subjects

If your thesis, regardless of field, will involve the use of human subjects (e.g., interviews, surveys, observations), you will need to have your research vetted by the  Committee on the Use of Human Subjects  (CUHS) of Harvard University. Please review the IRB LIFECYCLE GUIDE located on the CUHS website. Your research advisor will help you prepare a draft copy of the project protocol form that you will need to send to CUHS. The vetting process needs to be started during the CTP tutorial, before a thesis director has been assigned.

4. Thesis Director Assignment and Thesis Registration

We expect you to be registered in thesis soon after CTP completion or within 3 months — no later. You cannot delay. It is critical that once a research project has been approved through the CTP process, the project must commence in a timely fashion to ensure the academic integrity of the thesis process.

Once you (1) successfully complete the CTP and (2) have your proposal officially approved by your research advisor (RA), you move to the thesis director assignment phase. Successful completion of the CTP is not the same as having an officially approved proposal. These are two distinct steps.

If you are a life science student (e.g., biology), your thesis director was identified prior to the CTP, and now you need the thesis director to approve the proposal.

The research advisor places you with a thesis director. Do not approach faculty to ask about directing your thesis.  You may suggest names of any potential thesis directors to your research advisor, who will contact them, if they are eligible/available to direct your thesis, after you have an approved thesis proposal.

When a thesis director has been identified or the thesis proposal has been fully vetted by the preassigned life science thesis director, you will receive a letter of authorization from the Assistant Dean of Academic Programs officially approving your thesis work and providing you with instructions on how to register for the eight-credit Master’s Thesis. The letter will also have a tentative graduation date as well as four mandatory thesis submission dates (see Thesis Timetable below).

Continuous Registration Tip: If you want to maintain continued registration from CTP to thesis, you should meet with your RA prior to prework to settle on a workable topic, submit well-documented prework, work diligently throughout the CTP to produce a high-quality proposal that is ready to be matched with a thesis director as soon as the CTP is complete.

Good academic standing. You must be good academic standing to register for the thesis. If not, you’ll need to complete additional courses to bring your GPA up to the 3.0 minimum prior to registration.

Thesis Timetable

The thesis is a 9 to 12 month project that begins after the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP); when your research advisor has approved your proposal and identified a Thesis Director.

The date for the appointment of your Thesis Director determines the graduation cycle that will be automatically assigned to you:

Once registered in the thesis, we will do a 3-month check-in with you and your thesis director to ensure progress is being made. If your thesis director reports little to no progress, the Dean of Academic Programs reserves the right to issue a thesis not complete (TNC) grade (see Thesis Grading below).

As you can see above, you do not submit your thesis all at once at the end, but in four phases: (1) complete draft to TA, (2) final draft to RA for format review and academic integrity check, (3) format approved draft submitted to TA for grading, and (4) upload your 100% complete graded thesis to ETDs.

Due dates for all phases for your assigned graduation cycle cannot be missed.  You must submit materials by the date indicated by 5 PM EST (even if the date falls on a weekend). If you are late, you will not be able to graduate during your assigned cycle.

If you need additional time to complete your thesis after the date it is due to the Thesis Director (phase 1), you need to formally request an extension (which needs to be approved by your Director) by emailing that petition to:  [email protected] .  The maximum allotted time to write your thesis, including any granted extensions of time is 12 months.

Timing Tip: If you want to graduate in May, you should complete the CTP in the fall term two years prior or, if a sustainability student, in the January session one year prior. For example, to graduate in May 2025:

• Complete the CTP in fall 2023 (or in January 2024, if a sustainability student)
• Be assigned a thesis director (TD) in March/April 2024
• Begin the 9-12 month thesis project with TD
• Submit a complete draft of your thesis to your TD by February 1, 2025
• Follow through with all other submission deadlines (April 1, April 15 and May 1 — see table above)
• Graduate in May 2025

5. Conduct Thesis Research

When registered in the thesis, you work diligently and independently, following the advice of your thesis director, in a consistent, regular manner equivalent to full-time academic work to complete the research by your required timeline.

You are required to produce at least 50 pages of text (not including front matter and appendices). Chapter topics (e.g., introduction, background, methods, findings, conclusion) vary by field.

6. Format Review — Required of all Harvard Graduate Students and Part of Your Graduation Requirements

All ALM thesis projects must written in Microsoft Word and follow a specific Harvard University format. A properly formatted thesis is an explicit degree requirement; you cannot graduate without it.

Your research advisor will complete the format review prior to submitting your thesis to your director for final grading according to the Thesis Timetable (see above).

You must use our Microsoft Word ALM Thesis Template or Microsoft ALM Thesis Template Creative Writing (just for creative writing degree candidates). It has all the mandatory thesis formatting built in. Besides saving you a considerable amount of time as you write your thesis, the preprogrammed form ensures that your submitted thesis meets the mandatory style guidelines for margins, font, title page, table of contents, and chapter headings. If you use the template, format review should go smoothly, if not, a delayed graduation is highly likely.

Format review also includes a check on the proper use of sources according to our academic integrity guidelines. Violations of our academic integrity policy will be referred directly to the Administrative Board.

7. Mandatory Thesis Archiving — Required of all Harvard Graduate Students and Part of Your Graduation Requirements

Once your thesis is finalized, meaning that the required grade has been earned and all edits have been completed, you must upload your thesis to Harvard University’s electronic thesis and dissertation submission system (ETDs). Uploading your thesis ETDs is an explicit degree requirement; you cannot graduate without completing this step.

The thesis project will be sent to several downstream systems:

• Your work will be preserved using Harvard’s digital repository DASH (Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard).
• Metadata about your work will be sent to HOLLIS (the Harvard Library catalog).
• Your work will be preserved in Harvard Library’s DRS2 (digital preservation repository).

By submitting work through ETDs @ Harvard you will be signing the Harvard Author Agreement. This license does not constrain your rights to publish your work subsequently. You retain all intellectual property rights.

For more information on Harvard’s open access initiatives, we recommend you view the Director of the Office of Scholarly Communication (OSC), Peter Suber’s brief introduction .

Thesis Grading

You need to earn a grade of B- or higher in the thesis. All standard course letter grades are available to your thesis director. If you fail to complete substantial work on the thesis, you will earn a grade of TNC (thesis not complete). If you have already earned two withdrawal grades, the TNC grade will count as a zero in your cumulative GPA.

If you earn a grade below B-, you will need to petition the Administrative Board for permission to attempt the thesis for a second and final time. The petition process is only available if you are in good academic standing and your five-year, degree-completion deadline allows for more time. Your candidacy will automatically expire if you do not successfully complete the thesis by your required deadline.

If approved for a second attempt, you may be required to develop a new proposal on a different topic by re-enrolling in the CTP and being assigned a different thesis director. Tuition for the second attempt is calculated at the current year’s rate.

If by not passing the thesis you fall into poor academic standing, you’ll need to take additional degree-applicable courses to return to good standing before re-engaging with the thesis process for the second and final time. This is only an option if your five-year, degree-completion deadline allows for more time.

The Board only reviews cases in which extenuating circumstances prevented the successful completion of the thesis.

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• Senior Thesis Writing Guides

The senior thesis is typically the most challenging writing project undertaken by undergraduate students. The writing guides below aim to introduce students both to the specific methods and conventions of writing original research in their area of concentration and to effective writing process.

• Brief Guides to Writing in the Disciplines
• Course-Specific Writing Guides
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While Sandel argues that pursuing perfection through genetic engineering would decrease our sense of humility, he claims that the sense of solidarity we would lose is also important.

This thesis summarizes several points in Sandel’s argument, but it does not make a claim about how we should understand his argument. A reader who read Sandel’s argument would not also need to read an essay based on this descriptive thesis.  

Broad thesis (arguable, but difficult to support with evidence) 

Michael Sandel’s arguments about genetic engineering do not take into consideration all the relevant issues.

This is an arguable claim because it would be possible to argue against it by saying that Michael Sandel’s arguments do take all of the relevant issues into consideration. But the claim is too broad. Because the thesis does not specify which “issues” it is focused on—or why it matters if they are considered—readers won’t know what the rest of the essay will argue, and the writer won’t know what to focus on. If there is a particular issue that Sandel does not address, then a more specific version of the thesis would include that issue—hand an explanation of why it is important.  

Arguable thesis with analytical claim 

While Sandel argues persuasively that our instinct to “remake” (54) ourselves into something ever more perfect is a problem, his belief that we can always draw a line between what is medically necessary and what makes us simply “better than well” (51) is less convincing.

This is an arguable analytical claim. To argue for this claim, the essay writer will need to show how evidence from the article itself points to this interpretation. It’s also a reasonable scope for a thesis because it can be supported with evidence available in the text and is neither too broad nor too narrow.  

Arguable thesis with normative claim 

Given Sandel’s argument against genetic enhancement, we should not allow parents to decide on using Human Growth Hormone for their children.

This thesis tells us what we should do about a particular issue discussed in Sandel’s article, but it does not tell us how we should understand Sandel’s argument.  

Questions to ask about your thesis 

• Is the thesis truly arguable? Does it speak to a genuine dilemma in the source, or would most readers automatically agree with it?  
• Is the thesis too obvious? Again, would most or all readers agree with it without needing to see your argument?  
• Is the thesis complex enough to require a whole essay's worth of argument?  
• Is the thesis supportable with evidence from the text rather than with generalizations or outside research?  
• Would anyone want to read a paper in which this thesis was developed? That is, can you explain what this paper is adding to our understanding of a problem, question, or topic?
• picture_as_pdf Thesis

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Honors Program

Thesis examples.

