The Honors Thesis/Project is the capstone of our Honors Program. This six credit-project is divided into two semesters of work:
- HON 4990: Honors Thesis/Project I (3 credits)
- HON 4991: Honors Thesis/Project II (3 credits)
Purpose of the Honors Thesis/Project
- Provide opportunities to pursue individually tailored areas of study
- Provide capstone experiences which draw upon your previous studies
- Provide opportunities to pursue in-depth research and/or carry through substantive projects to appropriate points of closure
Guidelines for Honors Thesis/Project
Honors Thesis Guidelines (PDF)
Expectations of Students
You'll be expected to:
- Enroll for Honors Thesis/Project I (HON4990) study during registration in the spring of junior year, or the first week of the fall semester of senior year with their chosen Faculty Advisors (Honors Thesis Form). Note, students completing their thesis/project before internship will register in the fall of junior year, or the first week of the spring semester of junior year.
- Meet your faculty advisor on a regular basis (typically weekly or biweekly) during the semester.
- Select, with the help of your main advisor, a second reader for the project.
- Present a progress report at the end of the Honors Thesis/Project I semester.
- Enroll for Honors Thesis/Project II (HON4991) for the following semester (Honors Thesis Form).
- Submit abstracts and present at our Undergraduate Research Conference.
- Submit abstracts and present at the Massachusetts Statewide Undergraduate Research Conference.
- Give a final presentation on your work at the end of your Honors Thesis/Project II semester.
- Submit a final project to the research committee and the Honors Director.
Pedagogically, it is expected that your projects and/or the processes of constructing their projects will:
- Demonstrate changes/development in your ways of thinking
- Show originality in project selection/project development
- Demonstrate skills and knowledge you've gained while enrolled here
Samples of Completed Thesis/Projects
Browse previous Honors theses and projects in the Fitchburg State Library archive. You will see a full list of all of the theses and projects that are in the archive.