A&S Department Honors — How to Begin
Basic Steps to Follow
- Carefully read all the material in this document and seek clarification on anything that is not clear.
- Meet with your thesis adviser to discuss your thesis ideas and obtain departmental guidelines.
- If the research to be conducted for your project involves human subjects, work with your adviser to secure Institutional Research Board approval. More information on this subject is located in the section of this document titled "Your Responsibilities."
- Work on your thesis in close consultation with your adviser and in accordance with your agreed-upon timeline.
- Submit in a timely fashion iterations of your thesis to your thesis adviser.
- Follow the suggestions in the Student Check List and refer to the Common Errors List, included below.
- Once your thesis adviser indicates that she or he is satisfied, secure appropriate signatures, from the DHC, if required, and from your academic department, on the Thesis/Project Submission Form and include it with (but do not attach it) your thesis when you submit it to the College Undergraduate office.
Choosing a Thesis Topic
A good thesis topic possesses the following characteristics:
- It is realistic in terms of available resources.
- It is something on which you can produce a substantive piece of work within your time-frame.
- It covers an area in which you have some familiarity in your previous academic work.
- It is something that you know you can stick with for the long-haul.