• Thesis Supervisor
• Online Submission Instructions
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• Publishing in Open Commons

At this point in your college career you are probably most used to projects that can be completed in the span of one semester. Your thesis project will likely span multiple semesters and may be larger than any project you’ve taken on in the past. For those reasons alone, it’s important to look at examples.

Examples can also help you:

• Learn about potential topics
• Think creatively and reflectively about your interests and how you will contribute to your field
• Determine scope and scale of an Honors thesis (as opposed to a Master’s thesis or Doctoral dissertation)
• Identify potential thesis supervisors
• Understand methods that may be beneficial in completing your thesis

There are two ways to search:

• UConn’s Open Commons contains many recent Honors theses.
• by author’s last name
• by author’s major
• by thesis supervisor
• by the thesis supervisor’s department

If a thesis is available in Open Commons, the title will be hyperlinked within the above PDF files.  Hard copy theses from and 2019 are currently stored in the Honors Program office but are moving soon to the Archives.  Theses from 2018 and older are in the University Archives located at the Dodd Research Center. If you wish to see an older thesis, you must make arrangements through Betsy Pittman at the University Archives Office.

Thesis from 2020 and newer are not available for viewing. They would only be available if the author posted it to Open Commons and it was linked in the PDF’s above.

Note: Questions about the PDFs may be directed to the Honors Program Office .

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Guide for Thesis Research

• Introduction to the Thesis Process
• Project Planning
• Literature Review
• Theoretical Frameworks
• Research Methodology
• GC Honors Program Theses
• Thesis Submission Instructions This link opens in a new window
• Accessing Guilford Theses from 1898 to 2020 This link opens in a new window

Web Resources

• Developing a Thesis - Harvard College Writing Center
• How to Write Your Thesis - Columbia University
• Navigating the Dissertation - University of Southern California

Mapping Out Your Thesis Project

Good project planning will help you make the most out of your thesis experience. Here are some pointers:

• What are the specific requirements for theses in your department?
• What type of sources will you need?
• How much information will you need?
• What kind of data will you need to collect?
• Start your thesis project with enough time.
• Establish a working schedule.
• Establish benchmarks.
• ​Anticipate difficulties in the research process.
• Give yourself leeway to refine or alter your topic as needed.
• Be willing to try different strategies as you conduct your research.
• Databases you have consulted
• Search queries you have used
• Relevant sources you have located
• Have you found sufficient quality information?
• Have you answered your research questions?
• Can you develop and support a coherent argument with the sources that you have?
• Do you have enough to fulfill your thesis requirements?
• Give yourself time to analyze your sources. Consider how they tie together and help support the points you wish to make.
• Give yourself time to craft your written product. Make sure it effectively communicates the research you have done and the ideas you wish to express.
• Show drafts of your written product to others. Ask for their honest feedback, and take it into account.
• Be very clear about what you wish to say and how you will support it.
• Anticipate possible questions you might get.
• Rehearse as much as possible.
• Enjoy the experience!  
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• URL: https://library.guilford.edu/thesis-guide

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A thesis is a significant, sustained project that is the result of independent thought and intellectual curiosity. It is the expectation that a student's chosen project is in the discipline of their major in CAS (or one of their majors if they have multiple majors).

The thesis should exceed the quality and quantity of scholarly work beyond what is required for a term paper. In the process of completing a thesis, a student identifies a research question; develops methods to answer the question(s); collects, manages, and analyzes data; and disseminates the findings and implications through a thesis defense.

In CAS, a thesis can also be a creative project (when appropriate to the student's major). Please see the FAQ section below for more information about what can be used for a thesis.

This is a separate process from submitting a thesis for the Honors Program.

• Thesis Process and Parts

Thesis Prospectus  The college has an electronic submission process via DocuSign for the Thesis Prospectus. All signers (you, your thesis advisors, and the chair of your major department) will receive a copy once it has been completed and received by the Dean’s office. This is to be turned in a year prior to the intended graduation date. 

Thesis Defense  After completing the thesis, students must arrange with their two thesis advisors to give an oral defense of their project. Often the defense begins with the student giving a short presentation on the project. This should be completed well before the college’s deadline. 

Thesis  Students should email a copy of their final thesis to  [email protected]  with their name and NU ID in the subject line by the due date (see timeline below). 

Thesis Evaluation Form  The student initiates the Thesis Evaluation Form in DocuSign by entering their information and the two thesis advisors’ information. The form then routes to each advisor in turn who will complete the evaluation and sign. The Thesis Evaluation is composed of two parts:

• Evaluation of thesis or creative effort: Please justify your evaluation in detail and include a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the project.
• Evaluation of examination: If the examination was oral, identify the areas of subject matter covered. If the examination was written, a copy of the questions and answers must accompany this report. Please com­ment on the strengths and weaknesses of the student's performance in either case.

Once both advisors have signed, the form will automatically route to the Dean’s office. The student and thesis advisors will receive a copy of the completed form. This should be completed before the college’s deadline for thesis materials. 

CASC 99 Undergraduate Thesis  Students who submit a thesis to CAS and successfully defend it to their two thesis advisors will be automatically enrolled in CASC 99. This course represents the significant intellectual work involved in the process: planning, documenting, presenting and defending, and reflecting; it earns students experiential learning credit and documents the accomplishment on the transcript. 

Due Dates Based on Tentative Graduation Dates

Students should allow a year for the entire process of planning, conducting research, and writing a thesis.

Thesis Prospectus Due Dates

• December Graduation: October 31st the year prior to the intended graduation.
• May Graduation: March 31st the year prior to the intended graduation.
• August Graduation: July 31st the year prior to the intended graduation.

Thesis, Thesis Defense, and Thesis Evaluation Form Due Dates The college deadline is eight weeks prior to the Monday following commencement, except for the August commencement in which case the deadline is four weeks prior to the Friday before commencement.

Students are responsible for developing a timeline with their two thesis advisors to ensure time to read the thesis, conduct the oral defense, and submit the paperwork before the college deadline.

The following are the dates on which materials are due in the Dean's Office for the next several graduation periods. These dates are based on the formula mentioned above and will be updated as actual graduation dates are posted by the Registrar's office.

* If you cannot meet this deadline, please reach out to [email protected] . We may be able to accommodate a late submission for the Thesis Prospectus.

** This is a firm deadline due to deadlines the college must meet with the Office of the University Registrar.

• Steps for the Student

Year Prior to Graduation 

Complete your part of the  Thesis Prospectus form through DocuSign. It will route to your thesis advisors and your major department chair. You are required to use your university email address (@huskers.unl.edu) for the college to accept your email submission. 

Begin research.  Research in many areas/fields takes time to plan and conduct, so start early!

Semester of Graduation  

Complete thesis project. 

Submit thesis to thesis advisors with sufficient time to meet distinction deadlines. Typically, this is at least two weeks prior to the college due date. 

Start the Thesis Evaluation Form by filling in your advisors’ information (it will route to them to complete).  

Successfully defend your thesis to your thesis advisors before the college due date.  

Submit final thesis to [email protected] .

Thesis outside of your major  To write your thesis outside your major, please see the FAQ section and contact the CAS Dean’s Office at  [email protected]  regarding the process for approval.

Expectations for the Advisors and Unit

Before signing the thesis prospectus, discuss the following with the student:

• the student's plan for the project as described in the Thesis Prospectus
• the minimum GPA requirements of 3.500 for distinction and whether the student expects to meet this requirement.
• the college committee determines the level of distinction by using the cumulative grade point average based on all credit hours taken at UNL prior to the beginning of the term in which the student receives his or her degree. Incomplete coursework and classes from the current term are not included in the determination of level of distinction.
• any additional policies or requirements set by the major department/program.

Semester of Graduation

• Continue supervising the student's research.
• Oversee the thesis defense.
• Jointly evaluate the thesis and quality of the thesis defense on Thesis Evaluation Form.

Chair/Director of Major Department/Program

Chairs/directors certify both thesis advisors listed are appropriate to advise the proposed thesis for this major.

• At least one advisor must hold the title of assistant professor/professor of practice, associate professor/professor of practice or professor/professor of practice.
• Multi-year lecturers and instructional staff (excluding graduate students), with approval from the major department, may serve as one of the co-advisors.
• At least one of the thesis advisors must be from the College of Arts and Sciences.

Any student in CAS can submit a thesis to earn experiential learning credit; they do not need to be eligible for distinction nor do they need to be in the Honors Program. Because it is a substantial undertaking, students should plan ahead: submit a prospectus approximately a year before the thesis will be due, and work closely with their two thesis advisors.

To be considered for Distinction with a thesis, a student must have a minimum of a 3.500 cumulative GPA of UNL hours the term prior to their graduation.

CAS and the Honors Program have separate processes for submitting a thesis, but a student can use the same project for both processes. For CAS Distinction, the student must follow all CAS processes outlined here.

No. A final project for a course is not sufficient for a thesis; it can, however, serve as a starting point for a thesis project that is then extended under the guidance of two thesis advisors.

Most often, a thesis is a long text that follows the conventions of the student's major (or, if approved to write outside the major, the thesis follows the conventions of the discipline of the project).

