anthropology honors thesis

• Utility Menu

• Internal Resources
• EDIB Committee
• Honors & Theses

Anthropology concentrators pursue a diverse range of topics and places that covers every time period from the pre-historical to the present, and every major world area. Recent senior honors thesis have investigated:

• The relationship between the Boston Catholic Church and its Spanish-speaking members
• Islamic Finance in Malaysia
• A Cancer Ward in Kenya
• Stigma in the Lives of Unmarried Women in Contemporary China
• Challenges in Housing Rights Advocacy in Bolivia

The requirements for honors eligibility are distinguished by program. Certain honors recommendations are possible without a thesis. 

Students are encouraged to consult A Student's Guide to Reading and Writing in Social Anthropology and the AnthroWrites website.

• Archaeology Honors
• Social Anthropology Honors
• Combined Archaeology-Social Anthropology Honors

Thesis Track (12 courses)

• Including one Archaeology Graduate-Level Research Seminar (2000-level)
• ANTH 99: Thesis Tutorial in Anthropology, a full-year writing workshop, culminating in the submission of a senior thesis and an oral thesis examination.

Non-Thesis Track (10 courses)

All graduating seniors in Archaeology who are not thesis candidates and have taken a 2000-level course may be considered for a non-thesis honors recommendation of Honors (but not High or Highest Honors), provided that their concentration grade point averages calculated at the end of their next to last terms are among the highest twenty-five percent of non-thesis candidates in their graduating class in Archaeology. To be considered for a High or Highest Honors recommendation in Anthropology, a student must complete a thesis, in addition to the requirements specified above.

• Basic Concentration Requirements

All graduating seniors in Social Anthropology who are not thesis candidates may be considered for a non-thesis honors recommendation of Honors, provided that their concentration grade point averages calculated at the end of their next to last terms are among the highest twenty-five percent of non-thesis candidates in their graduating class in Social Anthropology. To be considered for a High or Highest Honors recommendation in Anthropology, a student must complete a thesis, in addition to the requirements specified above.

All graduating seniors in Combined Archaeology and Social Anthropology, who are not thesis candidates may be considered for a non-thesis honors recommendation of Honors (but not High or Highest Honors), provided that their concentration grade point averages calculated at the end of their next to last terms are among the highest twenty-five percent of non-thesis candidates in their graduating class in Combined Archaeology and Social Anthropology. To be considered for a High or Highest Honors recommendation in Anthropology, a student must complete a thesis, in addition to the requirements specified above.

• For Prospectives
• Concentration Requirements
• Research & Study Abroad
• Program Contacts
• Anthropology Undergraduate Advising Packet (2023-2024)

Let your curiosity lead the way:

Apply Today

• Arts & Sciences
• Graduate Studies in A&S

Senior Honors Thesis

Honors program guidelines.

Latin Honors involves a demonstration of acquired knowledge based on two components: an original research project and a cumulative GPA of 3.65 or above. Policies implemented in the 2014-2015 academic year by the College of Arts & Sciences changed the way in which students are awarded Latin Honors. Prior to graduation, the Anthropology department must certify that the honors candidate has obtained a minimum 8-semester GPA of 3.65, both overall and in Anthropology, and that the Honors thesis has been satisfactorily completed. Based on this initial certification, the student is subsequently awarded, by the College of Arts & Sciences, A.B. cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude according to the following proportions: the top 15 percent in overall grade point average of Latin Honors candidates in Arts & Sciences who complete the necessary requirements of their major departments graduate summa cum laude; the next 35 percent magna cum laude; the next 50 percent cum laude. The maximum level of honors is established by student’s GPA, however the quality of the thesis is important in determining the actual level of honors that will be awarded. Specific questions about eligibility or requirements should be addressed to the Departmental Honors Coordinator (Professor Bret Gustafson, [email protected] , McMillan 332) or to the teaching assistant assigned to the program for the year.

New graduate students often discover on reaching graduate school that there is a considerable gap between what they have learned about a subject from books, and actually formulating and carrying out original research in the field. Making this transition is one of the most important challenges they face as a graduate student. Doing an honors thesis gives you the chance to take this step as an undergraduate through participating in original research in an area in which you are especially interested. 

There are also several practical benefits to doing an honors thesis: you learn how to frame a research question, develop methods and analytical techniques with which to address it, and discuss your results in the context of relevant anthropological literature. In doing so, you are able to work closely with one or several faculty members. Why consider writing an honors thesis?

• This is one of the best opportunities for undergraduates to conduct and report independent research beyond the level possible for a one-semester course.
• If you are potentially interested in going on to graduate school, this experience helps you to evaluate whether or not you are really interested in research.
• This experience also enables faculty members to get to know you well, and to make any recommendations that they may write much more substantive.
• You receive university recognition for this work in the form of university Latin Honors.  This is one of the most impressive awards a student can receive, and it will distinguish you as an outstanding scholar for life. 
• Undergraduate honors research can be shared through Washington University’s Open Scholarship portal http://openscholarship.wustl.edu/undergrad_etd/ .  Outstanding thesis work may also be published, in various formats, in peer-reviewed journals, etc.

Disadvantages

Doing an honors thesis is very demanding academically and takes a great deal of time and effort. Students can find that the process, which involves multiple participants, significant planning and collaboration, and various institutional components (such as securing IRB approval, gaining access to labs and undertaking lab work, etc.) can be not only time consuming but can pose unforeseen challenges. Developing a sound research methodology, learning to craft an extended argument, and even the mechanics of referencing figures and tables, making proper citations, and putting together extensive bibliographies, can be more time consuming than students had ever imagined. Occasionally, honors students are unable to complete the thesis in time for the spring deadline. It is advisable to think well ahead and to begin conducting research or to prepare for that research, during the junior year prior to registering for the honors program in the senior year.

There are two other factors you should consider when weighing the advantages and disadvantages of honors research:

• Although faculty will help you as much as they can, you will have to work independently more than you may be used to.
• Since the final results of your work towards an honors thesis are not known until after applications for graduate school are due, the fact that you are doing an honors thesis may not help with those applications.

