Graduation Requirements

• 18 credit hours of honors coursework (3 at the 300 level or above) 
  • These credits are part of your chosen program. 
• Honors coursework that represents at least two different disciplines 
• An overall GPA of 3.5 and 3.5 honors GPA 
• The honors project (this can coincide with your capstone or senior project within your major)

Honors projects can be either a thesis or a creative endeavor (e.g., performance, film, web app) that reflects substantial scholarship. They should demonstrate your skills through the accurate and correct use of language, the clear presentation of concepts, and the logical organization and development of ideas. The completed project should also demonstrate how well you apply research and analytical skills appropriate to your chosen discipline and to the undergraduate level of inquiry. 

You’re expected to orally present your projects at the Honors Showcase. The honors project has two required parts: a written component and an oral presentation. As part of the oral presentation, certain projects may also involve a performance, demonstration, video, or other creative medium. Both the written and oral components are evaluated by your faculty mentor and Honors Program Council liaison, as well as by the Honors Program director. Collectively, these three parties determine if an project meets the standards of the program.

The written component is assessed by the following: 

• Quality of question/objective 
• Quality of methods/approach 
• Quality of interpretation of results 
• Quality of conclusions/discussion 
• Use of appropriate literature 

The oral presentation, given at the Honors Showcase, is assessed by the following: 

• Clarity of question/objective 
• Methods or approach clearly defined 
• Results or conclusions clearly presented 
• Breadth and depth of treatment 
• Knowledge of subject matter 
• Responses to audience questions 
• Presentation organization 
• Presentation clarity

As with completing any project, important deadlines must be met and required items must be completed before the Honors Program Council may approve the project. Because of this, we strongly recommend that you begin your project at least one semester before you intend to present it. 

Below is a list of steps that you should take to complete your project in an efficient manner and that will help you keep track of your progress: 

1. Explore topics and questions you wish to pursue, and select a faculty mentor who can guide you through your research or artistic process. 
   • The best place to start is with your major, but we encourage you to consider any other interests outside your area of study that you would like to explore as well. 
   • At this time, you and your mentor need to discuss and decide if the research will be completed for credit or not. 
2. With your mentor, discuss and outline goals for the project, methods to obtain those goals, and a timeline for the project; with these in mind, write the proposal for your project. 
3. Ask your mentor to complete the mentor’s statement. 
4. Fill out a Project Proposal Form, and attach your proposal and the mentor’s statement; once the packet is approved by you and your mentor, turn it in to the Honors Program. 
   • A staff member will evaluate whether you are on track to completing certificate requirements, and all results will be sent to you in writing. This audit will not imply that you are cleared for graduation, only for Honors Program requirements. 
   • The director will at that point send your proposal to the Honors Program Council, which will select an Honors Program Council member to serve as project liaison. This liaison and your mentor form your project evaluation committee; information about contacting you and your mentor will be forwarded to your liaison. 
5. Arrange to meet with your evaluation committee; this is your responsibility. At this meeting, the project requirements and the project will be discussed: 
   • Liaisons will provide feedback based on the council’s consideration of the proposal. 
   • The group will establish times and means of future contact with all involved. 
   • The group will establish roles and responsibilities of the liaisons and mentor. 
   • The committee will establish and distribute to everyone the criteria for evaluation of the project. 
   • The group will clarify the process for reviewing the polished draft (i.e., who forwards the draft to whom). 
6. Continue your research and proceed to write a draft of your paper. Formulate your project and start working on its presentation. 
7. Submit your polished draft to your mentor and liaisons. Feedback and revisions should occur as necessary once the draft has been reviewed and feedback has been given. 
8. Any and all requests for the presentation, especially date, time, venue, and presentation equipment, will be made through the Honors Program. Contact the Honors Program at least 15 days in advance, preferably earlier, to ensure that enough time will be allotted to establish the reservations. 
   • Presentations must be given during the academic year, and the evaluation committee must attend the presentation. 
9. Submit your final written project to the evaluation committee and the Honors Program for distribution to the rest of the Honors Program Council. As per Honors Program rules, this must be available at least two full business days before the presentation, if not more. 
10. Give your oral presentation. Depending on the venue, your audience is presumed to be a general academic audience. As preparation, look at possible questions you may be asked during and after the presentation. There may be a bigger audience than solely the evaluation committee. 
11. After the presentation, the evaluation committee will meet and recommend that the project be accepted, rejected, or amended by the Honors Program Council. If amendments are sought, the students will be required to respond to the evaluation committee by the set deadline. 
    • Submit your amended project to the evaluation committee, which will submit its recommendation to the council. The council will then make a final decision on the project. 
12. You will be informed in writing of the council’s decision.

