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.  Students can also email honors@txstate.edu to request an initial appointment with one of our faculty or advisors to plan their thesis journey. Often, the thesis supervisor will recommend a topic for students.

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 these two forms to enroll in the thesis course.  Forms are provided in both a pdf and Word format.

Honors Thesis: Planning Form

Honors-Thesis-Planning-Form-.docx

Honors Thesis: Application

Honors-Thesis-Application.docx

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

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

E-mail honors@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 thesis application and signed planning form to this meeting.  Each semester, the Honors College will also have informational sessions to learn more about how to find a topic and supervisor and to enroll in the Honors Thesis. 

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. Students whose programs include a course with a final project similar to a thesis may pair that class with HON 4090.  This process must be approved by an Honors advisor and a faculty member. 

Check out the Institutional Review Board site and discuss with your faculty supervisor if you are required to have IRB approval for your Honors Thesis because your research involves human subjects. Your thesis supervisor willneed to help you with the IACUC site if your research involves animal use. Approval must be granted before you begin your research and an honors thesis that does not follow these regulations will not be accepted.

Your grade for Honors 4390B or HON 4090 will be recommended by the thesis supervisor. Your grade will be sent to the Registrar by our office after receiving both the grade from your thesis supervisor and a completed and approved electronic copy of your thesis.

Submitted theses must earn a grade of B or higher in order to count towards requirements for graduation in Honors.

We also collect the plans of our graduating seniors.  Please use the form at this link to let us know what you are doing next.

Honors students may either use the back desk computer and staff printer in the Honors College to print their theses for personal copies. The binding process takes about six weeks.  Alkek Library will mail you any copies you order. This process is optional and there are fees charged for the service by the library.

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.