The Honors College allows several options for Honors College candidates on the thesis track to complete their final thesis with a public demonstration of knowledge.  Scholars and their thesis advisors should confer to determine the best format in alignment with the student's and advisor's goals.

General Guidelines

Thesis Committees: Every thesis requires a committee of the faculty thesis advisor and a second reader with faculty status. A third reader from the Honors Council is not required but may be included at the advisor's discretion.

Thesis Presentation: Every thesis requires a public demonstration of knowledge. The Honors College accepts any of the following activities as satisfactory: 

• Presentation at the Annual Research Symposium:
  • All graduating seniors completing a thesis are required to participate in the Annual Research Symposium. Students competing for High/Highest Honors must participate as part of a conference-style panel presentation or as the sole presenter.

• Presentation at a comparable scholarly venue:
  • With Honors College and advisor approval, participation in an exhibition or juried presentations at professional conferences or similar demonstrations may be elected. In such instances, the nature of the presentation and results of the juried evaluation may be used to inform the advisor's recommendation of High/Highest Honors. Poster presentations are not eligible for High/Highest Honors.

• Traditional thesis defense:
  • Traditional thesis defenses must occur live (either virtually or in person) with a minimum of two faculty committee members. Advisors and their scholars are responsible for coordinating the date, time, and location of the final defense. 

Selection of Demonstration Option

The thesis advisor and student should confer about which option is most appropriate for the advisee, however, the final decision lies with the thesis advisor. The thesis advisor should submit the Presentation of Final Thesis form to the Honors College early in the semester in which the student intends to defend.

Level of Honors Designation

Level of Honors will be recommended by the thesis committee. When recommending a level of Honors, the committee is encouraged to take a holistic approach to evaluation, including quality of the written document or creative output, quality of the public demonstration, student growth, and other factors. The rubric will be provided by the Honors College. The advisor will recommend the level of Honors in the Results Form. 

Submission of the Final Thesis

The final written document (thesis, process journal, critical introduction to creative output, etc.) will be submitted via the Results Form. The Results Form will be electronically sent to the advisor prior to the public demonstration. Results Forms must be submitted by the specified date each semester to be included in the commencement program.