Prior to beginning your Honors Thesis, you must submit the Honors Thesis Prospectus form to the W. A. Franke Honors College.
Overview and Purpose
The purpose of the Honors Thesis Prospectus is to encourage you to begin thinking about the thesis in a timely manner and to ensure that you have secured the support of a faculty thesis mentor. It is an opportunity for you and your faculty mentor to put your shared expectations, research plan, and desired outcomes in writing.
The Honors Thesis Prospectus is required in order to graduate with honors. If you are intending to write a thesis but did not submit a prospectus prior to starting your work, please contact your Honors Academic Advisor in order to discuss your next steps.
Once you have a topic selected and a faculty mentor secured, the next step is to complete the Honors Thesis Prospectus Form. When you complete the form, your thesis mentor will receive a copy, at which point they will either accept your prospectus or suggest edits for it. Once your thesis mentor accepts your prospectus, it will be sent to the W. A. Franke Honors College for documentation and recording.
With this guide, get a preview of the prospectus questions!
Honors Thesis Prospectus guide
Prospectus/Thesis Due Dates
Getting ready to begin your honors thesis? You must follow all of these steps in order to get started with your honors thesis.
| Step | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Choose a thesis topic and secure a faculty thesis mentor* | As early as possible! Resources for choosing a topic Click here for resources for finding a faculty thesis mentor |
| Submit your prospectus. | Your prospectus is due by the last day of class in the semester before you begin your thesis. |
| Right after you submit your prospectus, contact your appropriate major/minor academic advisor to ask them to enroll you in your thesis units. |
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You are all set to begin your honors thesis!
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*Students in the College of Engineering do not need to choose a thesis topic or secure a faculty thesis mentor in order to submit an honors thesis prospectus. The prospectus has been modified to accommodate the structure and timeline of the engineering senior design project. Students in the College of Engineering are still required to submit an honors thesis prospectus by the last day of class in the semester before they begin their honors thesis/senior design.