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Farquhar Honors Program

Have a research question you want to investigate? Consider completing an honors thesis, a unique opportunity to conduct original independent research comparable to completing a master's thesis at the undergraduate level. Your honors thesis can be on a topic from any discipline—humanities, science, mathematics, social science, the arts—and can even involve interdisciplinary exploration.

An honors thesis typically takes two academic years to complete. Students who successfully complete and defend an approved honors thesis and fulfill the requirements below will earn the Research Citation in Honors:

  • Complete 9 credits of honors coursework, which must include at least 3 credits of HONR 4990 Independent Study

  • Achieve a cumulative NSU GPA of 3.5 or higher at the time of degree conferral

Benefits to Completing Honors Thesis

Completing an honors thesis offers significant benefits, including

  • Experiential learning

  • Faculty mentorship

  • Meaningful research skill-building

  • Academic conference opportunities

  • Publication potential

  • Advanced qualifications for graduate or professional school

You must maintain good or satisfactory standing and remain in the Honors Program to pursue and complete an honors thesis. To maintain good or satisfactory standing, you must meet the honors event, course, and GPA requirements. 

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"No matter what a student plans to do in life, a thesis is always pertinent. You can tailor it to your niche or make it as broad or narrow as you like.”

Sam Falk | B.A. in Communication Studies

Resources

Contact the Director of the Farquhar Honors Program

If you're interested in pursuing an honors thesis, contact Honors Program Director, Aileen Miyuki Farrar, Ph.D., at afarrar@nova.edu to learn more. 

Select a Topic

The most important step in the honors thesis process is selecting your topic/question for study. Your topic can be from any discipline, but it should focus on an area that interests you as you'll be exploring it thoroughly over an extended period.

Select a Faculty Advisor

Selecting a faculty advisor is the second most important step in completing an honors thesis. Your faculty advisor must be a full-time faculty member at NSU (although you may have associate advisors not affiliated with NSU). This person will provide feedback and guidance on the thesis proposal and project, but you're responsible for leading and completing this project.

You should begin working with a faculty member as early as possible. You can approach a faculty member you've previously worked with, taken a course with, or met through an honors Research Roundtable and ask about their interest in assisting with your honors thesis. If they're unable to offer assistance, they may suggest a faculty colleague who may be available.

Prepare the Proposal

The proposal outlines your plans, methods, and intended outcomes for your thesis project. The proposal forms the basis for your research and will take time—as much as a full semester—to complete. The proposal will require drafts, reviews, edits, and revisions. You must complete and receive approval of your proposal before you begin working on the actual thesis. Your proposal must precisely follow the format outlined in the Proposal Guidelines section of this page. Please note that your proposal consists of a written portion and a slideshow summarizing the written proposal. 

You may register for up to 3 credits of the HONR 4990 Independent Study course to write your proposal. To request the course, you should consult with your thesis advisor and reach out to the director of the Honors Program. You must request the course before registration opens for the semester in which you'd like to take the course.

Secure Approval from the Faculty Advisor

Your faculty advisor must approve your project proposal before you move forward. Your faculty advisor approves the proposal once they believe you've developed a sound research program and have the ability and preparation to pursue the project successfully.

Present Your Proposal and Secure Approval from the Director of the Farquhar Honors Program

The final person who needs to approve your project proposal is the director of the Farquhar Honors College. You should contact the director when you're ready to present your proposal.

The director will approve your proposal after a 'committee' meeting with you and your faculty advisor, where you'll present your proposal via a slideshow that highlights the key aspects of your proposal. You may present in person in the Honors Program suite or on Zoom.

The proposal presentation generally takes 10-15 minutes and is followed by questions and a discussion. The entire proposal meeting takes about 30-45 minutes in total. The director will assess the intended outcomes (personal learning and dissemination of work), budget (while there may be exceptions, the maximum awarded will usually not exceed $2,000), and scholarly challenge represented by the proposal.

Request an Honors Independent Study Course

Once the proposal is approved, your primary duty is to work on the research project. Your faculty advisor is a key resource, but they're not responsible for monitoring your work or getting you to complete the project. To receive course credit for your research, you must request the HONR 4990 Independent Study course. You need at least 3 credits of the HONR 4990 Independent Study course to receive the Research Citation in Honors. 

To request the course, you should consult with your thesis advisor and reach out to the director of the Honors Program. You must request the course before registration opens for the semester in which you'd like to take the course. If you are taking this course in multiple semesters, you must request the course before each semester you plan to take the course.

