Honors Thesis
The honors thesis provides an opportunity for students to have a challenging capstone experience that encourages diligent and creative work in collaboration with a faculty mentor over an extended period of time.
Thesis projects challenge students to draw on knowledge and abilities that they have developed throughout the course of their education and to apply them to an in-depth investigation of a chosen topic.
Students develop their research, critical thinking, writing and oral presentation skills through the thesis process. Which in turn prepares students for their professional career as well as for graduate school.
Projects may take a wide variety of forms and culminate in a creative work, a performance or exhibit, an original scientific manuscript or report, etc.
Publication and presentation in discipline-specific outlets is strongly encouraged.
Regardless of the discipline(s), topic(s) or nature of the project, all honors theses must include the following elements:
- Each thesis project must include original, independent research or creative scholarship.
- Each project must result in some kind of written paper with interpretation and analysis, even when the main focus of the project is in a technical, creative or performance-based discipline. The final paper should be consistent with the standards of the discipline and appropriate in length to the scope of the project.
- Each project must be supervised and evaluated by a U of I faculty member who will serve as the student's mentor.
- Each project must begin with a thesis proposal and must conclude with a thesis presentation.