The Honors Process

Choosing an advisor and a topic.

If you are interested pursuing Latin Honors you need to select a professor in the anthropology department who is willing to sponsor your research project and serve as your primary honors advisor for the duration of the project. This may be as early as the sophomore year, but ideally will be during the junior year. The first semester of the senior year is late to begin planning an honors thesis. 

It is important to work in an area in which you are especially interested, and with which you have a solid academic groundwork, i.e., on which you have completed upper-level coursework, written a paper, or done some preliminary research in class. Before agreeing to supervise an honors thesis, your faculty advisor will generally expect you to have taken upper-level courses that relate to your topic. Past honors theses are on file and can be accessed through Kirsten Jacobsen, Academic Coordinator. It is useful to review these for ideas about topics, as well as for many aspects of working on a thesis, such as methods, length, and format. You will need to discuss potential thesis topics with faculty that agree to advise an honors thesis.

  Other important considerations

Securing IRB Approval:  Any student conducting research with human subjects must obtain Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval from the Human Research Protection Office (HRPO) before beginning research. Even studies in which students do not plan to conduct formal interviews, but only to observe public behavior and to speak informally with individuals (without collecting any personal identifiers from subjects), require IRB approval. The student must have a good sense, for the purposes of applying for this approval, of the kinds of research methodologies that will be utilized, the approximate number of research subjects, how the confidentiality of data will be maintained, and the risks to human subjects minimized. Guidelines for the IRB process are available online at http://hrpohome.wustl.edu/ . The majority of students who have conducted research abroad as part of an SIT program, and have received initial human subjects approval in their host countries, must still apply to transfer that SIT approval to the Washington University IRB when they return to campus. This approval must be obtained before the student shares any of the results of their research.  It is important to keep in mind that while, in some cases, IRB approval can be obtained quickly, it can also become cumbersome and take a substantial amount of time and energy to secure IRB approval. When possible, it is preferable to complete the IRB process before the fall semester of the senior year. More information on the IRB process, and specific information relevant to SIT students, is available at the end of this document.

Access to Laboratory Facilities: Students who are doing laboratory-based theses will need to obtain special permission for extra access hours to laboratory facilities. You will need to discuss this with your advisor and other professors ahead of time.

Research Methods: Methods will vary greatly with subject, and should be discussed in detail with your advisor. Methods classes in the relevant subdiscipline of anthropology will be helpful. 

Academic Integrity: All students should abide by Washington University’s policy academic integrity and certify that all of the work they submit is their own http://studentconduct.wustl.edu/academic-integrity/

  Honors Registration & Timeline

The first step in declaring your serious interest to complete a senior honors thesis is to submit the honors interest form during the spring of your junior year. The form can be found at the end of this booklet. 

Most thesis writers carry out preliminary research in the summer before the senior year, especially if the thesis involves fieldwork (see below for information on getting summer funding). Thesis projects based on lab analysis or use of other types of evidence may also require summer work. The point is that by the fall of your senior year, you should be well on your way to analyzing your material, not just getting started on collecting it.

In the fall semester of your senior year you will register for L48 4960 Senior Honors Research (and in the spring for L48 4961 Senior Honors Research). As part of the honors course, which will meet on Fridays at 9:00 a.m., you will have the opportunity to get to know the cohort of students writing honors theses, to participate in workshops, and to access educational resources available to undergraduate researchers.  During the fall semester, you are expected to meet with your advisor frequently and also to report on your progress to the honors coordinator and the students in the honors cohort during weekly meetings. Ideally, you will have written a substantial portion of the thesis by the end of the semester. At the end of the term, your progress will be evaluated by both your thesis advisor and the Departmental Honors Coordinator, Professor Bret Gustafson.

As a continuation of this research and coursework, honors students are also required to register for L48 4961 in the spring, although only one of the two honors courses can count for the Anthropology major. Adjustments to the registration requirement may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Class meetings incorporate workshops on how to prepare a research poster and thesis abstract, how to present a research poster, group writing sessions, and progress exercises. Your thesis advisor, in consultation with the Honors Coordinator, is responsible for assigning you letter grades for both courses. Students planning to graduate in December should contact Professor Bret Gustafson, as a different timeline applies.

Most advisors ask for a near-final draft of the thesis in mid-February in order to read it carefully, suggest revisions, and give the student time to make necessary changes before early March, when two other committee members must receive their copies. The honors thesis is evaluated by a three-member examining committee whose members are selected by the sponsoring advisor in consultation with the student and the Honors Coordinator. This three-member committee evaluates the quality of the thesis and suggests revisions. A full draft of the thesis must be received by all committee members by a set deadline, typically just before Spring Break. Shortly thereafter, the committee makes its recommendations to the College of Arts and Sciences on the highest level of honors to be awarded to the thesis. While the level of Honors is contingent on GPA, the quality of the thesis is also a substantial consideration. At least one member of the committee, other than the principal thesis advisor, must be an anthropology faculty member. The third member can be from another academic department. The final, spiral-bound copy of the thesis, with all changes required by the committee, is due by the last day of classes. For students graduating in December, please see the Honors Coordinator for time schedule.

  Thesis Format and Length

As a rough guide, honors theses typically consist of about 60 pages of text. In consultation with a thesis advisor, each student should choose a professional stylistic format and follow standard bibliographic and citation techniques appropriate for the relevant subdiscipline. The published style guide of a lead journal such as American Anthropologist (for cultural), American Antiquity (for archaeology), or American Journal of Physical Anthropology (for biological) can provide necessary details. Electronic versions of these style guides, and other anthropological resources relevant to thesis writers, can be found on Olin Library’s page for ‘Senior Thesis Writers in Anthropology’ The student is required to supply the department with a final copy of the thesis to be filed in the anthropology library. This copy must be spiral bound with a clear plastic cover. It is customary to provide the thesis advisor (and often committee members) with final copies.  

