You don’t have to be in the Honors College to complete an Honors Thesis. Some departments have established a path for completing your thesis, and others will work with you individually to develop a plan.
Many departments offer honors thesis and honors research programs, most of which meet certain requirements for those students who are also enrolled in the Honors College or the College of Agriculture Dean’s Scholars Program. Select your department of interest below to learn more.
If your department does not have an honors thesis or program option, talk to your academic advisor.
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Department Options
x - Department Honors Program
x - Honors Thesis Option
- Honors Committee Faculty Representative - Ankita Raturi, ankita@purdue.edu
Undergrad students who sign-up for research in ABE must go through a review process with the departmental Academic Programs Committee to outline the project and determine possible course credit and/or degree requirements. A contract is created which details the nature of the project, objective of the research and establishes how many hours are expected and how the student will be graded. The primary goal is to provide clarity to both the student and instructor regarding course expectations.
✓ - Department Honors Program
x - Honors Thesis Option
- Honors Committee Faculty Representative - Todd Kuethe
Departmental Honors Program: Intensive directed research experience designed to contribute critical thinking, intellectual development, research skills, and career goals. Upon satisfactory completion, the student will graduate with Honors in Agricultural Economics.
Eligibility:
AGEC Honors program is an academic society for students majoring in agribusiness or applied economics. Students must have completed at least 30 credit hours; students must have at least 3 semesters remaining at the West Lafayette campus; students need a 3.25 GPA to join the departmental honors program; students need to complete AGEC 375 (1 cr.) & AGEC 499 (5 cr.); and AGEC 499 is taken as the Honors Thesis & is supervised by a faculty member.
Requirements:
To begin, students must complete AGEC 375 - Research Methods - for 1 credit, select a topic and faculty research mentor, and submit a research plan to the AGEC Honors coordinator. Students must complete AGEC 499 - Honors Thesis - for 1-5 credits each semester with a maximum of 6 credits. Credits may be used for AGEC electives. During research phase, students create research goals, engage fully in research project and meet specific milestones. To complete the program, students must develop a journal quality article; submit the article to the AGEC Honors coordinator; present research at an AGEC departmental seminar; develop a poster to be displayed within the department; consider presenting research at the college, university and/or professional student competition; and consider submitting article for publication in JPUR.
Process:
To apply for the Departmental Honors Program, complete application along with resume, statement of purpose & copy of academic transcripts.
Departmental course(s) that fulfill Dean's Scholars & Honors College Undergraduate Honors Research/ Scholarly Project Requirement:
- AGEC 498 (Undergrad Research) & AGEC 499 (Undergrad Honors Thesis Research)
x - Department Honors Program
✓ - Honors Thesis Option
- Honors Committee Faculty Representative - B. Allen Talbert, btalbert@purdue.edu
ASEC undergraduate students interested in honors research are encouraged to apply to the College of Ag Dean's Scholars program and/or the University Honors College. Students must meet all eligibility, continuance, and completion requirements of the respective honors programs and enroll in ASEC 497 to complete the required undergraduate honors research project.
Eligibility:
College of Agriculture students enrolled in the Dean's Scholars program and/or the University Honors College.
Requirements:
Students are expected to devote at least 15 hours of work for every 1 hour of ASEC 497 credit. Honors projects are expected to be a scholarly activity associated with research, teaching/learning, extension/engagement, or another area acceptable to the student's honors committee. All projects must be approved by the student's honors advisor and/or committee prior to enrolling in ASEC 497. Honors project written reports should be organized similar to Master's theses. At a minimum, reports should include an introduction/background, purposes/objectives, methods/procedures, results/findings/product, conclusions/recommendations/implications/action plan, and references. Products from the honors project should be disseminated beyond the ASEC department as appropriate and presented at a publicized seminar.
Process:
Enrolled in Dean's Scholars or Honors College honors program. Complete ASEC 497 - Thesis Research - for 1-6 credit hours (may be repeated for a maximum of 6 credits).
