Frequently Asked Questions about the Honors Thesis
When do I do my thesis?
The Honors College encourages you to initiate your thesis as soon as you can. Your sophomore year is not too early to identify an advisor and an academic question to answer. Thesis proposals should be submitted early in your junior year.
Can I do a thesis while studying abroad?
Yes, a thesis can be either initiated or completed during your time studying abroad. In this case you might wish to complete your certificate of competency in a foreign language as well.
How do I find an academic advisor?
An academic advisor is chosen by you; the request to advise may be based on your positive interaction with a specific professor, the professor’s expertise in the area of your research, or your interest in a professor’s teaching. You and your advisor will also pick a thesis reviewer from your department or a similar field of research.
Does the advisor need to be from WSU?
Yes, the principal advisor needs to be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member at WSU, but a co-advisor from another academic institution or the world at large can be arranged with the agreement of the WSU Honors College.
How do I choose an academic question for my thesis?
Your academic question or hypothesis should reflect your interest areas or major field of study. The question may be one to which you have always wanted to know the answer, or it may reflect a question you identified from one of your classes or discussions with a professor. Ultimately you should have a passion or deep interest in the question you research.
What is an academic question?
An academic question is one which asks the “how” or the “why” of some topic. This thrust invites further research and deeper curiosity about an answer by engaging the relevant scholarly literature.
What is a thesis proposal?
A thesis proposal is a document that provides the necessary background to your question, clearly identifies the question being asked or the hypothesis being tested, provides the methodology you will use to answer that question, and notes what the expected results might be and what these results mean placed in the context of what is known. An annotated bibliography of 5 or 6 key references is needed, as is an appendix if you have human or animal studies approval, graphs, figures or charts of preliminary data, or rubrics which you will use for analysis, and questionnaires or interview questions you will use. Annotating a bibliography means preparing a short commentary on each reference you use in the proposal.
How long must the thesis proposal be?
The thesis proposal should be long enough to clearly explain what you wish to do, in language the educated academic can understand, even if the proposal is not in his or her academic discipline. Normally, the body of the proposal, including the literature review, the question being asked, the methodology and the expected results and conclusion sections, will not exceed five, double-spaced typewritten pages.
When should the thesis proposal be completed and submitted to the Honors College for review and approval?
The Honors College has three deadline dates. They are: April 10 for work to begin in the summer, July 10 for work to begin in the fall and November 10 for work to begin in the spring.
Can the thesis proposal be submitted at any other time?
The thesis proposal can be turned in to the Honors College whenever it is ready, but must be approved by the Honors College before you begin your research.
Who evaluates the proposal?
A special Honors committee will review the proposals, which are submitted by the dates noted above. The Coordinator of the Honors Thesis program will evaluate those proposals submitted out of cycle.
Are proposals accepted without alteration?
Yes, many proposals are accepted without alteration,
while others may require further explanation and
revision.
Are any proposals rejected? If so, why are they
rejected and what does this mean?
Yes, a proposal can be rejected, but that is very rare. It is much more likely that a proposal will be returned to a student for revision and explanation of critical points identified by the reviewers. When the student responds to those questions with cogent answers, the research can begin.
May I do my research in collaboration with a fellow Honors student?
Yes, but each student’s contribution to the thesis must be very clear to all reviewers.
May I compile a journal and use that for my thesis?
Yes, you may compile a journal of your experiences, but you must ask and answer an academic question to fulfill the Honors Thesis requirement.
What are my thesis options?
Your thesis will have UH 450 credits, but may include research completed solely by yourself, team research, research involving some new method of teaching, testing some concept in the private sector during or after an internship, researching an interdisciplinary topic, or completing a thesis that focuses on education abroad research and your education abroad experiences.
Can I teach and use that for an option?
Yes, you can but an academic question must be asked and answered by your research, in this case with regard to teaching.
When is my completed thesis due in Honors?
One spiral-bound (not comb-bound) copy must be submitted to the Honors College by the Monday of the 6th week of the semester.
When will I make my oral presentation?
Oral presentations are scheduled during the seventh week of each semester. Summer presentations are scheduled throughout the summer, depending on availability of Honors faculty to review the presentations.
What style and format do I use for my thesis?
The style (e.g. APA, MLA) should reflect that used by the major academic journals in your disciplinary area. You and your advisor will agree on which style you will follow. However, all theses follow the same format.
Who will attend my thesis presentation?
Anyone may attend your presentation. We encourage you to invite your friends, but that is up to you. Your thesis advisor, your thesis reviewer, one reviewer selected by the Honors College, and you are required to attend your presentation. The Honors-chosen reviewer may or may not be from your disciplinary area, so you must prepare an oral presentation that is accessible to the whole academic community.
How will I know if I have passed?
At the end of your 20-minute oral presentation, you can be asked questions by anyone present. When there are no more questions, you will be asked to step outside the room. Only your thesis advisor, your thesis reviewer, and the Honors-chosen reviewer will stay to discuss your thesis. In five to ten minutes, you will be invited to return to the room and be told whether you have passed. The total time allotted for all of these events is one hour.
What if I receive a pass contingent upon making revisions?
You will have 2 to 3 weeks to make all corrections, get your thesis advisor's, reviewer's, and the Honors College’s approval of the changes, and submit one new, corrected, spiral-bound copy to the Honors College.
What if I do not pass?
All students must complete the thesis project to the satisfaction of both their thesis advisor and the Honors College. A "do not pass" rating may reflect a lack of effort, content, or overall performance. Each case will be dealt with on an individual basis. A completely revised thesis must usually be submitted (one spiral-bound copy) to the Honors College. In most cases, another oral presentation is not required.
What is “Pass with Distinction?”
A "Pass with Distinction" notation is considered when the major professor and the two reviewers believe the thesis, when taken overall, breaks significant new ground or represents an unusual amount of effort by the student. The advisor nominates the thesis for Pass with Distinction. Thesis reviewers must be unanimous in their agreement, and a nomination letter from the advisor is forwarded to the Honors Council for final review and determination of this award.