Students are encouraged to identify a faculty advisor and a thesis topic as soon as they are ready to begin research. Once you have identified a faculty advisor and a topic/area you plan to do your research on, the next step is to write up a thesis proposal for approval. Some academic units/upper-division honors programs have developed specific forms and deadlines for this purpose. In those situations where no such form is available, a suggested format for the honors thesis proposal is included in Suggested Format for Honors Thesis Proposal.
For thesis proposal submission instructions, please visit CHCanvas; and to submit a thesis proposal, please use this form. Remember to keep a copy for yourself. The thesis proposal should be filed with the Honors Office as soon as an agreement has been made between you and your faculty advisor. Although faculty advisor approval is not required in order to submit your thesis proposal to the CHC, students are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to turn in a copy of their thesis proposal to their faculty advisor and to convey to their faculty advisor your ultimate goal (to meet the honors program requirement of completing an undergraduate research project, under the direction and guidance of a faculty advisor, and at the end, to write it all up as your honors thesis.) We strongly encourage you to use the thesis proposal as an opportunity to check in with your faculty advisor and discuss your plans for research. The student and faculty member should have discussed how often and when they will meet throughout the research/thesis process, as well as what the final expectations are (for both student and faculty advisor). The thesis proposal is, in essence, a plan or “contract” for the research/thesis experience. The final responsibility to approve your honors thesis lies with your faculty advisor, and they need to clearly understand this from the outset of the research process.
Many of you will file your thesis proposal during fall quarter of your senior year. Individual schools/honors programs may have other deadlines and procedures, so it is the student’s responsibility to clarify what applies to you. Your honors thesis proposal MUST be filed with the Honors Office no later than two quarters before you anticipate graduating. For June graduates, the deadline would be the end of Week 2, fall quarter, in the year you plan to graduate. Exceptions to this deadline should be discussed promptly with an Honors Advisor. Please see submission instructions on CHCanvas.