Undergraduate Research Support/Expenses 

You might consider applying for funds from the Office of Undergraduate Research to conduct summer research, or to travel to a conference and present your research results. See the following website for more information:   https://undergradresearch.wustl.edu/seek-funding-programs . Keep in mind that, when working with human subjects, you must obtain human subjects approval from the Washington University Institutional Review Board prior to beginning that research, as detailed at the end of these guidelines. There are also small grants available from Sigma Xi. Short proposals are required and you should discuss these with your advisor. The deadlines for proposals are in November each year. Forms are available in the Anthropology office. You should also bear in mind that you get academic credit for doing honors research, but do not have normal expenses such as the purchase of textbooks or laboratory fees. You should save this money toward research expenses such as printing and binding.

Canvas Website  

Students will have access to a Canvas website for the Senior Honors program. Important information about the program, accompanying forms, and descriptions of the tasks and activities to be undertaken at the various class meetings, scheduled below, will be posted on the website. Students will also have the opportunity to use Canvas’s collaborative tools to share their research projects, receive feedback from their peers, and similar functions.

Additional Resources

Past Honors Projects

see what past honors students have researched

Human Subjects Policy

learn about the department's policy for human subjects research

Forms & Links

Honors thesis interest form, sample protocol for exempt behavioral research, human research protection office, anthropology honors thesis information session april 15, 2021.

Click here to watch a recording of the session

• Search This Site All UCSD Sites Faculty/Staff Search Term
• Instructional Support
• Employment Opportunities
• Administration
• Adjunct Professors & Lecturers
• Graduate Students
• Visiting Professor & Researchers/Scholars
• Program Learning Outcomes
• Major and Minor Requirements & Global Concentration
• Prospective & Transfer Students
• Academic Advising

Academic Opportunities

• Anthropology Club
• Program Requirements
• Associated Programs
• Current Students
• Archeology Lecture Series
• Biological Anthropology Labs
• Anthropological Archaeology Labs
• Linguistic Anthropology Labs
• Psychological Anthropology Labs
• Climate Change Interest Group
• Undergraduate Program
• Honors Thesis Program

The honors thesis is prepared during two successive quarters (Fall ANTH 196A and Winter ANTH 196B) of a major’s senior year, and can count as two of the five four-unit upper-division elective courses required for a major. Honors students are invited to be anthropology student ambassadors and enroll in ANTH 196C during Spring quarter.

During the first quarter of the program (Fall quarter), students select their research topic and write a preliminary paper. Those who receive a B+ or better are invited to continue in the program and complete a thesis on the chosen topic by the end of the Winter quarter. The thesis will be evaluated by a committee consisting of the thesis adviser and the Director of Undergraduate Studies appointed by the Chair. The reading committee advises the faculty on the merit of the thesis for department honors. A thesis is required in order to be considered for department honors at commencement.

To view Anthropology Award recipients, please see here . 

ANTH 196A. Honors Studies in Anthropology (4)    (Fall quarter of Senior Year)

Students will be admitted to the honors program by invitation of the department in the spring of their junior year. In this seminar they explore their research topic and write a preliminary paper. Completion of this course with a grade of at least B+ is a prerequisite to enroll in ANTH 196B.  Prerequisites:  department approval required.

ANTH 196B. Honors Studies in Anthropology (4)  (Winter quarter of Senior Year)

Preparation of a senior thesis under the supervision of a faculty member. Students begin two-quarter sequence in fall quarter.  Prerequisites:  completion of ANTH 196A with grade of B+ or better.

Students can enroll in a  recommended  (not required) third quarter of the Honors Thesis program (ANTH 196C) to become Ambassadors of Anthropology (participate in community outreach presentations to promote Anthropology), and to prepare a presentation of their thesis findings at the annual Anthropology Honors Thesis Presentations and Awards event.

ANTH 196C. Honors Studies in Anthropology (4)  (Spring quarter)

A weekly research seminar where students share, read, and discuss in-depth research findings resulting from ANTH 196A and 196B along with selected background literature used in each individual thesis. Students are also taught how to turn their theses into brief presentations for both specialized and broader audiences. Students will be offered opportunities to present their findings at campus events and outreach events during the quarter.  Prerequisites :   ANTH 196A-B.

Additionally students are highly encouraged to enroll in the senior seminar ANTH 192 Anthropological Research (1 unit) in the Spring quarter of their junior year to further explore the honors program and opportunities in the department.

ANTH 192. Senior Seminar in Anthropology (1)   (Spring quarter, Junior Year)

The seminar is recommended, but not required, if interested to prepare and find out more about the Honors Program before accepting the invitation. This one unit senior seminar aims to introduce and attract outstanding anthropology students to the honors program. Students will examine honors theses in Anthropology written by their peers over the last few years, learn how to use library resources, familiarize with faculty interests and explore topics to research themselves in the honors program in the senior year.  Prerequisites : upper-division standing; department stamp and/or consent of instructor.

Are you eligible?

Eligibility for the program strongly encourages the student to have fulfilled the requirements below by Fall quarter of senior year : 

• Completed eight upper-division courses, including ANTH 101, 102, 103
• Minimum of a 3.7 concentration & overall GPA 

Outstanding junior students, who meet some but not all of the above criteria, may also be considered for invitation to the program, if spaces are available. Let the Anthropology advisor know that you are interested in the program.

How to apply?

• During the fall quarter of your junior year (or before), identify faculty member(s) with related research interests (take a course, set up a meeting, explore research opportunities.)
• Prior to week 3 of Winter quarter of your junior year, contact the Anthropology Advisors to express your interest in the Honor's Thesis Program.  During the Winter quarter, the Director of Undergraduate Studies and the Anthropology Advisors will compile a list of interested and qualifying students for consideration.  A preliminary notification will be sent out to student candidates during Winter quarter.
• We highly recommend that students enroll in the one-unit senior seminar course, ANTH 192 during Spring quarter, to explore the program and finalize faculty mentor matches.
• Students are admitted to the Honor's Thesis program by invitation during the Spring quarter of their junior year.
• After receiving clearance, enroll in ANTH 196A for Fall quarter.

