Honors Thesis Information
What
is a thesis?
According to the Policies and Procedures of The Honors College
at Oklahoma State University (section 4-5), the application
form for the Departmental or College Honors Award "shall contain
a working title for the senior honors thesis, report, or creative
component." While most students research a topic of interest
in their majors and develop a paper on that topic, there are
many ways to approach this capstone to your honors education.
For example, in the past students have written or directed plays,
videotaped a musical performance, etc. Honors theses may also
serve as projects for college requirements. For instance, engineering
students must complete a senior project in order to graduate.
With careful planning, one project, with small alterations,
may meet both the requirements for the College of Engineering
and The Honors College. The main focus should be on developing
a thesis or project that represents original scholarly or creative
work.
When
do I start?
Typically, work on the thesis is begun at the end of the junior
or beginning of the senior year. Students in the college of
Arts and Sciences must enroll in a one-hour thesis preparation
course, which allows the students and faculty to begin developing
ideas for the thesis, the semester before actually undertaking
the thesis, unless specifically exempted by the Arts and Sciences
Honors Committee on the basis of a written recommendation from
the faculty thesis director. To request an exemption, pick up
a form in the Honors College office, 510 Library, and take it
to the faculty member who will serve as your thesis director.
The faculty member should fill out the form and return it to
the Honors College office. The request should detail your research
experience and indicate how this experience prepares you for
the project you’re planning to undertake. You will be notified
of the committee’s decision by the Honors College Director.
How
do I start?
The first step is to come up with some topics you are interested
in pursuing. After you have a general idea, you will need to
approach a faculty member for help. Your thesis director should
be someone in your major who is well versed in the area you
plan to study as well as someone you will feel comfortable working
closely with for an extended period of time. You will also need
to find a faculty member to serve as the second reader for your
thesis. This individual will review your work, offer suggestions
and participate in you oral thesis defense, but his/her involvement
will not be as extensive as that of the thesis director.
Is
there paperwork that needs to be filed before I begin?
YES! The Departmental or College Honors Award application form
(the "blue form") must be filed with the Honors College office
BEFORE you begin the semester in which you plan to write your
senior honors thesis or undertake the senior creative component.
According to the Policies and Procedures of The Honors College
at Oklahoma State University (section 4-5), "The award application
form shall contain a working title for the senior honors thesis,
report, or creative component as well as the names of two faculty
members who will serve as the student’s committee. Prior
to submission to the Honors College office, the award application
shall be approved and signed by the faculty member responsible
for directing the senior honors thesis, report, or creative
component and by the honors director of the student’s college."
What
is the format for the thesis?
The Honors College does not specify a thesis format (other
than including the approval signature page at the beginning
and following with a one-page abstract). Formats for the theses
vary according to discipline. Your thesis director should be
able to guide you in selecting the proper format for your field
of study.
What
are the requirements for length?
There are no formal requirements as to length of the honors
thesis. What is important is that the thesis represents a significant
piece of work that is well written and well presented.
What
are the presentation requirements?
According to the Policies and Procedures of The Honors College
at Oklahoma State University (section 4-7): "Candidates for
the Departmental or College Honors Award shall make a public
presentation of a summary of their thesis, project, or creative
component in a colloquium sponsored by a Department, one of
the undergraduate Colleges, or The Honors College. The method
of presentation shall be that deemed appropriate for the discipline
by the faculty members who serve on the student’s committee.
Only in circumstances in which the dean or honors director of
a college petitions the Director of The Honors College for a
waiver of the presentation requirement may a student be excused
from this requirement."
Where
do I present my thesis?
The College of Arts and Sciences and The William S. Spears School of Business hold thesis colloquia near the end of each semester.
The Honors Directors of those two colleges will notify you and
your thesis director of the time and place of these presentation
opportunities. Typically, students are allotted 10-15 minutes
to present a summary of their thesis, report, or creative component
in these settings. The College of Human Environmental Sciences holds the Kathleen Briggs Undergraduate Scholars Forum near the end of the spring semester. The CHES Honors Director will notify you and your thesis director of the time and place of the Forum along with poster specifications. The Forum allows presentations in poster format only. Students in other colleges should consult
their thesis directors for guidance in this matter.
What
are the deadlines for the thesis/creative component?
Your thesis director will aid you in determining a project
timeline for the completion, defense, and presentation of the
thesis, report, or creative component. According to The Policies
and Procedures of The Honors College at Oklahoma State University
(section 4-8), "The deadline for filing the approved copy of
the thesis, report, or other creative component shall be the
last day on which grades may be reported for the semester or
summer session."
What
exactly will I turn in to the Honors College office?
According to Policies and Procedures of The Honors College
at Oklahoma State University (section 4-8), "Candidates for
the Departmental or College Honors Award shall file one approved
copy of the thesis, report, or other creative component and
a one-page abstract of findings with the Honors College office.
In addition to the text, in a style and format appropriate to
the discipline, the copy filed shall include an approval
page as specified by The Honors College which shall contain
the original signatures of at least two faculty members [the
thesis director and second reader] and of the honors director
of the student’s College along with the date of the successful
defense of the senior honors thesis, report, or creative component."
Examples of abstracts from a variety of disciplines appear below.
All honors theses are on file in the Honors College office and
may be consulted. Just go to 510 Library and ask an honors advisor
to show you theses from your area of interest.
For
the professor
Many students’ first question is "How do I enroll in my
thesis?" Professors who are willing to serve as thesis directors
will typically contact their department head to set up an honors
thesis section under their department’s course prefix (e.g.,.
ECON 4990) and the student will be allowed to enroll in that
section through the normal enrollment process. If the department
does not have honors thesis sections set up, the student may
use HONR 4990 for the thesis course. If this is the case, students
will need to get an enrollment memo for their section from the
Director of The Honors College.
What is the professor’s role as thesis director or second
reader? [Students in the Arts and Sciences College are required
to enroll in a one-hour thesis prep course (HONR 3000) the semester
before they plan to complete their thesis. Thesis directors
should plan to serve as the professor for this independent study
course and then continue their role into the actual thesis course.
Thesis prep exists to allow students and faculty the opportunity
to begin developing ideas for the thesis.]
It is The Honors College’s expectation that thesis directors
will assist students in developing ideas for a topic, define
the format the student will use and be available to the student
throughout the thesis experience for advice, support and direction.
The Honors College suggests that the thesis director, second
reader and student work together to establish appropriate deadlines
for drafts and other "milestones" in the thesis project. The
Honors College expects the faculty to participate in the thesis
defense, whatever form that takes, and to attend the public
presentation. Faculty guidance is essential for honors students
to have a positive thesis experience, and The Honors College
thanks you for your time.
Selected thesis abstracts
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