Departmental course(s) that fulfill Dean's Scholars & Honors College Undergraduate Honors Research/ Scholarly Project Requirement:
- ASEC 497 (Thesis Research)
x - Department Honors Program
x - Honors Thesis Option
- Honors Committee Faculty Representative - Michael L. Mashtare, mmashtar@purdue.edu
There are no departmental Honors options for students at this time.
x - Department Honors Program
x - Honors Thesis Option
- Honors Committee Faculty Representative - Alex Pasternak
There are no departmental Honors options for students at this time.
Departmental course(s) that fulfill Dean's Scholars & Honors College Undergraduate Honors Research/ Scholarly Project Requirement
- ANSC 499H (Honors Research)
✓ - Department Honors Program
✓ - Honors Thesis Option
- Honors Committee Faculty Representative - Frederick Gimble
Department Honors Program
The Biochemistry Department offers an Honors Program designed to enhance the research experience of its outstanding undergraduates. This program requires both a strong academic record and a substantial commitment to scientific research. Successful completion of the program will lead to an Honors degree in Biochemistry upon graduation and will serve as recognition of an exceptional undergraduate research experience.
Eligibility:
Students apply for admission to the program through the departmental Honors Coordinator. Prior to applying, the student will need to identify an Honors Research Advisor under whose guidance the student wishes to work and who has agreed to supervise the student's undergraduate research. In order to be eligible, a student must have a GPA of 3.5+ (3.33+ in science-related courses, which are defined as courses in BCHM and courses in the College of Science), must have no more than 1 grade of 'C' or lower in BCHM courses numbered 300 or higher, and must have completed 32 credit hours applicable to the Purdue plan of study as a student at Purdue. If transferring from another college or university, the student must complete 16 credit hours at Purdue before applying for admission.
Requirements:
Honors students will, under the direction of their Honors Research Advisor, complete an Honors Project in biochemical research. To this end, a student will enroll, throughout their participation in the Honors Program, in BCHM 298 or BCHM 498. A minimum of 5 credit hours of BCHM 498 is required for completion of the Honors Program. In addition, the student is required to successfully complete BCHM 499, Honors Research (preferably during last semester at Purdue unless with written permission of Honors Research Advisor). Honors students are further required to participate in the Purdue Undergraduate Research Conference a minimum of two times or in alternate event(s) as approved by Honors Research Advisor and departmental Honors Coordinator and will remain on file in the departmental library.
Process:
Students apply for admission to the program through the departmental Honors Coordinator who reviews the student's application, along with the College of Agriculture Director of Academic Programs. Upon acceptance, the student will be notified by letter of admission to the program. Within the first semester after admission to the Honors Program, the student is expected to develop a plan of study in cooperation with his or her mentor. Plans of study are to be submitted to the departmental Honors Coordinator for approval. While in the Honors Program, students must achieve semester grade indexes that are a minimum of 3.33. Furthermore, no more than 1 grade of 'C' or lower is permitted in BCHM courses numbered 300 or higher. After admission to the program, the student must complete at least 30 credit hours (including those completed in the semester in which he or she applies for admission) in residence at Purdue.
Departmental course(s) that fulfill Dean's Scholars & Honors College Undergraduate Honors Research/ Scholarly Project Requirement:
- BCHM 498 (Undergrad Research)
Biochemistry Research Honors Program
Honors Thesis Option
BCHM 49900 is intended to provide the opportunity for in-depth, independent, undergraduate research. The students enrolled in this course will learn how to devise hypotheses, design experiments that test their hypotheses, record their data in laboratory notebooks, critically analyze the results of their analyses, and present their findings to others in written format.
Eligibility:
Prerequisites for students include completion of BCHM 36100 or equivalent; completion of BCHM 49800 or BCHM 49801; and consent of instructor. For instructors, any faculty member in the Department of Biochemistry may assume responsibility for guiding a BCHM 49900 research project. In addition, Purdue faculty in science-related departments outside of the Department of Biochemistry may assume responsibility for supervising a BCHM 49900 project with the approval of the project by the student's academic advisor.