Why join the honors program?

The honors thesis program is intense and demanding. However, it benefits students as follows:

• Improves chances of receiving Departmental Honors and Awards
• Enriches Curriculum Vitae for professional pursuits after graduation
• Allows students to work one-on-one with individual faculty members, building current and future mentorships
• Gives opportunity for productive, interdisciplinary exchange with peers in other subfields of Anthropology
• Provides a supportive, well-structured environment in which to conduct research in-depth in a topic of interest
• Develops students’ research skills, applicable at the postgraduate and professional level
• Enhances excellent oral and written communication skills for a variety of audiences
• Offers an opportunity to bond with other high-achieving anthropologists through teamwork
• Helps decide whether research is of interest for paths after graduation
• Creates a solid foundation of knowledge for students pursuing graduate studies

Annual Honors Thesis Presentations and Awards Ceremony

At the end of each academic year (end of May), an event takes place that showcases undergraduate student achievements, including Honors thesis presentations, recognition of academic achievements by our graduating majors, recognition of activities by the AnthroClub, activities by the Ambassadors of Anthropology , awards to outstanding graduating seniors, and a special salute from alumni. 

Past Event Fliers and Presentations  

• Undergraduate Volunteer Opportunities
• Ambassadors of Anthropology
• Study Abroad and Field Schools
• Special Studies Information
• Special Studies Application Form

• Faculty/Staff Intranet
• Graduate Student Intranet

DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY

• Undergraduate

Senior Theses and Honors

Conducting original research is central to the field of Anthropology. By undertaking original research in Anthropology students develop core skills in critical thinking, research, and written and oral communication. These skills, rooted in the holistic discipline of Anthropology, are widely applicable regardless of your career choice. Original research for the Senior Thesis may be based on library, laboratory, or field research on a topic that the student has chosen in consultation with their faculty adviser. The Senior Thesis is an opportunity for students to explore a topic of their interest in Anthropology.

Majors with an interest in pursuing original research in anthropology during their senior year identify a thesis topic and advisor during their junior year and submit an application to write a senior thesis to the Honors Coordinator by spring of junior year. The thesis requires:

• Completion of 399 in the Fall quarter of senior year
• Completion of 398 in Winter quarter of senior year

398 may be counted toward the 300-level requirements for the major. 399 is in addition to the 300-level requirements for the major

Honors in Anthropology

Students interested in pursuing honors in Anthropology are required to (1) prepare a 1-2 page project proposal and (2) secure a project advisor during their junior year. The proposal and an email from the advisor attesting to their work with the student should be sent to the Honors Coordinator, Prof. Erin Waxenbaum ( [email protected] ), by July 1 of the student’s junior year.

Students who write a thesis and whose theses and grades meet university criteria are recommended to the college for graduation with honors. Eligibility for honors includes:

• Writing an outstanding senior thesis
• 3.3 GPA overall
• 3.5 GPA in Anthropology 

Honors and awards

Students who prepare an outstanding honors thesis will be nominated for honors in anthropology to the Weinberg College Committee on Undergraduate Academic Excellence, which has the final authority to grant the honors degree. All students writing an honors thesis are also eligible for following departmental awards:

• Oswald Werner Prize for Distinguished Honors Thesis in Anthropology

This prize honors Professor Emeritus Oswald Werner’s research, teaching, fieldwork training and administrative contributions. He was a faculty member for 35 years, a department chair, founder, and director of the Northwestern University Ethnographic Field School, and an ardent supporter of undergraduate research.

• Friends of Anthropology Award for Distinguished Honors Thesis in Public Anthropology

This prize recognizes outstanding research that  matters to the communities in which the researcher works, addressing important  social issues and helping to foster change. The award was established in 2005 with funding from the "Friends of Anthropology at Northwestern" (FAN) Alumni Group.

• Elizabeth M. Brumfiel Award for Distinguished Honors Thesis in Archaeology

See a list of award-winners who have won scholarships and other prizes.

The Honors Coordinator for Anthropology is: Prof. Erin Waxenbaum 

• Departments and Units
• Majors and Minors
• LSA Course Guide
• LSA Gateway

Search: {{$root.lsaSearchQuery.q}}, Page {{$root.page}}

• News and Events
• Undergraduates
• Alumni & Friends

• Anthropology Major
• Academic Policies & Procedures
• Transfer Credit
• Accelerated MA Program in Transcultural Studies
• Human Origins, Biology, and Behavior Major
• Honors Program
• Get Involved
• What can I do with an Anthropology degree?
• Prospective Students
• Recent Graduates and Placement
• Current Student Resources
• Alumni Update
• What Does Anthropology Mean to You?
• Past Virtual Events
• Honors Student Profiles
• Recent Honors Theses
• Honors Research Poster Symposium

Students interested in conducting independent scholarly research in one of the subfields of anthropology and who qualify (have a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher) are encouraged to consider writing an honors thesis in anthropology. Previous participation in the College Honors program is not a prerequisite for doing an honors major in anthropology. Seniors admitted to the honors major conduct research during their senior year under the supervision of two faculty members: the honors advisor in the subfield and a thesis advisor who works with the student on his/her individual research project.

Honors intent form and course sequence

During the junior year, students interested in honors should meet with the undergraduate advisor and the honors advisor in a particular subfield to discuss their plans for an honors research project. Interested students will submit an intent form briefly discussing their thesis research interests. The intent form for honors in anthropology is due in March.Note: requests will be considered after this deadline, but you must meet with an advisor as soon as possible.During the senior year, students will enroll in an honors seminar or independent study, depending on your sub-field. Honors seminar courses are focused on helping students design, conduct, and complete their honors thesis research. At the end of the senior year, students will participate in a poster session on their thesis research.

Christine Rysenga poses with her honors research poster and Laura MacLatchy, Professor of Anthropology.