Please note that all research studies involving human subjects will require Institutional Review Board (IRB) review and approval. Your thesis advisor will help you make this determination and facilitate this process.

Complete and Defend Your Thesis

Successful completion of the honors thesis is determined through a formal review, including approval of your written thesis and an 'oral defense' meeting with your thesis advisor(s) and the director of the Honors Program. You should contact the director to schedule your defense. At least one week before you defend your thesis, you must submit a draft of your written thesis to the form provided to you by the director of the Honors Program, formatted according to the Honors Thesis Format Guidelines (PDF). You'll receive formatting feedback and editing suggestions if necessary. 

  • Thesis First Draft Deadline: October 8 or March 8 of your final semester OR at least one week before your thesis defense, whichever comes first

  • Oral Defense Deadline: October 15 or March 15 of your final semester

During your thesis defense, you'll present a 15-20 minute slideshow presentation summarizing your thesis. Your presentation will be followed by questions and a discussion. The entire thesis defense meeting will take about 45-60 minutes in total.

The final draft of your thesis with all necessary edits completed should be submitted to NSUWorks by November 15 or April 15 of your final semester. Please refer to the last page of the Honors Thesis Format Guidelines for more instructions on uploading to NSUWorks. Approvals for your written thesis will be collected from your faculty advisor(s), the Honors Program Director, and the dean of your academic college after you submit your final thesis to NSUWorks. 

Print and Publish Your Thesis

Once your thesis is finalized, we'll print hardbound copies of your thesis. You'll receive two hardbound copies of your thesis and your thesis advisor(s), the dean of your home college, and the Honors Program will receive one copy each. We'll also publish a digital version of your thesis to NSUWorks with your consent. The digital version will be accessible to the NSU community only. 

While each project is unique, you must precisely follow the proposal guidelines outlined below. Your proposal will consist of a written portion and a slideshow summarizing the written proposal. You will present the slideshow to the director of the Honors Program in person or over Zoom for approval. The slideshow presentation should be 10-15 minutes long and will be followed by questions and a discussion. You're fully accepted as a thesis student once your proposal is approved.

1. Confirmation of Eligibility

The proposal must include your current GPA and most recent standing in the Honors Program to confirm your eligibility to pursue an honors thesis. You must maintain good or satisfactory standing and remain in the Honors Program to pursue and continue an honors thesis.

Pursuing an honors thesis will grant you the Research Citation in Honors if you successfully meet all the requirements. If you lose your standing program, you may lose your ability to complete the honors thesis and the Research Citation in Honors. 

2. Rationale and Thesis

The proposal must have a carefully crafted statement of thesis identifying the question addressed or the thesis intending to be proven in the research project. This one-paragraph section should include a strong and clear rationale for the project (need, importance of the research, etc.), a context for the work to be done, and a position regarding the expected outcome or a statement of the argument being made.

3. Review of Literature/Background Summary

The proposal must provide a preliminary review of literature or background summary, demonstrating that you're familiar with relevant work already performed. Along with a brief summary of related research already published, a minimum of five to seven specific publications should be listed, with a brief summary of their relevance and significance to the honors thesis.

4. Methods

This section should address all aspects of the intended research process, including assessment, analysis, and evaluation—and will necessarily vary in approach based on the project and field of study. The successful review and evaluation of the proposal will depend on the strength, relevance, fit, and capability of the methodology provided.

5. Intended Learning Outcomes

The proposal must include a brief statement of your expected learning outcomes based on the successful completion of the project: what you expect to learn through the process and completed research. 

6. Expected Research Outcomes and Product

The proposal must include a statement on the broader expected outcomes and implications of the final product: who will this research serve, and how does this research advance the field(s) of study? In addition, you must include a specific statement describing the final product (paper, experimental results) and a plan for dissemination and presentation: Undergraduate Student Symposium, submitted for publication, academic conference presentation or poster session, etc.

7. Budget and Resources Needed

The proposal must include a budget detailing all costs involved with the project, including any resources, travel, or supplies needed to conduct the research. For all items in your budget, please identify the month and year you anticipate making these expenditures. A successful proposal results in funding to complete the project.

Please note that the budget for your thesis only covers the costs associated with conducting your research, meaning that travel costs related to presenting or publishing your research aren't covered. 

8. Project Calendar

The proposal must include a summary timeline noting your plans and expectations for project progress and completion, including timing of possible outlets for dissemination. This section is important for assessing whether you can realistically conduct and complete the project as presented.

To view past examples of the honors thesis, visit our NSUWorks thesis archive.