Requirements:
BCHM 49900 is a 3 credit hour course consisting of two components. The first component is 2 credit hours of research in a laboratory. The second component is 1 credit hour of independent study in which the student will write an honors thesis. A minimum of 10 hours per week in the lab corresponds to 2 units of credit during a regular 15-week semester. In general, 2 credit hours requires approximately 150 hours of research. Any activity relevant to the student's research experience (i.e. attending lab meetings, reading necessary literature, etc.) will count towards the approximately 150 hours of work. Specific hours in the lab should be worked out between the course instructor and the student. In general, students should strive to commit to large blocks of time in the lab (>3 hours) to increase productivity. BCHM 49900 may not be added after the first week of the semester except with explicit permission of the course instructor. Students who enter the laboratory after the first week are still expected to participate in 150 hours of research. The course instructor will meet with BCHM 49900 students at least once per week to discuss research progress and provide guidance for the next week. Students may not repeat BCHM 49900 for credit. At the end of the semester, students will submit an honors thesis describing their research project. The thesis need not be limited to a description of research during the semester, but may span previous research experiences. The honors thesis consists of a 20-50 page document including figures and legends. The thesis must contain the following sections: introduction, experimental design, results, discussion, conclusions and opportunities for future research and literature cited.
Process:
After students enroll in BCHM 49900 and determine the research and schedule for the semester, the faculty research mentor will grade the students' progress according to a set of expectations for both research and thesis according to the (attached) course schedule and grading scale.
Departmental course(s) that fulfill Dean's Scholars & Honors College Undergraduate Honors Research/ Scholarly Project Requirement:
- BCHM 498 (Undergrad Research) & BCHM 499 (Honors Thesis Research)
x - Department Honors Program
x - Honors Thesis Option
- Honors Committee Faculty Representative - Leonor Boavida, lboavida@purdue.edu
There are no departmental Honors options for students at this time.
x - Department Honors Program
x - Honors Thesis Option
- Honors Committee Faculty Representative - Christian Y. Oseto, osetoc@purdue.edu
There are no departmental Honors options for students at this time.
x - Department Honors Program
✓ - Honors Thesis Option
- Honors Committee Faculty Representative - Owen Jones
Students registering for the FS 49900 course (Undergraduate Individual Thesis Research Project) and for students further pursuing the 'with thesis' recognition on their transcript are required to sign the Food Science Department Contract for FS 49900.
Eligibility:
Students registering for FS 49900 (Undergraduate Individual Thesis Research Project) and students further pursuing the 'with thesis' recognition on their transcript through the College of Agriculture's Dean's Scholars program and/or University Honors College must be in their junior or senior year of study (classification) who meet the course/grade requirements from their home department's guideline such as a 2.5 cumulative GPA requirement for FS students.
Requirements:
Students are expected to enroll in FS 49900 course - Undergraduate Individual Thesis Research Project - with prior approval of, and arrangement with, a faculty research advisor. For successful completion of the 'with thesis' option, the following items are required: a student must have approval of the FS 49900 course advisor and complete the course, a written report of the research in a scientific journal format, and a public oral presentation of final results. The FS 49900 course is a contract between an advisor and a student for an individual research project on a special problem in a selected area of food science, culminating in a written report in scientific format. This form must be completed and signed, including approval by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, prior to registration - and no later than the end of the second week of the semester in which the FS 49900 course will be taken. Completion of the 'with thesis' designation requires completion of at least 3 credits of FS 49900 Thesis Research Course.
Process:
Undergraduate students interested in completing a FS departmental honors thesis option (as well as honors students completing required undergraduate honors research for the Dean's Scholars program and the Honors College) enroll in FS 49900 after completing the required FS 49900 course contract with the faculty research mentor (and course instructor). Most students enroll for FS 49900 after discussing this option with academic advisors and securing a faculty research mentor in Food Science. Completed contracts are subject to review by the FS Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. Once approved, students are granted a registration override and are able to enroll in FS 49900. The detailed course components of FS 49900 for research, writing and presentation should be discussed and arranged with the faculty research mentor.
