Thesis Information

Purpose

The purpose of the Honors Senior Thesis is to provide a meaningful capstone project for an Arkansas State University senior’s undergraduate education. The thesis will represent a significant effort beyond what is normally expected in a student’s undergraduate program. The thesis should exemplify the goal of the Honors experience as stated in the Undergraduate Bulletin, in that it should demonstrate the student’s ability to “think independently, and express his or her thoughts clearly and forcefully in speech and writing.”

Eligibility

Honors students in good academic standing in The Honors College may undertake thesis study in his or her major field of study or his or her declared minor. A student must have senior Honors standing to apply to undertake an Honors senior thesis. In addition, the course of thesis study should be planned so that the thesis is finished during the same semester that the student graduates, or the previous semester in the case of students who have professional experiences during their final semester.

Planning

It is recommended that the student begin preparing for thesis study no later than the term before the first thesis study enrollment period or the end of their junior year, whichever comes first. One may prepare by registering for an Honors Independent Study under the professor who will presumably become his or her thesis chair/mentor. This independent study will be undertaken with the goal of deciding a suitable topic for thesis study and will most often limit the number of thesis hours taken to three. If this option is used, the student is strongly encouraged to talk with prospective committee members as to the topic under study so they will have the opportunity to give input as the thesis idea is formulated.