The Honors Thesis/Project

Overview
To graduate from the University of Connecticut as an Honors Scholar, a student must complete and submit in hard copy an Honors Thesis or Honors Project related to his or her major along with a signed Thesis Approval Form. With the approval of the Honors Advisor for the major, the thesis may be supervised by a faculty member in the department of the major or in the department of a related field.

The Honors Thesis or Honors Project is a scholarly piece of work involving an in-depth exploration of an area of interest in the student’s field of study. Researching and writing the thesis engages the student in a rewarding academic experience, and affords them the personal mentorship of a faculty member, experience conducting sustained scholarly activity, and excellent preparation for graduate work or careers.

At the University of Connecticut, graduating students can earn the designation "Honors Scholar", which is associated with the student's major and its related fields. Therefore, the determination of the nature of work that constitutes an Honors plan of study and thesis is made by faculty members within the student’s field, principally the Honors Advisor for the major and the thesis advisor.

What it is
Honors theses or projects may take many forms, including laboratory research, artistic production, an enhanced senior engineering project, the creation of a website, and more. There are no specific criteria, e.g. minimum page limit, originality of scholarship required, etc., published by the Honors Program because of the diversity of types of scholarship performed across all majors and their principal departments. A business major may design a marketing plan in cooperation with a company while an English major may produce a collection of poetry.

The unifying thread for all Honors theses or projects is that they contribute to the development of knowledge or practice in new ways, involve significant background research, require sustained attention in the implementation of the project, and result in a piece of written work that documents the student’s learning process and outcomes.

Timing and Preparation
Students should begin thinking about their Honors theses or projects early in their careers at UConn. "Early" means as early as possible, and ideally, in your first and second years at UConn. By the end of the sophomore year all Honors students should have participated in at least one thesis preparation workshop and have begun the search for a thesis advisor. (Students admitted to Honors as rising juniors or as transfer students should attend at least one thesis preparation workshop in the first semester that they are Honors students.)

In the junior year (if not before) all Honors students should have selected a topic, identified and obtained cooperation from a thesis advisor, and be prepared to begin the research process. For most students, the thesis is completed in the senior year. .

The Thesis Advisor
The Honors Program requires that students have a thesis advisor to guide them in their work. The thesis advisor is an expert in the field the Honors student has selected to conduct her or his Honors work.  The thesis advisor works closely with the Honors student in conceptualizing and executing her or his Honors thesis. A common misconception is that the thesis advisor replaces the academic advisor. The thesis advisor is generally another faculty member in the major department or in the department of a related field who is an expert on the topic selected by the student for the Honors thesis. Together, the thesis and Honors advisors guide students through the final semesters at UConn and through the thesis process.

Although the timetable may differ by department, in general, each Honors student should have selected the faculty member to serve as her/his Honors thesis advisor no later than the second semester of the junior year; in some majors (especially the sciences) arrangements for thesis research should be made by the end of the sophomore year or very early in the junior year.

When Is the Honors Thesis/Project Due?
A hard copy of the Honors Thesis or Project Summary Report (with no fancy covers, double sided if possible) along with a signed Thesis Approval form are due the last day of classes of graduating semester.

Publishing the Honors Thesis/Project
The Honors Program, in cooperation with the University of Connecticut Libraries, provides students with the opportunity to publish their Honors theses electronically through Digital Commons. DigitalCommons@UConn will provide world-wide access to your work, will ensure the preservation of your thesis, and guarantee that the URL for your document will never change. click here for more information