Departmental course(s) that fulfill Dean's Scholars & Honors College Undergraduate Honors Research/ Scholarly Project Requirement:
- FS 49900 (Undergrad Individual Thesis Research)
x - Department Honors Program
✓ - Honors Thesis Option
- Honors Committee Faculty Representative - Patrick A. Zollner, pzollner@purdue.edu
Conducting an undergraduate thesis will provide a formal mechanism to integrate motivated undergraduate students into research, teaching or extension within the department. This will increase the levels of rigor and preparedness of highly motivated students focusing on graduate school. Ultimately, this option will increase student preparedness in the critical areas of scientific rigor, communication, and critical thinking.
Eligibility:
Enrollment in the FNR thesis option is restricted to students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 who can find an appropriate member from within the department who is willing to serve as an advisor for that student’s undergraduate thesis.
Requirements:
Undergraduate students wishing to pursue a thesis must complete all of the following steps at least 6 weeks prior to graduation: 1) Student must identify a faculty advisor and choose a topic and select an undergraduate thesis committee composed of the mentor and at least one additional member from FNR; 2) Student enrolls in a one-credit FNR 498 class entitled "Thesis Proposal Development" and an appropriate existing class that meets the goals of the project as advised (and must include an initial committee meeting during 1st 4 weeks of the semester for student to present the concept of their project and receive feedback; student develops a clear and detailed written study plan describing the proposed thesis project and determines the student's second class to enroll in that the committee agrees to; and class grade that must include assessment of both the presentation to the committee and the content of the final study plan). During a semester subsequent to the completion of the study proposal, and before graduation, the student should enroll in a second FNR 498 independent scholarship class for 3 credits. The completed thesis will be presented in some form of a public defense as a component of this class. Student's committee evaluates the completion of the project and public presentation. *Additional requirements outlined for each track as listed on attached form.
Process:
The undergraduate thesis option in FNR provides three possible tracks: research, teaching or extension. Each track will focus on similar outcomes while taking into account differing undergraduate professional interests. Outcomes include the following: strengthen undergraduate oral, written and professional skills; increase linkages between undergraduates and faculty/staff in research, teaching and extension; increase visibility of the FNR undergraduate program and attract high caliber students; provide undergraduate honors students with a comprehensive and rigorous scholarly experience, culminating in the development of an undergraduate thesis; and provide the opportunity for this research to be published in peer-reviewed journals.
Departmental course(s) that fulfill Dean's Scholars & Honors College Undergraduate Honors Research/ Scholarly Project Requirement:
- FNR 498 (Thesis Proposal Development)
x - Department Honors Program
x - Honors Thesis Option
- Honors Committee Faculty Representative - Aaron W. Thompson, awthomps@purdue.edu
There are no departmental Honors options for students at this time.
x - Department Honors Program
✓ - Honors Thesis Option
- Honors Committee Faculty Representative - Laura Bowling
Conducting an undergraduate thesis will provide a formal mechanism to integrate motivated undergraduate students into research within the program. This will increase the levels of rigor and preparedness of highly motivated students focusing on graduate school. Ultimately, this option will increase student preparedness in the critical areas of scientific rigor, communication, and critical thinking.
Eligibility:
Enrollment in the NRES thesis option is restricted to students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 who can find an appropriate NRES faculty affiliate who is willing to serve as an advisor for that student's undergraduate thesis.
Requirements:
Requirements include completing the NRES Program Contract for NRES 498 that is approved by the NRES Co-Directors prior to registration. This contract is to be used for students registering for NRES 498 course (Undergraduate Individual Thesis Research Project) and for students working to complete the thesis requirement for honors programs. Enrollment in NRES 498 course requires prior approval of, and arrangement with, a faculty research advisor.
Process:
For successful completion of the NRES honors program thesis requirement, the student must have approval of the NRES 498 course advisor to complete the form and register for NRES 498 for a minimum of 3 credits. Upon completion of the research project, student must submit a written report of the research in a scientific journal format and give a public oral presentation of final results (including oral or poster presentation at University-level).
Departmental course(s) that fulfill Dean's Scholars & Honors College Undergraduate Honors Research/ Scholarly Project Requirement:
- NRES 498 (Undergrad Individual Thesis Research Project)