Students, working closely with their two thesis advisors, may develop a project that takes a form other than a traditional thesis (e.g. they may develop video, audio, or web-based project), but the research, knowledge, effort, and quality of work should be comparable to that of a thesis in the discipline.

• A translation of texts in French literature and accompanied by a scholarly piece on the translation process
• An extensive collection of exhibits to demonstrate one phase of the evolution of the process of photography, accompanied by a lengthy historical background that includes references
• A screenplay
• A web page posting a student's translation (created using digital tools) of an ancient Greek or Latin text, with an annotated syntactic tree, an historical and grammatical commentary on the work, and a detailed bibliography

In short, the effort must have a significant scholarly component, but it need not be in the format of a traditional thesis provided the major department and thesis advisors approve the project in the prospectus.

It depends on the venue for the publication and the placement of the student in the order of authors listed. Contact [email protected] with specific questions.

No. A literature review about a particular topic is not sufficient. Ideally, there should be a clear formulation of a problem or question, scholarly study which illuminates or addresses it, and a conclusion supported by evidence. A bibliography and reference to existing research in the field should be included as appropriate.

No. While students often begin their thesis defense by giving a short presentation on their project, the presentation is not a sufficient format for the thesis. Students must also write a document following the conventions of the discipline of the project.

A student can request to write a thesis outside their major; they must have completed sufficient relevant coursework in the project's discipline to be successful. Please contact the CAS Dean's Office at  [email protected]  regarding the process.

At least one advisor must hold the title of assistant professor/professor of practice, associate professor/professor of practice or professor/professor of practice. Multi-year lecturers and instructional staff (excluding graduate students), with approval from the major department, may serve as one of the co-advisors. At least one of the thesis advisors must be from the College of Arts and Sciences.

No. The thesis defense is a vital element of the thesis process; it enables the student to fully demonstrate their command of their project and ability to respond to questions about it. Additionally, the thesis defense provides an element that ensures the student's project meets experiential learning requirements.

Please write to [email protected] with any questions you may have. Please use your Husker email and put your name and NUID in the subject line.

Distinction Sections

About Distinction

• Without a Thesis
• The Role of the Thesis

About the Thesis

• Expectations For Advisors and Units
• Thesis Prospectus form
• Evaluation Form
• Electronic Submission Process

You are required to use your university email address (@huskers.unl.edu) for the college to accept your submission. See due dates for deadlines.

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Clark honors college menu, clark honors college, thesis project overview.

Your thesis project allows you to apply the critical thinking and communication skills you have learned in the CHC to explore ideas, problems, approaches, and practices in your field of study. Each thesis project is unique and collectively they reflect the diversity of creative, professional, and research work and training at the University of Oregon.  With the support of a primary thesis advisor from your field of study, you will build knowledge, skills, and experience in pursuit of your goals. 

We like to think of the thesis project as having three stages: DESIGN , ACTION and COMMUNICATION . 

DESIGN YOUR PROJECT

Planning is essential to a successful thesis project. Although most thesis projects are completed during your final year, it is never too early to start building relationships with faculty members in your area(s) of interest and thinking about possible topics.  

Get Oriented

The HC 277H Thesis Orientation course (2 cr, P/N) provides a practical orientation to the thesis project and will help you understand the long-term value of a thesis project by exploring skills and capabilities you can gain through the process. Most students take HC 277H in their second year, although students interested in the laboratory sciences may benefit from taking the class during their first year. 

Develop an Idea

While your project topic should relate to your major or minor field of study, it may germinate in many different ways. For some students, it can originate in the courses you take and the professors who inspire you. For other students, it may be an internship or a lab experience that sparks your interest in a particular problem or issue. Once you have identified a primary thesis advisor, they will work with you to refine and focus your project.  

“I wanted to find a project that allowed me to express myself creatively. I also do a lot of self reflection in my spare time and enjoy looking inward as a way of understanding the world around me. My primary thesis advisor was very adaptive and kind, encouraging me to identify a project that I would be thrilled to work on.”

—Calvin Warner, Environmental Studies, Class of 2023,   The Impact of Casual Observation on Environmental Appreciation and Personal Wellbeing

“I kind of paved my own path with this thesis project. I was combining the fields of entrepreneurship and computer science, so I thought about valuable processes that applied to both fields. As part of computer science projects, you go through a multi-step process of defining requirements, designing those requirements, and finally testing them. I used these templates as a basis for my project.”

—Angela Pelky, Computer Science, Class of 2023,   A Journey to Build a Dog Walking Application

“Lean into a topic or experience that you found fascinating, like study abroad, to get the most out of that one experience and make the thesis project slightly outside your typical realm - that difference will make your project more interesting and easier to work on through the year.”

—Grace Miyoshi, Journalism, Class of 2023,   Monopponom as an emerging Japansese American craft: Creating a transcultural public relations plan

Form Your Thesis Committee

CHC thesis projects are supervised and evaluated by a committee consisting of at least two faculty members: 

• Your Primary Thesis Advisor must be a tenure-related or career faculty member at the UO who specializes in your field of study.  Your primary thesis advisor will mentor you throughout the thesis process, providing regular guidance and feedback. 
• Your CHC Representative must be a member of the CHC core faculty . They will provide a non-specialist perspective on the project and assist with process-related questions and issues. 

You select your thesis committee members. This means that you are responsible for reaching out to both potential primary thesis advisors and CHC representatives to invite them to serve.  

Keep in mind:

• You need a Primary Thesis Advisor to register for Thesis Prospectus 
• If you’re unsure about how to approach faculty members to serve on your committee, talk to your CHC Faculty Advisor. Remember that faculty members can only serve on so many committees, so ask early! 
• As members join your committee, please notify Miriam Jordan, CHC Undergradute Student Support Manager, using the form CHC Thesis Committee .  

Frequently Asked Questions:

• How can I tell if a potential primary thesis advisor is a tenure-related or career faculty member and therefore eligible to serve in this role?
• Does my primary thesis advisor need to be in my major department?
• Is there a petition process to have someone who is not a tenure-related or career faculty member serve as my primary thesis advisor?
• Is my CHC Representative the same as my CHC Faculty Advisor?
• When does it make sense to add a third member to the thesis committee?
• Who is eligible to serve in committee roles other than Primary Thesis Advisor and CHC Representative?
• What are the expectations for my primary thesis advisor? What do I do if I am having trouble communicating with them?
• I’m having trouble finding a primary thesis advisor. What can I do?

Create a Plan

In the HC 477H Thesis Prospectus course (2 cr, P/N), you will develop a specific plan for your thesis project and solidify your collaborative working relationship with your primary thesis advisor. A prospectus is a written project plan ( see prospectus examples here ) in which you refine your project questions or goals, situate your project within your field, decide on the appropriate methods and practices, lay out a detailed timeline for completion, and give an oral presentation on your project with your primary thesis advisor in attendance. By the end of the class, you will know exactly what you need to do to complete your thesis project. 

If you will be including co-authored or collaborative work in your thesis, it is important to incorporate this into your planning process and to communicate with your PTA and collaborators very early on. You are allowed to include co-authored or collaborative work in your CHC thesis project, provided that it is properly attributed and that the thesis committee can assess your individual contributions. Detailed guidelines for including co-authored or collaborative work in your final thesis submission can be found in the Guidelines for Collaborative Thesis Work .  

“Schedule an appointment with a librarian at the beginning of your research. They have extensive knowledge of the best databases to utilize and can guide you in using search engines and filters to your advantage. This will maximize your efficiency and empower you to start your thesis journey with confidence.”

—Yessica Roldan, Human Physiology, Class of 2023,  Nintedanib: A New Hope for Patients with Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease

“I’ve always been the biggest procrastinator, but the way the thesis process is set up with Prospectus and everything made me realize how easy it is to manage long-term projects and goals. Now, I’m someone who makes a timeline for any and all projects.”

Frequently Asked Questions:  

• When should I take HC 477H Thesis Prospectus?
• How do I get permission to register for HC 477H Thesis Prospectus?
• I filled out the HC 477H Thesis Prospectus preauthorization form but haven’t received permission to register. What do I do?
• My major department also has a thesis prospectus class. Do I need to take that class as well as HC 477H?

ACT ON YOUR IDEAS

Since every student’s thesis project is unique, the precise steps involved in completing yours will be specific to you. Draw on the plan you created in Thesis Prospectus and stay in touch with your primary thesis advisor as you refine your project. Don’t forget that if your thesis project involves working with human subjects (interviews, surveys, experiments, etc.) or vertebrate animals, you may need to go through university approval processes.  

Take Independent Study Credits

You can't complete a thesis project in your spare time. Although you are not required to do so, you may want to enroll in independent study credits through your major, minor, or through the honors college so that thesis work becomes part of your weekly work schedule. To create time in your schedule for independent study credits for thesis-related work, you can replace one elective HC colloquium with four or more credits of independent research related to your thesis.  

Independent Study Credits

Apply for Funding

Depending on your project, you may decide to apply for a grant or stipend to support your work. The CHC and University of Oregon offer many programs to support student research. For most grants, you will need to apply with the support of your primary thesis advisor, so make sure you talk with them well in advance of the grant deadlines. Your primary thesis advisor may also know about funding opportunities specific to your discipline. 

Funding Opportunities

Keep Communicating

Regardless of your topic or field of study, it is important to maintain regular contact with your primary thesis advisor. Expectations about contact may vary from field to field. Set up a schedule for meetings with your primary thesis advisor and let them know if any problems occur. 