What is an honors thesis in anthropology?

An honors thesis includes original research and is greater in scope than a course term paper. Students are encouraged to explore topics that build on their individual interests. Honors students in anthropological archaeology often conduct research on collections in the Museum of Anthropology . Sociocultural and linguistic anthropology honors students should plan on doing some participant observation or other field research. Biological anthropology honors students often conduct research on primates or skeletal remains.

For more information about honors in anthropology, contact:

• Sociocultural or linguistic anthropology:   Kriszti Fehervary , [email protected]
• Anthropological Archaeology:   Mike Galaty , [email protected]
• Biological Anthropology:   John Kingston , [email protected]

Prerequisites for an honors major in particular subfields of anthropology:

We recommend that students interested in completing an honors major in sociocultural anthropology take a sociocultural theory/method course.

• Click here to view the Undergraduate Courses by Subfield PDF

Students interested in anthropological archaeology should have taken Anthrarc 282 and/or have had archaeological field and laboratory experience.

• Information For
• Current Students
• Faculty and Staff
• Alumni and Friends
• More about LSA
• How Do I Apply?
• LSA Magazine
• Student Resources
• Academic Advising
• Global Studies
• LSA Opportunity Hub
• Social Media
• Update Contact Info
• Privacy Statement
• Report Feedback

Anthropology

Honors in anthropology.

• Undergraduate Studies

Anthropology Concentration Handbook

An honors thesis is required to graduate with honors in anthropology.

The opportunity to pursue honors in anthropology is a privilege. Students are selected to become honors candidates based on a number of criteria, including standing and grades in the concentration, a viable research project, the support of a faculty advisor, and submission and approval of the proposed project. An honors thesis is required for graduating with honors in anthropology. Writing an honors thesis, however, does not guarantee graduation with honors. If a student pursues an honors thesis that is not conferred honors status, the student's record will show that s/he successfully completed a Senior Thesis (described below).

Students must apply to become an honors candidate by the end of the semester before they begin their thesis work, ordinarily at the end of the sixth semester.

To be eligible to apply for honors, students must:

• Be in good standing
• Have completed at least two thirds of the concentration requirements by the end of the sixth semester.
• Have earned a majority of "A" grades in the concentration. Classes taken S/NC will count as qualifying towards that majority if they are marked “S* with distinction” indicating that had the student taken the course for a grade, the grade would have been an "A."

Both your primary thesis advisor and secondary reader for your honors thesis in Anthropology must be anthropologists. Additional readers from outside of anthropology are welcome to participate.

Your primary thesis advisor must be a core (permanent) faculty member in the department. It is a good idea to have taken a class with the proposed thesis advisor, so that s/he has an idea of the student's interests and abilities and so that the student has a good idea of the faculty advisor’s approach to research. Adjunct and visiting faculty in the department may also serve as the primary thesis advisor, in special circumstances and with approval of the DUS, but typically serve as secondary readers.

Students interested in pursuing honors should have an idea for a thesis project by the spring semester of the junior year. Many faculty advisors limit the number of theses they advise per year, so it is good to approach a faculty member early. The Director of Undergraduate Research (DUR) is available to assist prospective thesis writers as they develop their projects.

Prepare a thesis proposal of 2-3 pages, describing the major research questions and methods to be used. The proposal should have a primary research question and will define what you are doing for your research (and why). The proposal must have a working bibliography attached. Candidates will prepare their proposals in close consultation with their primary advisor. Submit the thesis proposal, with the proposed faculty member’s approval, to the Director of Undergraduate Research in anthropology by the end of the spring semester of your junior year (specific dates are specified each year).

Some of the issues to be addressed in the proposal are:

• What is the primary research question?
• How does the proposed study articulate with prior anthropological research?
• What is novel/new/different about the proposed research?
• What is the theoretical grounding of the research?
• What methods/samples/study area will be used in the research?

As students proceed with the honors project, the direction taken may differ than that originally outlined in the proposal. In consultation with the primary faculty advisor, the student will identify a second reader, who will sign on to the project by the second week of the student's senior year (or seventh semester).

Once accepted as honors candidates, students will pursue a course of study that goes beyond what is expected of a regular concentrator. This includes:

• Enrolling in two ANTH 1930, Anthropology Thesis Workshops (half-credit courses that meet in the fall and spring semesters)
• Enrolling in 1 independent study course with your thesis advisor: ANTH 1970. This course is normally taken in the student’s final semester and supervised by the student’s thesis advisor. Students may opt to take two semesters of ANTH 1970 (fall and spring) alongside ANTH 1930, especially if recommended by their advisor. These courses may be taken for a grade or S/NC. In cases in which the student has begun early research, there is the option of taking ANTH 1970 in the spring of the junior year. These courses are in addition to the nine courses in ANTH required for the concentration.
• Regular meetings with the faculty advisor & drafts turned in at established intervals during the year.
• If your research involves ethnographic fieldwork, determine whether your project needs IRB approval. For more information, see Undergraduate Work Involving Human Subjects Research .
• Consulting with the primary thesis advisor to identify a second reader. The second reader should complement the advisor in some way. For example, if the advisor’s specialty covers the subfield (medical anthropology, linguistic anthropology, archaeology, political anthropology, feminist anthropology), the second reader’s specialty may cover the geographical region of your interest, or vice versa. The second reader should be selected at the start of the seventh semester.
• Submission of final thesis to the thesis advisor, second reader, and Director of Undergraduate Studies no later than April 15 for May graduates and November 15 for December graduates.
• Presentation of the thesis in the Honors Theses Symposium in the Anthropology department. Generally, the student prepares a fifteen-minute presentation that summarizes the topic, sources, methods, and conclusions of the thesis. After the presentation there is time for questions and comments from the audience.

All honors theses must be based on original research and advance an argument. The thesis must be more than a report on existing scholarship. It must advance an original argument or analysis, either by presenting new sources or data or by bringing a new interpretation to bear on known sources.

