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Undergraduate Honors Thesis FAQ

Information provided by Academic Services October 2001

Who is eligible to write an honors thesis?
Any liberal arts student whose name has appeared on the Dean's List at least once before the senior year; for those who have no Dean's List, you may petition the Senior Class Dean for an exception.
May I write an honors thesis outside of my major department?
No.
How do I register for my honors thesis and when?
You should register for it in the second semester of your junior year or, in exceptional circumstances, within the first few weeks of fall. Be aware that your chances of successfully organizing an appropriate honors thesis committee substantially decreases as the fall semester approaches. In any event, you should make every effort to secure a principal thesis advisor, if not the entire membership of your committee, well before the start of the fall semester. After the fall semester, you will receive a "Y" grade (indicating a year-long course is in progress). Register for your thesis again in spring.
How should I select my three honors thesis committee members?
Choose two people in your department who have an area of expertise covered in your thesis; the third member should be outside of your department, also someone acquainted with your topic from another viewpoint. In special circumstances, with permission of the chair of the major department, you may have one major person and two outside people (including those outside of the Tufts community). In some cases, the person who might most appropriately serve as your thesis advisor may not be very familiar to you. That is to be expected, especially for those returning junior-year abroad students who have had only limited experience of taking classes from faculty within their major. Conceding that this problem occasionally arises, it is nevertheless the case that most students are better served by choosing a thesis advisor who is already very familiar with their academic work.
When is the "Honors Thesis Candidate" form due?
The form is available in Dowling Hall; it is due by 15 November and should be given to Ms. Carol Downing.
How often should I meet with my thesis committee?
You and your committee members will decide how frequently you should be meeting. You should, in any case, set up a time table for your meetings and decide what should be due when (an outline, the bibliography, a first draft of one chapter, the first rough draft, and the final copy).
If Tisch Library does not have the research materials that I need, what should I do?
Check first with Tisch to see if you can obtain materials through interlibrary loan. If not, then use the Boston Public Library and any other resources that your committee members might suggest.
Do I need to use footnotes and append a bibliography?
Probably, but check with your own committee first.
What's the usual length of an honors thesis?
The standard research piece is about 75-80 pages, but will vary according to exactly what you are doing. Check with your committee to make sure that everyone is in agreement about length (and medium).
How challenging is writing an honors thesis?
Writing an honors thesis is the most intellectually challenging and, in most cases, the most intellectually rewarding experience that you will have at Tufts. You should not commit yourself to the project lightly, nor should you do so before having a lengthy discussion with your principal advisor about standards of excellence and success.
What if I need some funding for the thesis?
There are some monies available from the Dean of the Colleges, under special circumstances. See the handout "Undergraduate Research Fund: Guidelines for Applications."
What is the thesis defense and when should it occur?
After the final draft has been submitted, the defense should be no later than late April for May graduation. The "Recommendation for Thesis Honors" form is due by May 6 to Carol Downing.
How do I get my grade for the thesis and thesis honors on my transcript?
The "Recommendation for Thesis Honors" form (sent to your committee chair) will have the recommendation for no honors, honors in thesis, high honors in thesis, or highest honors in thesis. Thesis honors are distinct from Latin honors (cum, magna, summa) and are listed separately. Your committee chair will submit to Dowling Hall your grade on a grade sheet. Please remind your committee chair to indicate that the fall thesis grade of "Y" should be changed to the new grade.
Who gets a copy of my honors thesis?
One copy should go to your department and one copy needs to be placed in the University Archives. See the "Style and Citation Guidelines for Undergraduate Honors Theses" for more information.