Thesis Process and Requirements

Find a topic you are passionate about and are willing to work on for an extended period of time. The Honors Course 4390A Senior Seminar: Thesis Development can greatly assist in helping you narrow the topic area for your thesis. This class can be found on the Current Course Offerings page

All Honors College theses should be supervised by faculty at Texas State. Faculty appointed with the title of Senior Lecturer, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor are automatically considered qualified to serve as the supervisor for a student’s Honors College thesis.  All other requests for a supervisor with any other title (such as Research Professor, Lecturer, or Clinical Associate Professor) will be checked first by the Honors College staff and then approved by the Chair or School Director associated with the proposed supervisor.  No specific qualifications are required for the Second Reader of an Honors thesis.
Make sure that you have the thesis supervisor sign the Honors Thesis Application found in step three.

Students must complete this form and the accompanying thesis planning form to begin a thesis:

Honors-Thesis-Application.docx

Honors-Thesis-Planning-Form---2-July-2018.pdf

If a course substitution is needed to satisfy your degree audit, complete this form:

Honors-Thesis-Substitution-Form---2-July-2018.pdf

E-mail Dr. Ron Haas at rmh109@txstate.edu to request an appointment. This appointment will discuss the viability of your proposed thesis topic and is necessary in order to receive approval for your topic. Be sure to bring the signed thesis application to this meeting.

For General Studies (BGS) majors only
BGS majors with an Honors minor should meet jointly with representatives from both the BGS program and Honors if interested in substituting HON 4390B for GNST 4350. 
 

After the Honors College approves your thesis topic you must enroll in the 4390B Honors Thesis Course. While this course does not have an official meeting time you are expected to meet up with your supervisor periodically during your enrollment.

Check out the Institutional Review Board's site and discuss with your faculty supervisor if you are required to have IRB approval for your Honors Thesis.

Your grade for Honors 4390B will be recommended by the thesis supervisor, who needs to send your grade in writing via campus mail or e-mail to Dr. Ron Haas, the teacher of record for Honors 4390B. Your grade will be sent to the Registrar by our office after receiving both the grade from your thesis supervisor and the two copies of your honors thesis, signed by your thesis supervisor.

Completing your thesis also involves presenting your research. This is done through the Honors Thesis Forum in the Fall or the Undergraduate Research Conference in the Spring.