That research might involve:

• Ethnographic fieldwork.
• Archaeological or biological anthropological laboratory work.
• Critical analysis of data and arguments presented in published sources.

The thesis may take a variety of forms. The candidate and primary advisor should decide on the format at least two semesters in advance of the thesis completion (typically September of the candidate’s graduating year). Once the candidate and primary advisor settle on a format, the Director of Undergraduate Research should be contacted for final approval.

Possible thesis formats include:

• A traditional thesis format, approximately 12,000 – 17,000 words (50-70 pages) in length.
• A paper prepared in the format of a journal article, approximately 40 pages in length.
• A policy report (aimed at a particular organization) based on original research (e.g. a report for a university committee addressing sexual assault on campuses after substantial research devoted to understanding and analyzing the phenomenon).
• A public facing exhibition based on original research (to be evaluated based on content and curation).
• A website based on original research that seeks to make such research publicly available (to be evaluated based on content and success of design).
• Audio-visual material or film (best for those with prior film experience, to be evaluated based on content, analysis, and success of film execution).

All written material should adhere to the following format and citation requirements, unless an article is being prepared for submission to a journal, in which case that journal’s format may be used:

• Times New Roman (or a close equivalent), 12-point font
• One-inch margins
• Double spaced text
• American Anthropological Association (AAA) citation style ( Chicago Manual of Style , 17th edition )
• Anthropological archaeologists may substitute the American Antiquity style
• Deliver a complete draft of the thesis to the primary advisor and secondary reader at least one month in advance of the deadline (generally, immediately before or after spring break).
• Deliver a final draft of the thesis to the primary advisor, secondary reader, and DUR by the appointed deadline.
• The primary advisor will determine the grades for ANTH 1970. The final determination of Honors will be made by the faculty committee in consultation with the DUR.

All students who satisfactorily complete ANTH 1970 will receive course credit for their thesis work. In order to receive Honors in anthropology, however, several additional criteria must be met. Upon submission of the thesis, the student must:

• Have remained in good academic standing throughout the academic year.
• Have had no violations of the academic code of conduct during honors candidacy.
• Have completed all requirements for the concentration.
• Have produced a thesis that meets the expectations for honors work established by the anthropology department.

Two honors students from the Class of 2021 share some advice on thesis writing here  

If a student has a viable research project and the support of a faculty member, but does not meet the eligibility for pursuing honors, the student may write a senior thesis in anthropology, with the approval of two faculty members. A senior thesis writer will also be expected to take the thesis workshop and independent study and has the option to present his or her work at the end of year symposium. Senior Theses generally follow all of the requirements and guidelines of the Honors Thesis, although with a later deadline for the thesis proposal (start of the seventh semester).

As with an Honors Thesis, the Senior Thesis must be more than a synthesis of or report on existing scholarship. It must advance an original argument or analysis, either by presenting new sources or data or by bringing a new interpretation to bear on known sources.

College of Arts & Sciences

Awards and Senior Honors Thesis

Senior honors thesis.

The Senior Honors Thesis provides an opportunity for senior anthropology majors to engage in and/or continue in-depth research on a topic of particular interest and to produce a substantial piece of written work that, upon completion, will be noted on the transcript and diploma at graduation. The final thesis should be 35-40 pages long. Students must have a 3.7 GPA in their major courses and must apply to a faculty committee for approval during their Junior year.  Please note that a senior thesis is optional and not required for the completion of the degree.

Juniors should reach out to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) for further advising regarding the process and timing of the application, as well as help in identifying an appropriate faculty mentor. After speaking to the DUS, students should reach out to and have a planning meeting with their faculty mentor who will direct their thesis. The faculty mentor must be consulted during the development of the application and will sign off on it prior to the submission to the Department’s Thesis committee. The 2024 deadline to submit is Friday, April 26th at 5:00.

Stapleton Award

The Department of Anthropology honors the memory of the late student, Scott MacPherson, through the Stapleton Award. The award is designed to support the research and intellectual motivations of talented and committed undergraduate students like him, and it seeks to provide anthropology majors and minors the opportunity to pursue their passions relating to anthropology outside the classroom. The award provides $2,500 per term, up to $5,000 for an entire academic year, and will give the awarded student the resources to focus on independent research, an unpaid internship, or a professional experience related to the social and cultural concerns of Anthropology. More information about Scott, the award, and past projects can be found here. To apply, please submit a statement of interest and a 1-2 page proposal to Amanda Armstrong ([email protected]) by Friday, April 15th at 5:00 PM .

Anthropology Research Award

The Anthropology Research Award recognizes excellence in anthropological research for senior Anthropology majors and minors. It will be presented at the Tropaia Exercises during graduation weekend. Graduating seniors are invited to submit a paper of original anthropological research, along with their transcript. The paper can be one that they have written for a class, or on their own. To apply, please submit your paper and transcript to Amanda Armstrong ( [email protected] ) by Friday, April 15th at 5:00 PM.

Senior Thesis

A Senior Honors thesis is an extended paper (approx. 60-80 pages) on a selected topic, which you examine in detail. You take this as a yearlong, 8 credit course (4 credits per semester). Topics can develop from field research you conducted during an Anthropology seminar, during Study Abroad, or during summer research. Alternatively, you can develop a topic from one that attracted you during a regular Anthropology course, and you can pursue it through library research alone.

In order to register for a senior honors thesis, you must be on the Dean's List twice before your senior year and must have approval from your major department (see below for Anthropology thesis proposal process). You should also have some previous experience of the topic you select, for example by having taken a course related to your topic. It is also preferable for at least one Anthropology faculty member to have some expertise relating to your topic.

Remember, Tufts' Student Accessibility and Academic Resources Center (StAAR)  has general information and provides support for thesis writers.

Anthropology Thesis Proposal Process

Students who would like to write a thesis in Anthropology should submit a proposal via the Anthropology Senior Honors Thesis Proposal form by April 1 of their junior year, or November 15 if they are graduating in the winter . Students interested in conducting a biological anthropology thesis will follow the same process, but should contact Professor Zarin Machanda about the prospect of a senior honors thesis in the fall semester of their junior year .

