Senior Honors Thesis
Many Carolina students cap their undergraduate experience with a Senior Honors Thesis, partnering with a faculty mentor to develop original research or creative work. Students who successfully defend their theses before a faculty review panel graduate with Honors or Highest Honors.
Students may undertake a Senior Honors Thesis project only in their major field of study (with an exception for students who minor in Creative Writing). Students with double majors may graduate with Honors or Highest Honors in both fields of study. To do so, they must complete a distinct project in each field. All Senior Honors Thesis projects must be completed under the direct supervision of a faculty advisor. Tenured and tenure-track faculty, retired faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and fixed-term faculty appointed for more than a single year may serve as thesis advisors. Graduate students may not serve as advisors for Senior Honors Thesis projects.
Eligibility
Students who wish to undertake a Senior Honors Thesis project must have a cumulative GPA of 3.300 or higher. Academic departments may set higher thresholds for course work within students’ major field of study.
Honors Thesis Research Awards
Honors Carolina offers financial awards to support Senior Honors Thesis research. These awards, up to $500, may be used to cover any legitimate cost directly connected to a thesis project: laboratory equipment and supplies, computer software and hardware, travel, artistic supplies, books and periodicals not available through normal library sources, illustrations and duplication, etc.
Students must apply through their major department’s honors director or their faculty thesis advisor (for units without Honors directors). A Call for Proposals is sent to departments early each semester. Students may not submit applications directly to Honors Carolina.
Deadlines and application forms are here.
Reporting Deadlines
Students Completing Honors Theses in the fall semester
2nd Monday in November (4:00pm)
Reporting forms and instructions will be sent to departmental honors advisors on September 1
Students Completing Honors Theses in spring semester
2nd Monday in April (4:00pm)
Reporting forms and instructions will be sent to departmental honors advisors on February 1
Deadlines for specific semesters are here.
Students are required to upload the final version of their thesis to the Carolina Digital Repository by the final day of class in the semester in which they complete the thesis course work. Detailed instructions are included in the guidelines below.
