Honors Thesis and Internship

The Honors Internship (HNRS 475) and Thesis (HNRS 490) options allow students to earn Honors credit through independent experiential learning projects. Internships can qualify for Honors credit if they include significant leadership responsibilities that align with a student’s academic or professional goals. Honors theses can include traditional research papers, as well as creative projects, such as art installations or performances with a critical reflection.

Students must complete either HNRS 475, HNRS 490, or the Golson Seminar (HNRS 400) in order to fulfill the capstone requirement of the Honors Diploma.

HNRS 475: Honors Internship may be taken as a 0, 1, or 3 credit hour course and may be repeated for up to 6 credit hours.

Students wishing to pursue this option should first identify an appropriate internship opportunity. Students may seek an internship through their major, minor, or the Falcon Scholars in Action program. Alternatively, students may pursue a stand-alone internship opportunity specifically for HNRS 475.

Students wishing to complete an internship through Falcon Scholars in Action should go through their application and interview process. Students wishing to complete an internship through their major or minor should work with a faculty mentor to line that up. Students intending to complete HNRS 475 as a stand-alone internship course should make an appointment to discuss the process with the Honors Director.

After successfully pursuing an internship opportunity, students should complete the Honors Internship proposal form. If approved, students will then be given clearance to register for HNRS 475.

The Honors Internship proposal form will be available by April 2025 for the Fall 2025 semester.

HNRS 490: Honors Thesis may be taken as a 0, 1, or 3 credit hour course and may be repeated for up to 6 credit hours.

Students should begin by identifying a faculty mentor willing to work with them. Students should approach the faculty mentor and agree on the focus and parameters of their project.

Students may combine an Honors thesis with Undergraduate Research. To do so, students should set up an appointment with the Honors Director to discuss this option. Students then complete an Undergraduate Research Application and write-in “HNRS 490” as the UR course. Upon approval, students will then register for 3 credit hours in HNRS 490.

Students may also combine HNRS 490 with a major capstone course, but this requires the approval of the course instructor. When students combine the Honors Thesis with a capstone class, the general expectation is that they will go one step above and beyond what other students in the course are completing. For example, if everyone has to complete a research paper, an option to turn this into an Honors thesis would be for the student to then submit (and present, if accepted) the paper at a conference. The student should work with the major capstone professor to determine what is appropriate. If a student combines the Honors Thesis with a major capstone course, it is possible to register for 0 credit hours in HNRS 490.

Once students have a faculty mentor, they may complete the Honors Thesis proposal form. If approved, students will then be given clearance to register for HNRS 490.