Via the Anthropology Senior Honors Thesis Proposal form , students should submit

• Their research question,
• The methods they plan to use to answer this question,
• A basic timeline for carrying out this research including the IRB/IACUC process if necessary,
• A backup plan for conducting research without human subjects if their IRB application is delayed or unsuccessful, and
• An explanation of their preparation for this research, including classes taken, IRB/IACUC certification approved, field contacts or sites established, and preliminary research accomplished (as relevant).
• A 10-source bibliography that reflects the project’s inspirations (this does not count towards the 750 words), and
• A sample essay drawn from a previous class paper of roughly 8-10 pages.

Students should identify a primary advisor in Anthropology, with whom they have spoken about this project. (Students will select additional committee members following departmental approval.)  Following this, proposals will be considered by the full anthropology faculty by April 15 / December 1. Note that all students require department approval to register for the thesis (ANTH 199) on SIS. 

Recent Theses

Lydia Russell Rituals of Choral Togetherness in the Tanglewood Festival Chorus: Discourses of ‘Diversity’ in a Sacralized Musical Tradition

Ana Salazar Ramirez Imagining Sanctuary: Politics of Storytelling, Care, and Refusal at Farm Animal Sanctuaries

Akbota Saudabayeva All that is Steppe Melts into Air: The Cultivation of the 'New Soviet Man' in Central Asia

Aidan Schaffert Around and Alongside: Readings in Asylums and Visuality  

Kareal K. Amenumey Recovering the African through Afroecology: Ancestral Reverence and Spiritual Regeneration in Black Agrarian Communities

Isabel W Rosenbaum “The Alternative to One is Not Many:” Theorizing Lebanese Sectarianism through Partial Connections

Lucy Simon Turning Tables in the Time of Pandemic: Radical Reversals and Progressive Alliances in America’s Restaurant Industry

Grace van Deelan Care in Crisis: Entomology and the Industrial Honey Bee      

Kristin A. Tissera Vitiligo and Identity

Judy Chen Being humans at work: through the discourse of “culture” among tech and culture workers in the San Francisco Bay Area

Celeste Teng Re-scaling home and world: Singaporean artists in New York City

Emma J. Kahn Contested Landscapes of "Reimagined" Civic Commons

Danielle E. MacVicar Desire and Nothingness: Hysteria, Medicine, and Spirits of Exchange in Contemporary. France

• Department of Anthropology >
• Undergraduate >

Honors Thesis

Honors in Anthropology is achieved by maintaining a GPA of at least 3.5 in the major and satisfactorily completing a two-semester research project through intensive consultation with a thesis advisor and two more faculty members.

Qualified students wishing to achieve honors in anthropology must take the following steps:

• Gain consent from the faculty member(s) who will supervise the project by submitting an Application for Honors in Anthropology form.
• Apply to the department in writing by the end of their junior year, and no later than the end of the course registration period in the first semester of their senior year. 
• Honors students register for three hours of Independent Study (AP 499) both Fall and Spring semester of the senior year.
• For students graduating in June, the completed project must be submitted to the adviser no later than March 15 . For students graduating in February, the completed project must be submitted to the adviser no later than October 15 .
• Three (3) copies of the completed project must be submitted.

The project is evaluated by the thesis adviser and faculty members of the thesis committee. The decision to award honors is based on the project, course grades and other achievements. With an Anthropology GPA of 3.75 or higher and a superior honors project, the student may be granted honors with distinction.

For students interested in the honors program, please apply in person to the Undergraduate Program Office.

Honors Thesis Forms

Meet our students.

Laura Levon Brady PhD Candidate in Cultural Anthropology 

Kristin Hatch Critical Museum Studies

Christopher Moore Critical Museum Studies

Brittany Kenyon

PhD Candidate in Physical Anthropology

Hans Harmsen, PhD '16 Anthropology PhD Alum

Caitlin Cole-Conroy Vice President, Anthropology Student Association Club Anthropology Major 

Melissa Ellis Critical Museum Studies

Please enable Javascript in your web browser in order to use the features on this website.

Honors in Anthropology

2024 honors students  .

Outstanding senior majors in Anthropology may be selected by the department for participation in the Emory College Honors Program. As determined by the College Honors Committee, a student must have a GPA of 3.7 to be eligible for the program. Students are invited to apply in spring of their junior year, to begin the program in fall of their senior year.

Candidates will pursue research under the direction of a faculty committee, write and defend an honors thesis, enroll in the Honors sequence (495A, 495BW), and take a graduate course. Students must also maintain at least a 3.7 overall and major GPA throughout their senior year in order to graduate with honors.

Want to learn more about Honors in Anthropology? Please check out the Q&A below, or contact either the Undergraduate Coordinator Heather Carpenter , or the Anthropology Honors Program Coordinator Dr.  Bobby Paul , for more information. You may also learn more about Emory College honors requirements in the Emory College Catalog .

Sample Biological Anthropology Proposal

Sample cultural anthropology proposal, honors theses 1983-2023, ready to apply, application for honors in anthropology, honors in anthropology faqs, what are the requirements of the honors program in anthropology, my gpa is below 3.7. may i participate in the honors program.

Students who have an overall GPA of at least 3.45, and the support of their departmental honors coordinator and potential thesis advisor, are eligible to petition the Emory College Honors Program for permission to participate in the Honors Program.

Students interested in submitting GPA petitions should begin by contacting the Anthropology Honors Coordinator.  If the department agrees to support the student's admission to the honors program, we will work with them through the formal petition process.  Both the student and their planned honors advisor should be prepared to write strong letters in support of the petition.

The student must still submit their departmental honors application by the regular deadline.  Petitions are considered by Emory College in May and August.

How do I apply?

