The Honors Senior Project (sometimes called a thesis) is the culmination of your work as an undergraduate Honors student. This is an extended project that utilizes the skills and knowledge you have gained during your undergraduate education to demonstrate your ability to be an active, engaged, scholarly citizen. This project may take a variety of forms, depending on your major/college, your future goals, and your interests.
In four colleges (Arts & Sciences, CASNR, Hixson-Lied Fine & Performing Arts, and Journalism and Mass Communications), students may also submit a thesis to the college as part of the process of earning a level of distinction. Submitting to both Honors and your college will require two sets of paperwork, may impact which project option you choose, and may require you to meet earlier due dates than the Honors Program's. Consult the Colleges' pages for full details.
To submit your paperwork to the Honors program, please either bring it in person to Knoll 213 OR submit thesis paperwork online.
Please see this document for formatting and submission guidelines.
Types of Senior Projects
For Students of Any Major:
Thesis
In the traditional research thesis, the student conducts research appropriate to their field of study and writes a paper. This option is most popular for students applying to professional or graduate schools, or those entering professions where traditional research is a key skill set. Expected scope will vary by discipline, but it exceeds a regular undergraduate research paper or class project. It may build on research like UCARE or a non-Honors capstone project.
Applied Knowledge Project
Students create a real-world output that demonstrates synthesis and application of learning, usually in the major. Examples include creating a resource (videos, website); writing a curriculum; compiling a themed cookbook; or similar. The project is accompanied by a written explanation of the output and situating it within discipline-appropriate research. Scope varies by discipline, but it should represent a substantial investment of time and intellectual energy.
Creative Project
A creative project involves research and creative output in a relevant discipline, usually in the fine arts, such as a recital or art show. The output is accompanied by a written explanation of the output and situating it within contexts of various artistic styles or movements. Expected scope of the creative project will vary by discipline, but it exceeds a senior show or recital expected of every graduating major in the field.
For Students of The Following Majors:
- All College of Business majors
- All Raikes School Students
- Civic & Environmental Engineering majors
- Computer Science, Computer Engineering, & Software Engineering majors
- Mechanical Engineering majors
Approved Honors Capstone Course Project
A few majors offer an Honors version of their capstone course for which the major project of the course can be submitted to the University Honors Program to fulfill the senior project requirement. These include and are limited to:
- MNGT 475H for all College of Business majors
- Raikes Design Studio for Raikes students and associates
- CIVE 489H (for Civil & Environmental Engineering majors)
- CSCE 486H & 487H
- CSCE 488H & 489H
- SOFT 403H & 404H
- MECH 446H & 447H
Any other scenarios involving capstone course work must receive pre-approval from the Honors Program.
Note: Colleges generally do not accept capstone projects for Distinction Theses. See your College's information for details.Project Timelines
The Honors Senior Project is a long-term project that will require you to plan ahead. The average student spends at least a year from project inception to completion, although you may certainly invest more time and some projects can be successfully completed in a little less than a year.