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Here are some perspectives from different professors across the College of Arts & Sciences:

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Writing an honors thesis is an opportunity to make your own education. ÌýTo pursue an idea or interest that has caught your attention and go deep: Investigate further, shape the information, lead the conversation and do it your own way, in that unique one-to-one mentoring situation that unfolds with your advisor." Ìý

"Most students who choose to write one say it's the most difficult and most fulfilling experience they had as an undergraduate. ÌýIt’s a great opportunity to research a topic that you are really interested in, to really dive deep into it, with faculty support. ÌýIf you’re interested in going to graduate school, it’s great preparation for learning to conduct research and write a master’s thesis or Ph.D. dissertation. ÌýIt looks very good on a CV or resumé, and your advisor gets experience working with you enabling them to write a detailed letter of recommendation."

"Writing a thesis allows you explore a subject of your choosing with a level of depth and complexity that a typical course simply would not allow for. And it is your project — yours to define and to follow through on, which can be a great experience for proving to yourself and others how much you can accomplish. It will be a difficult and rewarding experience, rewarding in many ways because it is difficult but also because it is your own. It also allows you to show future graduate programs and employers that you are capable of planning and following through on an independent, complex project. All the important skills will be illustrated: Original thought, written and verbal communication, critical thinking, time management, editing, problem solving, flexible and/or creative thinking, and more. ÌýÌý

How do you know if you're eligible to write a thesis? Ìý

Continuing students with a GPA of 3.3 or higher are eligible to participate in all Honors Program offerings, including writing a thesis. ÌýSome departments have a higher GPA requirement for their thesis process, so be sure to check with them to confirm your eligibility. ÌýWe'll talk more about that later in the section on Honors Council Representatives.

There are two types of theses - Departmental and General Honors.Ìý General Honors is also known as an Interdisciplinary Honors thesis.

A departmental thesis is written on a topic in your major, while a general honors thesis is a more interdisciplinary work (substantive engagement with at least two disciplines) and does not have to involve your major.Ìý

The vast majority of thesis projects are departmental, so we'll focus on those here.Ìý To learn more about the General Honors thesis process, click here.

When should you get started?Ìý You can start as early as your freshman year, but the bulk of the work will be done in your junior and senior year.Ìý For more details on a timeline and to read through the basics of getting started, we recommend you check out our Honors Thesis - Getting Started handout. Ìý

If you are a transfer student, we recommend that you start looking into the process as soon as possible to make sure you'reÌýmaking necessary connections with faculty, taking specific courses if needed, and meeting deadlines.

As you start to put your project together, you will need to build a thesis committee.Ìý This is a group of faculty who will support and guide you throughout your thesis process, attend your oral defense at the end of your project, and make a recommendation for your Latin honors designation.Ìý

You will be able to navigate the thesis process more easily if you understand who needs to be on your committee, and the roles of each of the members. ÌýWe'll cover each role here, but you are welcome to visit our webpage on building a thesis committee here to learn more.Ìý Be sure to pay attention to the eligibility requirements for faculty members so that the committee you build will be approved by the Honors Program.Ìý

The Honors Program sets the foundation for the thesis process and runs the overall program.Ìý Departments are permitted to add policies and procedures on top of that foundation, so it is important that you understand both the requirements set forth by the Honors Program, along withÌýany additional parameters established by your major department.Ìý

The Honors Council Representative(s) in your department will be your liaison to help navigate those aspects of the thesis process, so this is your next step in getting started on your project.Ìý Visit the Honors Council Representatives webpage, scroll down to find your department, and view the list of faculty.Ìý

If there is more than one representative for your department, and there is one you are familiar with, that may be a good place to start.Ìý If you are not familiar with any of the faculty listed, it may be beneficial to visit the People/Directory page of the associated department to read the bios for the faculty.Ìý If you find someone whose research or style sounds like a good fit, you may want to reach out to them first.Ìý You are also welcome to reach out to each member on the list.Ìý Send them an email or stop by their office hours to start the conversation.Ìý Ask to meet with them to discuss your topic idea and options in writing a thesis.Ìý If you don't have an idea in mind already, they can help narrow down your interests and get you pointed in the right direction.Ìý You will only need one Honors Council Representative to serve on your committee, so if you've spoken with multiple faculty and there isÌýone who seems to be the best fit, follow up withÌýthat person. ÌýYou will need to ask them to approve your project within the department, andÌýask themÌýif they are willing to serve on your committee.

You will notice that, in the list of departments on the Honors Council Representatives webpage, some majors also link to specific honors-related webpages on the departmental sites.Ìý Click on those links as well to learn details on any department-specific steps, policies, or procedures.Ìý This is a key step, as there are some departments who have internal deadlines that are months earlier than the Honors Program deadlines when it comes to applying to write a thesis.Ìý They may also have required classes that you'll need to work into your academic plan, and other policies and procedures you should familiarize yourself with, such as a higher GPA requirement.