“My primary thesis advisor helped me break down the problem and brainstorm strategies to tackle it productively. It’s important to remember that the thesis project is a new journey, and if you ever feel lost, don’t hesitate to reach out to your committee for help.”

“My thesis journey taught me to communicate my needs and be intentional with my time. Being able to identify and articulate my needs was invaluable to this project.”

—Calvin Warner, Environmental Studies, Class of 2023,  The Impact of Casual Observation on Environmental Appreciation and Personal Wellbeing

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I know if I need to go through the human subjects research approval process?
• How do I know if I need to go through the vertebrate animal research approval process?
• Can I study abroad and still complete a thesis?
• Can I conduct human subjects research while studying abroad?

COMMUNICATE THE RESULTS

Communicating the results of your project to your committee, project stakeholders, and the public is a critical component of the CHC thesis process. This is formally known as the thesis defense. In the term you defend, you will circulate your thesis project to your committee and the Academic and Thesis Programs Manager 10 days in advance of the oral defense, successfully complete the oral defense, and submit the final thesis. See the information on Your Defense Term for deadlines you will need to meet during your defense term. 

Write your Thesis

All CHC thesis projects have a written component. The form, content, and length of the written component will vary depending on your field of study and specific project; work with your primary thesis advisor to determine what is appropriate for your field. For all projects, even those that center creative or professional work, the written component should situate the project within the field:  

• How does your work engage, compare with, or relate to the work of others?
• What are the methods or practices utilized and why were they chosen?
• Why is this work a significant or unique contribution?

Thesis projects may also include components such as performances, artwork, products, recordings, slide-decks, digital projects, or public-facing materials; your committee can help you decide how best to present non-written and experiential elements of the project in the final thesis. The written component of the thesis should follow the CHC Thesis Formatting Guidelines . 

“Because my project wasn't dictated by my advisor, I had to define what my project would look like and how I would get there. The hardest part was figuring out where to start. I found that as long as I set aside the time, just made myself sit down, and started writing whatever came to mind I eventually would get into a flow.”

Join a Writing in Community Group

Writing in Community are groups of students who come together at a dedicated time to share their weekly progress on their thesis project and write together as a community. Writing In Community does not critique or peer review fellow participants. Instead, it provides writers with the structure of a scheduled time to write and offer supportive accountability from peers to help you develop your writing practice.

Thesis Writing in Community

“Give yourself a designated time and place to write and work on the thesis during the week. That hour weekly did wonders for me.”

Present your Work

The oral defense requires careful preparation but is also an opportunity to celebrate your accomplishments with your committee, the CHC community, friends, and family. In the oral defense, you will demonstrate your depth of knowledge by synthesizing your thesis project in a 20-30 minute presentation and answering questions from your committee and audience members. Immediately following the presentation and Q&A, your committee will consult privately and, using the thesis evaluation criteria , determine whether you have successfully completed the thesis requirement. It is not uncommon for students to make minor revisions to the project prior to final submission. In rare cases significant revisions may be required. Defenses may take place in person, on Zoom, or in a hybrid format. 

“The most rewarding part of the project was having my mom, my favorite professors, and my best friends together in one room for my defense. I delivered a stellar presentation and my mom raved about my public speaking skills—it really was the best way to end four years of hard work.”

Archive your Thesis

Following your defense, you will submit the final version of your thesis project to the CHC using the CHC Thesis Post-Defense Form . The CHC expects you to archive your thesis on the UO Libraries Scholars' Bank , an open-access digital archive with the mission to preserve and disseminate the intellectual output of University of Oregon faculty, staff, and students. Make sure you discuss Scholars’ Bank submission with your primary thesis advisor prior to filling out the form.  

For more information about archiving, see the page Your Defense Term . 

Frequently Asked Questions: 

• The Thesis Document
• Thesis Defense
• Final Submission and Graduation

Department of Psychology

Dietrich college of humanities and social sciences.

Senior Thesis Projects

Senior theses are independent research projects that students complete in close collaboration with a faculty mentor.  Students who complete a senior thesis project select their own research topic, meaning that they have the opportunity to find answers to the research questions they find most compelling.

Who can complete a senior thesis?

Any student in the department may elect to complete a senior thesis project, provided that they have a Psychology faculty mentor who agrees to supervise their work.  Students with GPAs that are 3.0 and above may be invited to apply to complete a Dietrich Senior Honors Thesis in the second semester of their junior year ( Learn more about the Dietrich Honors Thesis ). 

Students who do not meet this GPA requirement can still complete a departmental thesis.

What does a senior thesis project entail?

Senior thesis projects vary depending on the student’s research interests, but they always involve the direct application of the skills that students learn in their Research Methods courses.  To complete their project, students typically:

• Conduct a literature search in which they review and synthesize previously published research on their chosen topic
• Generate a hypothesis
• Collect and design experimental stimuli
• Collect data (often including recruiting and testing participants)
• Analyze data
• Write an APA-style research paper describing their hypotheses, methods, and findings

Many students who complete a senior thesis also present their work at Meeting of the Minds , a university-wide research symposium held each May on Carnegie Mellon University’s campus.

How long does a senior thesis take to complete?

Students typically spend one academic year (two separate semesters) planning, conducting, analyzing, and writing up the results of their research projects.  Students typically apply in the spring semester of their junior year and begin work on their projects in the fall semester of their senior year.

What kinds of projects do students complete?

Students often work on thesis projects that complement the research that their faculty advisor is currently conducting.  Learn more about faculty research .

Below are some of the senior thesis projects of recent graduates.

• Community Standards
• Faculty Resources

Your Honors Thesis

The honors college thesis handbook and guidelines.

Completing this Honors College requirement provides you with an opportunity to design a unique project that will challenge you to reflect upon yours Honors education and to present your work to a group of faculty and your peers.

If you have any additional questions please contact  Robin Bond .

View the Spring 2024 Thesis Presentation Schedule

Sign up for your thesis presentation , submit your final thesis.

Table of Contents

What is the Honors Thesis and why do I have to complete one?

What do i do first.

• Thesis checklist
• Formatting your thesis proposal, and proposal review process
• Formatting your thesis

Who will evaluate my thesis and oral presentations?

How will my thesis be graded.

• What is “pass with distinction” and will I be eligible?

Forms & Guidelines

• Download the Honors College Thesis Handbook and Guidelines
• Honors Thesis Proposal Form
• Thesis Oral Presentation Rubric
• Thesis Written Document Rubric
• Thesis Evaluation Guidelines
• Thesis Advisor Signature

Completing this Honors requirement provides you an opportunity to design a unique project that will challenge you to reflect upon your Honors education and to present your work to a group of faculty and your peers. Your thesis will be the culmination of your undergraduate work and a bridge to your future career or academic life. Completion of the senior thesis is one of the hallmarks of a quality Honors education.

The thesis also provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to work closely with faculty members on campus who share similar research or creative interests. Your thesis can provide entrée to academic and professional research. It can lead to a publication and/or a conference presentation. Furthermore, faculty members who serve as thesis advisors are in a position to write very strong letters for graduate/professional schools or positions in the labor force. Prospective employers and graduate school admissions committees are impressed by the dedication and discipline required to write a thesis.

A thesis is not just another research or term paper. A thesis will thoroughly investigate previous research on a topic and will include your own insights and contributions to the topic. Many theses attempt to answer an academic question or test a hypothesis. Students in art, music, creative writing, or film studies, for example, may choose to complete a “creative project.” In this case, your written paper would be a contextual analysis of the work that you completed and would provide a lens for an audience to evaluate your work. See the “Formatting Your Thesis Proposal” and “Formatting Your Completed Thesis” sections below.

The information provided here will help you complete your Honors thesis and will answer basic questions about the process. The advisors in the Honors College are available to talk with you further about this requirement and to help you successfully complete it.

Before you begin writing your thesis, it is highly recommended that you enroll in and complete HONORS 398, an optional one-unit “Thesis Proposal” class. HONORS 398 should be taken in your sophomore or junior year. The goals of this class are to identify an appropriate advisor, develop a research activity or creative project, and prepare your proposal. In conjunction with your thesis advisor, you will develop a proposal that will be submitted to the Honors College for approval. The required format for the proposal is outlined below in this handbook, and the cover form, which your advisor must sign, is available here.

Once the proposal is approved by the Thesis Review Committee, you will complete your project under the supervision of your thesis advisor, and you may plan to present your final thesis as soon as the following semester.

Note: Students in the College of Engineering should check their schedules of studies to see which course satisfies the Honors College thesis requirement.

