To submit an application, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.40 or higher at the time of application.

triangle grid pattern graphicBegin the process

To begin the process students should, during the second semester of the junior year, consult with and receive approval of a faculty member who agrees to act as thesis supervisor for the project. Following the proposal guidelines, the student will then write a formal proposal in close consultation with the thesis supervisor.

 

Secure a thesis advisor

Typically, students will work on their theses during the fall and then spring terms of their senior years. Such students should follow the schedule for May Graduates. Those students who plan to graduate in December should follow the schedule for December Graduates.

The student's thesis supervisor provides guidance in constructing the thesis, helping the student to analyze his or her ideas critically and providing input and correction along the way. Thesis Supervisors are normally secured in the semester prior to the submission of the Honors Thesis application package. More information about securing a thesis supervisor is available in the Frequently Asked Questions section. The thesis supervisor must be a tenured or tenure-track professor at the University of Vermont, and is typically a faculty in the CAS department/program of the student's major/CAS thesis credits.

Important: Students working with an advisor outside of CAS

Students who plan to work with an advisor who is not a faculty member in CAS will need to complete an additional advising justification form and receive chair approval for their thesis credits by the appropriate deadline. Please see details to the right, in the side-bar, under "Additional forms for students working with an advisor outside of CAS. Additionally, students working with an advisor who is not a faculty member in the College of Arts & Sciences are required to have 2 CAS faculty on their defense committee; one as Chair (should be a faculty from the department of their thesis credits), and one as the additional reader. (Note: this is a new requirement for students submitting a proposal in 2024 and beyond.)
 

Complete necessary forms and proposal

Students must complete the following to successfully apply to pursue an Honors Thesis:

  1. Complete the application to undertake work for an Honors Thesis.
  2. E-mail proposal to ashonors@uvm.edu with their name in the subject line. The proposal must follow the Guidelines for Honors Research Proposals.
  3. Ensure that their thesis supervisor completes and submits the Faculty Recommendation Form by the deadline.

Important dates and deadlines can be found on the Timetable for Honors Work page.

Note: The proposal is by far the most important piece of the application package. Please explore this process carefully. It should be developed through close consultation with a thesis supervisor, starting in the second semester of the student's junior year if possible. Learn more about the proposal process.

Note special circumstances

Students whose theses involve interaction with biohazards or recombinant DNA, vertebrate animals, or human subjects should be aware that such work often requires the approval of one or several of the research review Committees (IRB/IACUC/IBC). Particularly students writing theses in Biology, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, or related fields should be sure to ask their thesis supervisors whether approval is required and obtain confirmation before starting the thesis. Approval need not be secured at the time at which the proposal is submitted but the proposal should indicate that the student is aware of this requirement and taking steps to fulfill it (In the past, several students have written theses only to be told that they could not receive credit for their work since it had not received the appropriate authorization.). Questions about research approvals can be directed to the Research Protections Office.

Register for appropriate Honors course

When submitting an Honors Thesis proposal, students should register for the appropriate Honors course (SUBJ 4996) through the department in which they hope to pursue their Honors work. For example, Biology students should sign up for BIOL 4996; English students should sign up for ENGL 4996. Students must take 6.0 credits of Honors coursework to receive College Honors. Typically, these 6 credits are distributed evenly between the first and second semesters, i.e. 3 credits each semester. However, if, for reasons owing to a student's schedule (the student is already registered for, say, 17 credits), a student wishes to do so, Honors credit may be variably distributed across the two semesters, i.e. 2 credits the first semester and 4 the next, 1 and 5, 4 and 2, or 2 and 4. Please note that this is an "accounting issue" only; students are expected to do an equal amount of work both semesters regardless of how the credit is distributed.

Await response

Once the application is received, the Committee evaluates the proposal based on its written standards as specified in the guidelines. The Committee then sends a response to the student via e-mail.

Responses can fall into one of three categories:

  • Acceptance
  • Revision (Student must resubmit a completely rewritten and revised proposal)
  • Rejection (Student does not meet qualifications or the proposal is truly unworkable. In such cases, the student may sometimes be able to continue the work as Readings and Research through his or her major department.)

All Application Materials Due at Submission:

If you have any issues with the above forms, please email ashonors@uvm.edu!
 

Additional forms for students working with an advisor outside of CAS:

Submit both forms by appropriate deadline below:

Deadline for students submitting a thesis proposal in the fall (September): Last day of finals week in spring semester prior to proposal submission

Deadline for students submitting a thesis proposal in the spring (April): First day of classes in spring semester of proposal submission

Deadline for student submitting a thesis proposal in February (December grads): Last day of finals week in spring semester prior to proposal submission
 

Materials for Thesis Defense: