499 Guidelines for Faculty

The Honors Thesis, which may be completed in a Research Manuscript or Creative Portfolio format, is designed to provide students with an opportunity to integrate their undergraduate experiences and prepare for their careers. Building on the knowledge and skills they have acquired, students pursue research questions, create art, engage the wider community in meaningful activity, or work intensively on one of a variety of other academic projects.

Expectations for the Honors Thesis are high. Whether the intended end product is a Research Manuscript or a Creative Portfolio (comprising a manuscript and an artifact), all Honors Theses: 

  • Are 6+ credits. 
  • Begin with creative inquiry and systematic research. 
  • Include documentation of substantive scholarly endeavor. 
  • Culminate in a final presentation. 

Honors Thesis Formats 

The Honors Thesis may be done in either of two formats.

  1. Research Manuscript - The Research Manuscript is the customary format for presenting extended investigation and research, resulting in a written document of 40-60 pages.  
     
  2. Creative Portfolio  - The Creative Portfolio format involves a written document of 10-20 pages coupled with a creative artifact, such as a performance, musical score, architectural blueprint, engineering invention, screenplay, business case study, collection of original poetry, or art exhibition.  

Thesis Approaches 

There are two ways for students to approach the Honors Thesis: through a Thesis Seminar or by pursuing an Individually Contracted Thesis.  

Thesis Seminars (faculty initiated) 

Format: These 6+ credit Thesis Seminars require the approval of a syllabus by the Commonwealth Honors College Council. They are generally taught seminar style in a traditional classroom setting and are typically offered as two 4-credit courses taken sequentially over two semesters (usually the fall and spring of the senior year).

Thesis Seminars, like their individually-contracted counterparts, require major scholarly undertakings that result in a Research Manuscript or Creative Portfolio format. In lieu of a final presentation, most Honors seminars include a presentation to course members, the instructor, or both. Many seminars require that the presentation be at the annual April Massachusetts Undergraduate Research Conference.

Registration: Most Thesis Seminars are registered by students directly on SPIRE. Occasionally, registration may require instructor permission beforehand to ensure that students fully understand and are able to commit to course expectations. Such instructions will be noted in the course description in the Commonwealth Honors College online Honors Course Guide.

Syllabus Approval: Instructors who are interested in proposing a Thesis Seminar must submit a Thesis Seminar Proposal to the Commonwealth Honors College office for review by the Commonwealth Honors College Council (CHCC). If the Thesis Seminar is approved, and funding is available from Commonwealth Honors College or the instructor’s department, the course will be offered and advertised in the Commonwealth Honors College online Honors Course Guide. 

Individually Contracted Thesis (student initiated) 

An Individually Contracted Thesis requires an agreed-upon and approved contract, proposal, and guidance committee and terminates with a presentation or performance. Each is typically six or more credits and taken over two semesters (often the fall and spring of the senior year).

Proposal Overview

A proposal is required for each semester of the Independently Contracted Thesis: the 499Y Semester Plan Proposal (Honors Thesis Part 1) and 499T/P Honors Thesis Proposal (Honors Thesis Part 2) require a definition of the Honors Thesis work and establish a comprehensive list of goals, methodology, evaluation procedures, and faculty expectations. 

Proposal submission: The Individually Contracted Thesis is registered by Commonwealth Honors College after approval by the CHCC Academic Standards Committee. Students submit their proposals via the PATHS website. Faculty who have agreed to act as the chair of a student’s Thesis Committee are expected to work with the student in advance of the submission deadline to help the student prepare the 499Y Semester Plan Proposal (Honors Thesis Part 1) for the first semester. 

Detailed information about the Individually Contracted Thesis is available regarding the proposal requirements, general timeline, composition of the Thesis Committee, and presentation. If the work involves live human beings, the faculty should provide relevant information for the student to incorporate into the proposal and should also guide the student through the IRB approval process, if necessary, as the proposal is passed on for review by the Honors Program Director and the Academic Standards Committee.

Other comments are encouraged to clarify, for example, the role of the student when multiple students are working on the same project, or to explain why the second committee member is not a UMass faculty member. It is particularly important that the proposal contain a description of an activity or assignment that can be evaluated by the end of the add-drop period, ensure that satisfactory progress is being made.