The role of the mentor for an Honors Project is that of an undergraduate thesis director. Along with the Honors Program director and the liaison from the Honors Program Council, the faculty mentor will evaluate the student’s project. Because the mentor has expertise in the subject of the project, the council will give the mentor’s views special consideration throughout the evaluation process. 

The Honors Program offers a list of steps the mentor should follow as they help students with Honors Projects:

1. Work with the student in selecting and exploring topics for research, and to decide whether the project is to be completed for credit. 
2. Help the student outline goals and methods appropriate to the chosen project. The student will develop a project proposal based on the goals and methods. Together, the mentor and student should establish a timeline for the completion of the project. 
3. Complete the mentor’s statement. This document will clearly and succinctly explain why the project is worthy of Honors Program credit and how this project provides a unique challenge for the student. 
   • If the project is being done for credit, this document will also explain how the work will be evaluated and provide the criteria to be used for the final grade. Please note that the course grade is not linked to the evaluation of the project by the council. 
4. The packet should consist of the mentor’s statement, project proposal, and Honors Project Proposal Form. Upon approval by the mentor and the student, the student should send the packet to the Honors Center.
   • This packet must be submitted no later than the fourth week of the semester in which the student intends to present the project. 
   • Honors projects cannot be presented during the summer. 
   • Honors Program staff will send the proposal to the Honors Program Council, which will select one of its members to serve as project liaison; Honors Program staff will provide the contact information for the liaison. Although it is the student’s responsibility to arrange a meeting with the mentor and the liaison (the evaluation committee), the mentor should try to facilitate the meeting. 
5. Meet with Honors Program Council liaisons and the student: 
   • Liaisons will provide feedback based on the council's consideration of the proposal. 
   • The group will establish times and means of future contact with all concerned. 
   • The group will establish the roles and responsibilities of the liaisons and mentor. 
   • The evaluation committee will establish and distribute to everyone the criteria for evaluation of the project. 
   • The group will clarify the process for reviewing the polished draft (i.e., who forwards the draft to whom). 
6. Continue guiding the student until completion of the project and the oral presentation. 
7. Approve the written component of the project before it is submitted to the Honors Program Council for approval. The evaluation committee should have a final copy of the project at least two business days before the oral presentation. 
8. Evaluate the final written component before attending the oral presentation. 
9. Attend the oral presentation. 
10. After the oral presentation, the evaluation committee will meet and recommend that the project be accepted, rejected, or amended by the Honors Program Council. If amendments are recommended, a deadline for resubmission will also be established. 
11. The mentor should continue working with the student and the liaisons as needed. Amended projects will be resubmitted to the evaluation committee, which will submit its recommendation to the Honors Program Council; the council will then make a final decision on the project. 
12. The mentor will be informed in writing of the council’s decision concerning the Honors Project.

Find all the forms you need for your honors project here: 

The Honors Project Proposal Form should be filled out online, please click here to get started. 

• Honors Project Proposal Form [PDF]
• Honors Project Statement of Expectations [PDF]
• Honors Project Process Overview for Mentors [PDF]
• Honors Project Process Overview for Students [PDF]