Thesis Checklist

• Thesis topic/Research project Your thesis can be a project that you develop or it can be based on faculty research that you are involved in. Often a thesis is a critical discussion/literature review of a topic guided by the specific research question of your thesis. It is not a requirement that you generate your own data in a lab or by using a survey, for example.  Most students begin thinking about their thesis in SOPHOMORE YEAR ; some students get involved in research on campus as early as FRESHMAN YEAR .
• HONORS 398 Plan to enroll in HONORS 398 during your JUNIOR YEAR. The course is not required, but it helps you write a proposal for your project and explains information about writing and completing the thesis. If you are pursuing a major in nursing or speech and hearing sciences or if you are planning to study abroad in junior year.  Some students choose to take HONORS 398 in SPRING OF SOPHOMORE YEAR .
• Thesis Advisor The thesis requires that you work with a faculty advisor at WSU. This can be anyone who is in a faculty position (including clinical faculty and senior instructors) at any WSU campus. You must have an advisor before you submit your thesis proposal to honors. HONORS 398 can help you identify an advisor for your project; if you are doing research in a faculty lab, the PI (Principal Investigator) is the best option for your thesis advisor.
• Thesis Proposal Before you can enroll in HONORS 450 thesis credits, you must submit a thesis proposal to honors. The thesis proposal is a 5-page document that shows you are embarking on a solid, academic project that will satisfy the thesis requirement. The thesis proposal must be submitted no later than the semester before you plan to complete and present your thesis. The thesis proposal is submitted as an email attachment to [email protected] with a coversheet.  Most students submit their proposal in JUNIOR YEAR .
• HONORS 450, 3 credits HONORS 450 is not an actual class; these are 3 credits that satisfy your thesis requirement for honors. Once your thesis proposal is approved, you will be enrolled in HONORS 450 credits according to your instructions on the thesis proposal cover sheet (see above).
• Written Thesis You will work with your thesis advisor to write your final thesis, which will probably take multiple drafts. Communicate with your advisor about how often you should meet to review your work. Your final thesis will be due on the Monday of the week prior to the week of your presentation date.  Most students plan to complete the thesis in SENIOR YEAR .
• Schedule your Presentation Plan to schedule your thesis presentation early in the semester when you plan to complete your thesis. There will be a date by which you must schedule your presentation. You will need the information about your advisor and the faculty evaluator for your project. Your advisor can suggest an evaluator to review your work.  Most students plan to complete the thesis in SENIOR YEAR .
• Thesis Presentation Your thesis presentation is the last step in completing your thesis. Your presentation will be attended by your advisor, your evaluator, and a host from the Honors College. You will present your thesis for 20 minutes, followed by 10-15 minutes of Q/A, and finally the evaluation, so, the entire presentation will be scheduled for one hour. Students at the Spokane campus have the option of presenting via the WSU videoconferencing system.  Most students plan to complete and present their thesis in SENIOR YEAR .

Formatting your thesis proposal

Thesis proposals are typically 5 pages long and are double spaced using a 12-point font. Please paginate your proposal and be sure to attach the required Thesis Proposal Form to the front of your proposal. The guidelines below indicate the sections required.

I. Introduction/Literature Review

Your introduction or literature review provides specific background information or the “body of knowledge” relevant to your Honors thesis. The literature you cite should draw on both earlier and current scholarly work. For proposals in the arts and humanities, include several journal sources and academic book(s). For proposals in the social sciences and sciences, include primary sources, review articles, and academic book(s).

This section should be written such that your research question or hypothesis or creative activity flows logically from it.

II. Proposed Activity

Depending upon your academic discipline, you may present your proposed activity as a research question, hypothesis(es), or creative activity with a stated goal or outcome(s). The proposed activity that forms the basis of your Honors thesis must be tied to an existing body of knowledge. This section of your thesis proposal should be clear and concise – e.g., two sentences in length.

III. Methodology

All disciplines lend themselves to research and creativity; all work is conducted using some methodology. Your methodology determines the rigor and validity of your work.

This section of your thesis proposal should present all the methods (i.e., scholarly approaches) you will use in your thesis. Your advisor will be well-versed in methodologies.

Your methodology may depend on your field. For example …

• If you plan to create original artistic work or other creative work, provide a scholarly “lens” through which an audience may perceive it (e.g., analyze the work of artists who influenced your own work and how your work differs from/is similar to theirs). Discuss any challenges to be overcome and give a timeline you will follow to complete your project. Be specific about what you plan to create. Articulate your creative goals.
• If you plan to conduct literature research (whether in the liberal arts and humanities, sciences, social sciences, business, or communications), indicate how you will select and examine your sources (e.g., date range of journals to be searched, data base(s) to utilize), what guidelines you will use to interpret them, and how you plan to analyze and synthesize your findings.
• If you plan to perform scientific research in a lab or the field, provide information on materials and methods including controls, replicates, and statistical analyses.
• If you plan to conduct a meta-analysis in the social sciences, indicate the criteria to be used to select the publications for your analysis as well as the statistics you will apply.
• If your research involves the use of humans, including surveys and/or questionnaires, you must obtain Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval through the Office of Research Assurances (www.irb.wsu.edu). This approval is absolutely necessary before you interview one person or send out a single survey to be completed.
• If you are doing a survey or interviews, include the full survey instrument and/or the complete interview questions to the Appendix section. Further, if data collection is involved, describe how the data will be collected and analyzed and what materials will be used.

IV. Expected Results and/or Potential Conclusions

In no more than one or two paragraphs , describe the results you expect from your thesis and what those results will mean in the greater context of knowledge in the field. If you complete a creative project, discuss the implications of your project in terms of a larger context of your discipline.

V. Annotated Bibliography

This is a preliminary list of the “body of knowledge” that was cited in your Introduction/Literature Review (above). Your annotated bibliography section will begin on a new sheet of paper and contain at least five annotated sources. Select recent journal articles, review articles, and scholarly books that address your topic. After each source, write an annotation, i.e. a 3- to 4-sentence statement explaining what information is included in the source. (See example below.) Include specific facts rather than vague generalizations (e.g., instead of saying, “This journal article talks about Beethoven’s 9th symphony,” say “This journal article analyzes the form, instrumentation, and re-orchestration by Mahler of Beethoven’s 9th symphony”). If it is not obvious, explain how the source will be useful to the development of your thesis. For the citation, follow the approved style for your field (i.e. APA, MLA, Chicago Style Manual, etc.). Single-space each citation and its corresponding annotation and leave a blank line between entries:

Portes A. 1998. Social capital: its origins and applications in modern sociology. Annu. Rev. Sociol. 24:1-24.

This review article discusses the origins and definitions of social capital in the writings of several scholars in the field. The author identifies four sources of social capital and examines their dynamics. He also gives examples of both positive functions and negative consequences of social capital. It is fundamental for my thesis hypothesis.

Powell W.W. and Snellman K. 2004. The knowledge economy. Annu. Rev. Sociol. 30:199-220.

This review article uses evidence from patent data and discusses the debate on whether technological advances have generated more or less worker autonomy. It is useful for my research because it defines the knowledge economy and provides both sides of the debate.

VI. Appendix

This optional section will contain your complete survey instruments and full range of interview questions, or any other information you and your advisor deem essential for readers and reviewers.

Thesis proposal review process

If your thesis proposal is electronically submitted by the fifth day of a month, you will receive approval—or a request for revision—by the last working day of that month. A faculty committee will evaluate your thesis proposal. All notifications to you and your advisor will be made using WSU’s email system.

Formatting your completed thesis

All Honors College theses include these sections, arranged in the following order :

The title page will include the following: thesis title, your name, the semester in which you are giving your oral presentation, and your advisor’s name, department, and college.

Advisor Signature Approval Page

Your advisor must indicate that he/she agrees that your thesis is complete and ready to submit. This page should be placed directly after your Title Page, and include the following:

• As thesis advisor for (your name) , I have read this paper and find it satisfactory.
• Thesis advisor signature
• Date of signature

The précis represents an informative, concise summary of your thesis that is free from jargon and written in language that an academic reader outside your discipline can understand. (Note: A précis differs from an abstract, which is written for professionals in the discipline.) The précis should be no more than two pages long, double-spaced. Develop your précis after you complete the body of your Honors thesis, and place it directly after the Advisor Signature Approval Page. Include the problem, question, or hypothesis examined, an explanation of why you decided to study this problem or issue or to pursue this creative project, the approach you took, what you discovered, and avenues others might pursue in this area in the future.

Include a table of contents that guides the reader to the various sections of your paper.

List of Figures and Tables

If two or more figures or tables appear in the main body of your paper, include a list of figures/tables after the Table of Contents.

Main Body of Paper

This section of your thesis should be approximately 20 pages long, double-spaced, with page numbers at the bottom of each page. If you have chosen a creative project, your paper may be 10-12 pages long. It should be double-spaced, have page numbers at the bottom of each page, be written in English unless specific arrangements have been made in advance, and contain no spelling or grammatical errors. In all cases, the style should be appropriate for the discipline.

For organizational purposes, you may wish to use headings and sections (see below) for the main body of your thesis as they appear in your Table of Contents. Discuss the organization of your thesis with your advisor and follow a format that is typical of writing in your discipline. However, your thesis must include a Title Page, Advisor Signature Approval Page, Précis, and References Cited section. In addition, the main body of your thesis must provide the reader with a logical introduction to your project (explaining how it fits within a larger context and what your focus is), what you did for your thesis, how you conducted your work, and the significance of your work to your field of endeavor.

If you have chosen to complete a creative project, you may submit a shorter written document in which you should answer the following questions:

• What are the artistic aims of your project?
• What or who are the key influences on your work, i.e., current or historical artists with similar creative ideas?
• Is your work similar to or different from these artists?
• What methods or techniques did you use?
• Did you follow a disciplinary tradition?
• What issues and obstacles did you encounter?
• What did you learn? What are the next steps?
• What further work is needed related to your project?

Optional Headings and Sections

I. Introduction or Literature Review

This section sets the stage for your work. It gives the reader a view of the framework for your project – the particular field in which you are working – and brings the reader logically to the project at hand.

The introduction should answer two questions :

• What is the larger context (body of knowledge) for your topic?
• What is the significance of your particular topic?