The next step in your thesis journey is to find a Thesis Advisor to help guide and support you in your project.Ìý

Some students start with this step; if that's true for you, that's fine - be sure not to skip the step where you reach out to your Honors Council Representative, though.Ìý

If you haven't found an advisor yet, there are several ways to go about this.Ìý If you're a freshman or sophomore, you can start by enrolling in class(es) that cover the topic you are interested in.Ìý Go to the professor's office hours and get to know them.Ìý If they are someone you work well with, they may be a good candidate for your thesis advisor.Ìý If you are a junior or senior and haven't met a professor yet who is knowledgeable in your topic, there are a few different ways to find someone in addition to taking classes.Ìý Go to the department's website and scroll through their People page.Ìý Read through professors' bios and look for faculty who are researching the topic you are interested in. ÌýYou may want to reach out to your Honors Council Representative as well to see if they have suggestions on faculty that are doing research in your area of interest.Ìý to search by keyword.Ìý Send any prospective professors an email or stop by their office hours to start the conversation.Ìý Ask to meet with them to discuss your topic idea and see if they might be open to serving as your thesis advisor.Ìý Remember to check the eligibility of a faculty member to serve on your committee before taking the time to meet with them. ÌýIf you're not sure if they are eligible, please email us and we'll check for you; our email address is honors@colorado.edu.Ìý

If you already have someone in mind, please be sure that they are eligible to serve on your committee. ÌýFor example, if you're in a lab, your PI may be a grad student or a postdoc. ÌýSince they do not have a multi-year contract with an instructional program or hold an eligible teaching rank, they cannot not be a member of your committee. ÌýHowever, if there is a faculty advisor associated with the lab, they may be eligible. ÌýThis does not mean that the PI can't help you with your project; it just means they can't be part of your committee. Ìý

You will need to register your project with the Honors Program the semester prior to the one in which you plan to complete and defend your thesis.Ìý For example, if you plan to defend your thesis in or by April (spring semester), you would register your project online the previous October (the prior fall semester).Ìý For a fall defense, you would register your project at the end of April of that year.Ìý You cannot register your project in the same semester in which you plan to defend, and you do not need to register your project earlier than the prior semester. ÌýPlease note that you are registering your project with us; we are not approving your project or topic. ÌýApproval for your project is done by your Honors Council representative - if they agree to serve on your committee, that is an indication that your project has been approved.

Some departments have an internal application process; please note that you will also need to register through the Honors Program in addition to their internal application.Ìý Please make sure you follow the deadline requirements for both the Honors Program registration and any internal departmental application. ÌýReviewÌýthe appropriate thesis deadlineÌýform for the exact date that you need to register with us.

Your project does not need to be at a certain level of completion in order to register.Ìý To register, you need a prospectus, an outline of your timeline, initial bibliography, and three committee members.Ìý Once your online registration is submitted, you are allowed to make changes to your committee, project, timeline, and bibliography, so don't miss the deadline if things aren't perfect.Ìý Just be sure to notify us of any committee changes, and any significant changes to your prospectus.

Your research plan will be guided by your topic.Ìý If you are majoring in Natural Sciences, you will most likely need to do some lab work.Ìý Your Honors Council Representative and/or Thesis Advisor can be great resources in getting you in touch with lab opportunities if you are not already working in a lab.Ìý If you are in the Social Sciences, you may need to do some field work, and in Arts and Humanities you may need to do some creative work.Ìý In all cases (even creative writing), you will also need to read literature and/or studies related to your topic.Ìý Be sure to keep a list of references and cite them in your notes.Ìý For guidance on the citation style your department requires, check with your Honors Council Representative.Ìý

If you plan to do research involving human subjects, you will need to get approval from the Institutional Review Board, or IRB.Ìý To find out if you need IRB approval, click here.Ìý Be sure to visit the "Review Timeline and Meeting Dates" tab to learn the deadlines you will need to work within.Ìý

.Ìý Be sure to check their timeline; typically, the application process opens in the fall with a February deadline for proposals planned that summer or the next academic year.Ìý Due to these deadlines, it is important that you plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to apply for the funds.Ìý We recommend that you seriously consider applying for funds; we've heard many students who decided against applying for funding list that as one of their regrets when reflecting on the process afterwards.

Depending on your topic and the needed research, you may begin your research process long before it's time to register your project.Ìý If that's the case, don't forget to register your project with us the semester prior to when you plan to defend!

We've got all kinds of resources to help you get started and stay on track for a successful defense.Ìý

Check out some of our favorites:

Here's a handout that outlines the basics of a thesis, how to get started, and a timeline to follow

Visit our Latin honors FAQ page for detailed answers to our most common questions

Once the hard work is done:Ìý Celebrate the successful completion of your project and defense - attend our Convocation!

We're happy to help!Ìý Visit our Honors Program Contact Us page for options on how to contact us.Ìý Want to meet to talk about the process?Ìý We're happy to do that too.Ìý Email us to schedule a meeting via Zoom or in person.