The introduction or literature review should lead logically and clearly to your research question or hypothesis.

II. Thesis Activity or Creative Project

State your thesis activity/creative project succinctly in one or two sentences.

III. Methodology (Materials and Methods)

Describe the approaches you employed, and cite any relevant literature. Readers should be able to understand clearly the procedural and analytical steps you undertook.

IV. Results and Discussion

This is the real heart of your project and contains your original contribution of new knowledge in your field.

What did you discover, learn, create, or uncover? Present, interpret, and discuss the data or ideas you have collected or generated. Describe your findings in a precise and well-supported manner, as this is primarily where you can persuade your readers to adopt your perspective on the subject. Relate your work to the larger field. Cite any relevant bibliographic sources within your discussion.

The ability to view one’s own work critically and objectively is essential for all fields of scholarly research, and a thorough discussion of your findings demonstrates your potential as a scholar.

Because all projects are by their very nature limited in scope, an essential part of fully analyzing your work is to understand its limits. Think about the robustness of what you have done:

• If you had collected your materials or data differently, could you still expect to replicate your findings?
• Could you have approached your project in a different way?
• Did your assumptions lead to a certain bias that had implications for your conclusions?
• Do your findings corroborate those in the published literature?

V. Conclusions

What, briefly, did you learn or discover? What are the larger ramifications of your work?

VI. References Cited

VII. Appendix (optional)

Supplemental material such as pictures, figures, survey instruments, interview questions, and tables should be included in the Appendix.

Your thesis will be evaluated by your thesis advisor and a thesis evaluator selected by you and your advisor. The evaluator may or may not be from your discipline, so critical factors for your success are a very clear précis, a well-written introduction and discussion of your work, and an oral presentation that explains to an educated lay audience the significance of your thesis.

The reviewers will use the Thesis Evaluation Rubric and Oral Presentation Rubric to score both your written thesis document and your oral presentation. Review each rubric and become aware of how your work will be evaluated.

Your advisor and the evaluator will evaluate both your written and oral presentation/poster. Students’ work is graded as “excellent,” “satisfactory/pass,” “needs significant or minor revision,” or “fail.” Students whose thesis is…

• judged exemplary may have their theses nominated for “Pass with Distinction” designation
• graded “needs revisions” have approx. two weeks to make all corrections, get approval of the changes, and resubmit a new electronic copy of the thesis
• graded “fail” will need to redo the thesis to the satisfaction of the advisor and the Honors College, and submit a revised electronic copy of the thesis

What is pass with distinction and will I be eligible?

Exemplary theses may be nominated for “Pass with Distinction.”

Papers that merit “Pass with Distinction” reflect scholarly writing that is couched in the relevant literature and is analytical, synthetic, well-argued, well-written, and possibly publishable. Members of the Honors Council make the final determination on this designation.

The thesis advisor and evaluator must be in agreement before a thesis can receive a “Nomination for Pass with Distinction” designation. The thesis advisor then formally nominates the thesis in a written letter submitted to the Honors College. The letter must state why, in specific terms, the advisor believes the work deserves this designation.

If your thesis is nominated for Pass with Distinction, you will be asked permission to publish your paper on the Honors College website and in the Library’s Research Exchange Project. You and your advisor must both sign approval forms.

Important Note : Exceptions to regularly scheduled thesis weeks will be considered on a case-by-case basis and require a petition from the student supported by the thesis advisor. No thesis may be presented in the same semester in which the proposal was submitted and approved . Only students presenting during the scheduled periods may be eligible to receive a nomination for Pass with Distinction which will be reflected on their WSU transcript.

Most of the Frequently Asked Questions below will be answered during the 1-unit HONORS 398 course, the Thesis Preparation Course. The Honors College encourages you to take this class as soon as you have earned 45 units.

When do I do my thesis?

You should plan to initiate your thesis work as early in your academic career as you can. Thesis proposals should be submitted no later than the second semester of your junior year.

Can I do a thesis while studying abroad?

Yes, a thesis can be either initiated or completed during your time studying abroad. In this case you might wish to complete your Certificate of Global Competencies as well. Meet with an Honors College advisor to discuss your options.

How do I find an academic advisor?

An academic advisor is chosen by you. The request to advise may be based on your positive interaction with a specific professor, the professor’s expertise in the area of your research, or your interest in a professor’s teaching. You and your advisor will also pick a thesis reviewer from your department or a similar field of research. Please direct your advisor to online information “For Thesis Advisors” on the Honors College website.

Does the advisor need to be from WSU?

Yes, the principal advisor needs to be a tenure-track faculty member or senior instructor at WSU, but a co-advisor from another academic institution or the world at large can be arranged with the agreement of the Honors College at WSU.

How do I choose an academic question for my thesis?

Your academic question or hypothesis should reflect your interest or major field of study. The question may be one to which you have always wanted to know the answer, or it may reflect a question you identified from one of your classes or discussions with a professor. Ultimately you should have a passion or deep interest in the question you research. You may also choose to complete a creative project, such as creation of an art piece or musical composition, a short story, or a film. However, your thesis must include a relevant scholarly examination of its context as described above.

What is an academic question?

An academic question is one which asks the “how” or the “why” of some topic. It invites further research and deeper curiosity about an answer by engaging the relevant scholarly literature.

What is a thesis proposal?

A thesis proposal is a document that provides the necessary background and scholarly literature for your topic. It clearly identifies the question being asked, the hypothesis being tested, or the creative project to be completed. It provides the methodology you will use to answer that question or complete the project, notes what the expected results might be and what these results mean within the context of what is known. An annotated scholarly bibliography of five or six key references is needed. An appendix is required if you have human or animal studies approval, graphs, figures or charts of preliminary data, or rubrics that you will use for analysis, questionnaires or interview questions you will use. Annotating a bibliography means preparing a short commentary on each reference you use in the proposal. If you complete a creative project, your proposal will describe your work, explain how you will execute your project, the time you expect it to take, and you will place your effort in the larger context of others who have completed similar work. It will also have an annotated bibliography.

How long must the thesis proposal be?

Normally, the body of the proposal, including the literature review, the question being asked, the methodology and the expected results and conclusion sections, will not exceed five, double-spaced typewritten pages. The thesis proposal should be long enough to clearly explain what you wish to do, in language that an educated academic can understand, even if the proposal is not in his or her academic discipline.

When should the thesis proposal be completed and submitted to the Honors College for review and approval?

An electronic thesis proposal submitted by the 5th day of any month will be reviewed and the status communicated to the student via email by the last working day of that month. Reviews of proposals submitted after the 5th day of the month may take until the last working day of the following month.

Can I start my thesis research before the proposal is approved?

The thesis proposal can be turned in to the Honors College whenever it is ready, but must be approved by the Honors College before you begin the main focus of your research, and before you will be officially enrolled in HONORS 450 (Honors Thesis or Project).

Who evaluates the proposal?

The Honors Thesis Proposal Committee will review all proposals.

Are proposals accepted without alteration?

Yes, many proposals are accepted without alteration, while others may require further explanation and revision. If revision is required, the Thesis Director will inform you of specific changes or clarifications they would like to see in the revised proposal.

Are any proposals rejected? If so, why are they rejected and what does this mean?

Yes, a proposal can be rejected, but that is rare. It is much more likely that a proposal will be returned to a student for revision and explanation of critical points identified by the Proposal Committee. When the student responds to those questions with cogent answers, the revised submitted proposal will be approved and the research can begin.

May I do my research in collaboration with a fellow Honors student?

Yes, but each student’s contribution to the thesis must be stated in the proposal and be very clear to all reviewers of the thesis.

May I compile a journal and use that for my thesis?

Yes, you may compile a journal of your experiences, but you must ask and answer an academic question to fulfill the Honors Thesis requirement.

When is my completed thesis due in Honors?

There are numerous opportunities to present each semester. An electronic copy of your thesis (including the Thesis Advisor Signature Page), will be due on the Monday of the week prior to your presentation date.

When will I give my oral presentation?

Oral presentations are held during various weeks through the fall and spring semesters. You will choose a date that works for you, your thesis advisor, your chosen discipline evaluator, and the Honors College. Dates will be advertised each semester. Summer presentations are scheduled only in exceptional cases depending on the availability of the Honors faculty and WSU faculty who serve as evaluators.

What style and format do I use for my thesis?

The style (e.g. APA, MLA) should reflect that used by the major academic journals in your disciplinary area. You and your advisor will agree on which style you will follow. However, all theses must follow a specific format. See “Formatting Your Completed Thesis” on this website.

Who will attend my thesis presentation?

Anyone may attend your presentation. We encourage you to invite your family and/or friends, but that is up to you. Your thesis advisor, your chosen discipline thesis evaluator, one evaluator selected by the Honors College, and you are required to attend your presentation. The Honors-chosen reviewer may or may not be from your disciplinary area, so you must prepare an oral presentation that is accessible to the whole academic community.

How will I know if I have passed?

At the end of your 20-minute oral presentation, you can be asked questions by anyone present. When there are no more questions, you will be asked to step outside the room. Only an Honors representative, your thesis advisor, your discipline thesis evaluator, and the Honors-chosen evaluator will stay to discuss your thesis. In five to ten minutes, you will be invited to return to the room and be told whether you have passed. The total time allotted for each presentation is one hour.

What if I receive a pass contingent upon making revisions?

You will have two to three weeks to make all corrections, get your thesis advisor’s approval of the changes, and submit one new, corrected, electronic copy to the Honors College.

What if I do not pass?

All students must complete the thesis to the satisfaction of their thesis advisor and the Honors College. A “do not pass” rating may reflect a lack of effort, content, or overall performance. Each case will be dealt with on an individual basis. A completely revised thesis must be submitted electronically to the Honors College. In the case of a satisfactorily revised thesis, another oral presentation is not required. An altogether different thesis will require a new oral presentation.

What is “Pass with Distinction?”

A “Pass with Distinction” designation is considered when the major professor and the two evaluators believe the thesis and oral presentation breaks significant new ground or represents an unusual amount of care and effort by the student. Thesis evaluators and the advisor must be unanimous in their evaluation of the thesis, and a nomination letter from the advisor is forwarded to the Honors Council for final review and determination of this award.

Thesis Examples

Copies of several Honors students’ theses are online at Libraries’ Research Exchange.

Or, follow this link to view the Honors College Theses Collection.

Proposal Examples

Colville, WA, and the 1918 Influenza Pandemic

Prostate-Specific Antigen in Cancer Diagnostics*

Lake Osoyoos Investments

Awareness of Hemochromatosis*

*Final theses available in the Research Exchange.

Getting started

Preparing for the honors thesis

What is the honors thesis?

The honors thesis is the culmination of Barrett students’ honors experience and their entire undergraduate education.

The honors thesis is an original piece of work developed by a student under the guidance of a thesis committee. It is an opportunity for students to work closely with faculty on important research questions and creative ideas. The honors thesis can have either a research or creative focus, and enables students to design, execute and present an intellectually rigorous project in their chosen field of study.

The first step in the honors thesis process is the completion of a thesis preparation workshop.

These workshops are places for you to brainstorm topics, learn about the honors thesis process, gain feedback on your ideas, ask questions, and create a to-do list for your honors thesis. Completion of a thesis preparation workshop is required before enrolling in thesis credits, and we encourage you to participate in a workshop by the first semester of your junior year.

There are two options for completing a thesis preparation workshop.

Enroll in the online self-paced workshop

Or, sign up to attend a live workshop offered in the fall or spring semester:

Mon, Feb 5th 10:30 - 11:30am  Athena Conference Room UCB 201 (West Valley campus)  RSVP

Wed, Feb 7th 10:00am - 11:00am  Athena Conference Room UCB 201 (West Valley campus)  RSVP 

Thu, Feb 8th 2:30pm - 3:30pm  Athena Conference Room UCB 201 (West Valley campus)  RSVP

Fri, Feb 9th 4pm - 5pm  Hayden Library Room 236 (Tempe campus)  RSVP

Thu, Feb 15th 4:30pm - 6pm  Hayden Library Room 236 (Tempe campus)  RSVP

Thu, Feb 29th 5pm - 6:30pm  Virtual (Zoom)  RSVP

Fri, Mar 15th 4pm - 5:30pm  Hayden Library Room 236 (Tempe campus)  RSVP

Fri, Apr 5th 4pm - 5:30pm  Virtual (Zoom)  RSVP

Thu, Apr 11th 5pm - 6:30pm  Virtual (Zoom)  RSVP

Ready to take the next step?

Following the completion of a thesis preparation workshop, Barrett students should schedule a thesis advising appointment with their Barrett Honors Advisor to discuss and review the guidebook, checklist and the due dates that correspond with the semester they intend to complete their undergraduate degree.

Honors Thesis Student Guidebook

Please explore the resources available to you within this guidebook to ensure your success. Refer to the checklist on page 13 to continue moving forward in the process.

View the Student Guidebook

Student Guidebook sections

What is the honors thesis.

The honors thesis project is an original piece of work by a student, in collaboration with their thesis director and committee. Most students complete an honors thesis within their major department but may choose a topic outside of the major. Each department may set its own standards for methodology (i.e., empirical, comparative, or descriptive), project length, and so on. Review the relevant Opportunities in the Major documents created by the Faculty Honors Advisors (FHAs)  here , and contact the FHAs in your area(s) of interest for additional information.

A thesis can be:

• A scholarly research project involving analysis that is presented in written form. Represents a commitment to research, critical thinking, and an informed viewpoint of the student.
• A creative project that combines scholarship and creative work in which the primary outcome consists of something other than a written document but includes a written document that supports the creative endeavor and involves scholarly research.
• A group project that brings together more than one Barrett student to work on a thesis collaboratively. Working in a group gives students valuable experience and enables them to take on larger, more complicated topics. Students may begin a group project with approval of a Thesis Director.

Selecting a Topic

Because the honors thesis is the culmination of undergraduate studies, begin thinking about a topic early. Many students base the honors thesis on an aspect of coursework, internship, or research. Once an area of interest is identified, take two or three courses that concentrate in that specific area.  Selecting a topic should ultimately be done under the guidance of faculty. The honors thesis is a joint effort between students and faculty.

Consider these tips and resources as you begin the process of selecting a topic: 

• Reflect on past experience to determine interests.
• Talk to faculty including Faculty Honors Advisors about topics that are interesting and relevant to coursework, major, career interests, or from ongoing faculty research.
• View past honors theses through the ASU Library Digital Repository .

Thesis Pathways

Honors Thesis Pathways are unique thesis opportunities, where students can be paired with faculty on interesting and engaging topics. The pathway options provide students a structured experience in completing their thesis, while researching a topic that interests them.

The committee consists of a Director, a Second Committee Member, and may include a Third Committee Member. Ultimately, your committee must approve your thesis/creative project, so work closely with them throughout the process.  Specific academic unit committee requirements can be found here .

• Any member of ASU faculty with professional expertise in the project area. (This excludes graduate students.)
• Includes lecturer and tenure-line faculty.
• Primary supervisor of the project.
• Conducts regular meetings, provides feedback, sets expectations, and presides over the defense.

*Emeritus faculty may serve as thesis directors as approved by the FHA from the department which the thesis is to be completed. Directors are expected to be physically present at the honors thesis defense. They may not be reimbursed for travel related to attending the defense.

Second Committee Member

• Individual whom you and your Director decide is appropriate to serve based on knowledge and experience with the thesis topic.
• Credentials will be determined by the Director and the criteria of that academic unit.
• Conducts regular meetings, provides feedback, and offers additional evaluation at the defense.

Third Committee Member (optional-varies by academic unit)

• Faculty member or qualified professional.
• If required, credentials will be determined by the Director and the criteria of that academic unit.
• External Examiners are Third Committee Members.
• Offer insight and expertise on the topic and provides additional evaluation at the defense.

The prospectus serves as an action plan for the honors thesis and provides a definitive list of goals, procedures, expectations, and an overall timeline including internal deadlines for your work. This will lay the groundwork for your project and serve as a reference point for you and your committee. You and your committee should work together to solidify a topic and create project goals. 

Submit your prospectus online

Registration and Grading

To register:

• Be enrolled in Barrett, The Honors College and in academic good standing. 
• Have the approval of the faculty member who serves as the Director. 
• In-person Barrett thesis workshop
• Online (via Blackboard) Barrett thesis workshop. Self-enroll- search words “Barrett Honors Thesis Online Workshop”
• Major specific thesis preparatory workshop or course may be available in limited academic units.

Register for the honors thesis through the department of the Director .   First, obtain override permission from the department of the Director during normal enrollment periods. 

Thesis Credits (up to 6 hours)

• 492 Honors Directed Study: taken in the first semester during research and creation of the project (not offered by all departments).
• 493 Honors Thesis: taken in the second semester for defense and completion of the project.  
• 492 and 493 are sequential and may not be taken in the same semester.  
• You must register for and successfully complete at least 493 (or its equivalent) to graduate from Barrett, The Honors College.

Grading the Honors Thesis

When the honors thesis is completed and approved by the committee, the Director assigns a course grade. Criteria and evaluation for grading are determined by the Director and the standards of that academic discipline.   

If you enroll in 492, the Director has the option of assigning a Z grade until the project is completed.

The assignment of a Z grade indicates that a project is in progress and delays placement of a final grade until completion. 

Defense and Final Steps

• Presentation and summary of the honors thesis. Format, content, and length are determined by the Director and standards of the content area. Plan to review the origins of the project, its scope, the methodology used, significant findings, and conclusions. 
• Submit final draft to the committee at least two weeks before the defense. Allow time for revisions leading up to the defense.
• Work with your committee to set a defense and report to Barrett using the Honors Defense and Thesis Approval form. Once submitted, your Director will automatically be emailed an approval link on the date of your defense.
• All committee members must participate in the defense.
• Group projects: Each student is required to submit an individual Honors Defense and Thesis Approval form. All group members must participate in the defense. 
• Defenses are open to the ASU community and published to the Defense Calendar.
• Following the presentation, committee members will ask questions about issues raised in the work, choices made in the research, and any further outcomes.
• At the conclusion of the discussion, the committee will convene to provide an outcome that will determine next steps.

Thesis Outcomes

• Minor format/editorial corrections may be suggested.
• Director will report approval using the Final Thesis Approval link emailed to them on the defense date.
• Your next step is to upload your approved final project to the Barrett Digital Repository.

Provisional Approval (Common outcome)

• More significant revisions required.
• Once revisions are complete, Director will report approval using the Final Thesis Approval link emailed to them on the defense date.
• Your next step is to upload your approved final project to the Barrett Digital Repository after revisions are approved.

Not approved (Least common outcome)

• Basic design and/or overall execution of the honors thesis is significantly flawed.
• The Director and committee may continue working with the student to make major revisions. You should discuss this with committee and Honors Advisor about implications on Barrett graduation.

NAVIGATING THE PLANNED ECONOMY: ACCOMODATION AND SURVIVAL IN MOSCOW’S POST-WAR ‘SOVIET JEWISH PALE’

Add to collection, downloadable content.

• March 19, 2019
• Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Anthropology
• This dissertation presents an anthropological case study of Jewish engagement in the Soviet “planned economy,” or the “economy of shortage,” in a specific geographic setting of Moscow Jewish suburbs in the first decades after World War II. Due to a range of socio-political, economic and demographic developments Moscow’s suburban settlements with their dense pattern of Jewish residence, unparalleled in Soviet history, turned into what may be called a “Soviet Jewish pale” – a distinctive socio-cultural Jewish environment sustaining a specific configuration of Soviet Jewishness, not fully coinciding with that of the former shtetl, yet different from that characteristic of large urban settings. The study focuses on one particular sphere constitutive of the suburban Jewish collective identity, that is, the economic practices where Jewishness played a vital role in creating channels for obtaining production resources, organizing production and devising distribution strategies. It demonstrates that the prohibition of private entrepreneurship on the part of the socialist state, largely ideological rather than economic in nature, called forth a likewise not purely economic response from below – ethnic mobilization in certain spheres of the formal socialist economy. In particular, the dissertation addresses three Jewish economic “niches” – small-scale artel production, trade and the Soviet version of junk-yards, and explores the question of their “embeddedness” in Jewish economic and social traditions. As a part of a wider debate on the nature of socialist production, the dissertation provides a locally-informed understanding of the role that ethnic actors played in production and distribution at the intersection of the “first” and the “second” Soviet economies. As cultural anthropology, it examines the complex relationships between social tradition, belief and accommodation in the urban-rural nexus of the country’s capital. By focusing on an ethnic group subjected to open and covert discrimination that curbed its members’ professional choices, this work involves an historically grounded sociocultural analysis of inequality and socio-political adaptation. As economic anthropology, it makes the first systematic attempt at narrating Soviet Jewish economic history after World War II.
• Judaic studies
• Moscow suburbs
• second economy
• East European studies
• Cultural anthropology
• https://doi.org/10.17615/8rjx-a945
• Dissertation
• In Copyright
• Peacock, James L.
• Rivkin-Fish, Michele
• Colloredo-Mansfeld, Rudi
• von Bernuth, Ruth
• Boyarin, Jonathan
• Doctor of Philosophy
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School

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Will Trent - "Two Hundred Dollars and a Bus Pass‪"‬ Cluedunnit

• TV & Film

We go back to college with Will Trent! Our senior thesis group project is trying to make a detective show built entirely around tea. Which is good because apparently Jacob has only been eating raw egg smoothies while training to get better at guessing. Maybe he should have just stuck to the experimental drugs like the college kids in this episode were dosing on. Will all the tea and training pay off with a correct guess? While you’re online, sign up for your very own official Cluedunnit Private Investigator license! (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cluedunnit2/commissions)  Or just follow us on the socials and let us know what you think!  Facebook: @cluedunnitpodcast   Instagram: @cluedunnitpodcast

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Recommendations, References & Reaching Out: Oh My – Part II

Welcome back, folks! This is Part II of  Recommendations, References & Reaching Out: Oh My!  In Part I of this series, we covered how to ask for letters of recommendation and references, but there’s still plenty more ground to cover. Today, we’ll dive into how to properly ask someone, particularly a professor or mentor, for a nomination, a project collaboration, and a professional social media connection. Asking for these things can seem a bit intimidating, so reviewing the process for each of these with tips and tricks, advice, and proper procedures is helpful!

Let’s crack into it!

Asking Someone to Nominate You for a Job/Award/Scholarship

It can be very difficult to ask someone to nominate you for an award or scholarship- you don’t want to come across as boasting or bragging, but you are asking someone to testify about why you deserve an award, scholarship, or job. This is all about self-advocating and knowing that, even if you have to ask to be nominated, you deserve a chance at certain opportunities. Just like with letters of recommendation or asking for someone to serve as a reference, it is key to give your nominator as much time as possible between your initial email and the due date for the nomination. As always, be sure to choose a nominator who is relevant to the award/job/scholarship you are applying for and who can speak to your abilities in a relevant field.

While everyone view

s nominations differently, I believe that asking for a nomination in person or meeting in person to go over one’s qualifications for nomination, is very important. The following nomination email example asks for a meeting to discuss a nomination, but sometimes, nominators will just make a nomination from this email rather than schedule a traditional meeting. It is up to each individual, but depending on the significance of the award/scholarship/job, you may ask for a meeting to discuss your nomination or outright ask for a nomination.

*Nomination Email Example*

Hello,  NAME ! I hope that your semester has been going well thus far. I am eligible for a nomination to the  AWARD/SCHOLARSHIP/JOB  through the  ORGANIZATION/EMPLOYER . While I know CCIM produces a great number of successful and deserving students for the Top 100 program, I was hoping to meet with you to potentially discuss my nomination for this year.

Although I believe that I would be a great candidate for the AWARD/SCHOLARSHIP/JOB , I believe I would be remiss if I did not first meet with you and gauge your thoughts on whether I should or should not be nominated. This way I can talk through my qualifications and other pertinent information with you to decide if I am deserving of the nomination. Would you have any availability in your schedule  LIST OF DATES AND TIMES ?  Please let me know if you have any meeting ability within these time frames, or if

you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you so much in advance for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you. Have a wonderful week!

Asking Someone to Collaborate on a Research Project or Paper; Thesis Advisor

While this category is highly individualized and dependent on the circumstances of a situation, the main idea rings true: asking a mentor or professor to collaborate or advise you on a project is intimidating. Sometimes, it can be downright scary. But never fear- your professors and mentors are here to help you! While they may not have the time or capacity to assist you with every project or thesis you are working towards, they may be able to direct you to other great sources of collaboration and advising. As with all these tidbits and processes, select a collaborator or advisor you are close to and who is relevant to the project. Most professors have their research or areas of study listed in their university directory bios, so don’t forget to thoroughly research the person you are asking. I also recommend meeting with this professor or mentor in person before emailing them out of the blue- discussing potential projects in person is a great way to give context before a “random,” to them, email for collaborating. The example below is for asking a professor to serve as the Advisor for your Senior Honors Project, formerly called an Honors Thesis.

*Asking for an Advisor Email Example*

Hello, NAME ! I hope that your semester is going well! As I enter my senior year next fall, I will complete my Honors Senior Project to finish my Honors curriculum. This will serve as a research or creative capstone project summarizing my four years at Ball State, particularly my major and areas of interest. My plan is to create/write a  PROJECT/RESEARCH PAPER/WEBSITE/QUILT/BOOK OF POETRY/ETC. This project encapsulates my major in MAJOR  and interest in  SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR PROJECT.  (This is where you give a detailed explanation of the project and explain your goals for the capstone/thesis and how it will serve others). 

Your work and research in AREA OF EXPERTISE are similar to the main ideas of my project, and I believe your mentorship and expertise would help me to learn and grow throughout its creation. Because of this, would you be willing to serve as my Honors Senior Project Advisor? Your capacity as Advisor would include WHAT YOUR ADVISOR WOULD BE REQUIRED TO DO THROUGHOUT YOUR PROJECT.  I know that you already have a busy schedule with classes and your other ongoing projects, but I believe that my project may also be helpful to your research  because of this reason(s).  Would you be willing to serve as my advisor? I would truly appreciate the opportunity to work with you as I complete this last step in my Honors curriculum, and your support and mentorship would mean so much. Please let me know if you have any questions about my project, the advisor requirements, etc.

Asking to Connect w

Ith someone on cardinal connect or linkedin.

This may seem silly, but reaching out to professionals on Cardinal Connect and LinkedIn can be a challenge. If you do not already know this person or have connections in common, asking them to connect out of the blue may not be the best approach to reach out to them. With LinkedIn and Cardinal Connect, you may also have a limited amount of characters to make your first impression. So let’s build a short “asking to connect” message together! This message is a version of a “send with a note” message on LinkedIn when asking others to connect and meets the limited-character requirements.

*Request to Connect Example*

I’d love to reach out and connect with you because of our similarities working in the NAME OF YOUR MAJOR industry! Your work AT  C OMPANY/IN FIELD/ON PREVIOUS PROJECT(S) is inspiring. Thank you!

– NAME

These are just a few more ways you can improve your communications with professors, mentors, supervisors, and professional connections! Be sure you are always cognizant of normal courtesies such as “please,” and “thank you,” and that you are patient and understanding with their response. As well as this, be sure you’re building the foundation that encourages professors or mentors to  want  to collaborate, advisor, nominator, or connect with you! Attend a professor’s office hours, introduce yourself at the start of the semester, and participate in class to the fullest of your ability. By going above and beyond, you build the foundations of a true, genuine connection with the mentor, professor, professional, supervisor, etc., that you are asking to perform a nice deed for you. Make sure that your foundations are solid before asking this person for favors. You’ve got this! Go forth and keep in mind the proper procedures for communicating with professors, mentors, supervisors, and professionals!