The application process takes place in spring semester of the junior year.  Invitations to apply to the honors program will be sent out to all eligible Anthropology majors in January, and applications are due in March.  In order to apply, students must first identify a faculty member who will serve as their honors advisor, and work with that advisor to develop a proposed honors project.  The application consists of a one page description of the proposed project, a cover sheet signed by the prospective honors advisor, and a writing sample.  Completed applications will be reviewed by the honors committee, and decisions communicated via email in late March to early April.

What is the role of the honors advisor? Who can serve as my advisor?

Each honors student works closely throughout the year with your advisor to develop the research question, research strategy, literature review, data collection strategies, and, ultimately, the production of your thesis. Close and regular communication between advisor and advisee is critical for the success of your project. Your advisor may be either from inside the department or outside the department but should be able to direct you in writing an anthropology honors thesis. If you are considering an advisor outside the Anthropology department, please check with the Anthropology Honors Coordinator in advance to confirm whether they can be approved. More details on advisor and committee requirements are available in the  College Catalog .

Who can serve on my committee?

Your committee must include at least three “core” members. Core committee members must be regular Emory University faculty members from any school or unit (meaning Emory faculty outside the College may serve in this capacity, including Oxford College faculty). At least one member must be from within the Anthropology department. If you are pursuing the Religion and Anthropology joint major, you must have at least one committee member from Anthropology and one from Religion.

You may have additional committee members, including faculty from other universities, beyond the required three core members. Only core members vote on level of honors. Your advisor counts as one of the three “core” members (see question above for more about advisors). More details on advisor and committee requirements are available on the  College Catalog .

What makes a thesis anthropological?

Anthropologists study all aspects of human life. Our methods and topics are as diverse as humanity itself, but anthropologists are united in a commitment to holistic and empirically-grounded approaches to the human experience. We use ethnographic, computational, digital, archaeological, comparative and experimental research methods to explore a broad range of human conditions, past and present. In recent years, honors students have employed a wide range of methods: including interviews, focus groups, participant-observation, surveys, media/document analysis, mathematical modeling, and statistical analysis.

How do I find an advisor?

How do i decide on a topic.

In considering topics, consider: What question interests me enough to spend a year trying to answer it? What primary sources will I use (and have access to)?  What is feasible? What is interesting to my potential advisor?  You could start by going back through old essays or research for classes you enjoyed and finding topics in which you want to dive deeper (and then the faculty who taught that course might be a good person to ask to be your advisor).  Keep in mind that many students don’t start out with a clear research project in mind. You may prefer to start by finding a faculty member you would like to work with as your thesis advisor (see above), and then asking them to help you think through possible project ideas.

Also, it could be helpful to check out this  list of honors theses produced in recent years.  Looking at this list of topics (and the names of the advisors that supervised them) may be helpful in identifying an advisor. You can also access the full text of many past honors theses at https://etd.library.emory.edu/ . Click the "Search Go" icon at the top right, then filter School for “Emory College” and department for “Anthropology”. If you choose to filter by Committee Member, note they may show up as "First Last"; "Last, First"; and "Dr. First Last", so you'll need to filter multiple times.

How many pages is an honors thesis?

This should be worked out with your advisor, but plan for approximately 60-100 pages.

Can my project be completed in a non-traditional format (ie something other than a written paper)?

Non-traditional, experimental, multi-modal and multi-genre forms of scholarly production and publishing are increasingly prevalent in the field of anthropology.  With the support and approval of an appropriate faculty member and the Anthropology Faculty Honors Coordinator, a student may satisfy the honors thesis requirement in our department by producing a conventional written thesis  combined with  another scholarly genre recognized within the discipline of anthropology (film, museum display/installation, web-based, sonic production, theater/performance, etc.).  Students should note that in addition to their non-traditional project, they will be required to submit an accompanying text that supplies an anthropological context for the work.

Students who wish to apply to the Honors program with a “non-traditional” project (that is, one that will not be pursued and presented primarily through text) must submit a proposal to the Honors coordinator and have the support and approval of the coordinator and an appropriate faculty member. The proposal should contain the following sections:

• The outline of the anthropological scope of the project and identification of particular questions to be engaged
• A rationale for why the non-traditional approach is appropriate, given the questions to be explored
• A timeline for the project

If you are thinking about a non-traditional project, please reach out to the Anthropology Faculty Honors Coordinator as early as possible to discuss this option further.

Who is the Faculty Honors Coordinator and what is their role?

The Faculty Coordinator of the Honors Program in Anthropology is Dr.  Bobby Paul . Their role is to guide you through the process and structure of the honors program, to help keep you on track with the timing of various components of your thesis, to identify additional resources on campus that can support your research, and to provide a thoughtful space and intellectual community for dialogue about your project and about the process of research.

Who is the Staff Honors Coordinator and what is their role?

The Anthropology Undergraduate Program Coordinator,  Heather Carpenter , serves as the staff coordinator for the Honors Program in Anthropology.  Their role is to manage the administrative side of the honors program, which includes the application process, enrollment in the honors course, scheduling group meetings and thesis defenses, tracking honors student progress, and communication with applicants, students, and the College Honors office.  The Undergraduate Program Coordinator is a good first contact for questions about honors program requirements, eligibility, deadlines, or other questions that arise.

What is the timeline for the Anthropology Honors Program?

Students apply and are admitted to the Anthropology Honors Program in spring of their junior year.  Some students go ahead and begin research over the summer, although most wait until fall term. Students who plan to conduct any research involving human subjects should work with their faculty advisors to submit an Institutional Review Board (IRB) application at the end of the spring term or over the summer, before beginning research. 

In the fall term of the senior year, students complete the bulk of their research and write the literature review portion of the thesis.  Students are enrolled in ANT 495A, and may enroll in their graduate course in either the fall or spring term.

In the spring term of the senior year, students complete their research and writing by around mid-March, and defend their theses by the end of March / first week in April.  Students are enrolled in ANT 495BW and receive continued writing credit for their thesis work.

What is the time commitment for honors students?

The best way to think about the time commitment is to note the number of credit hours received for participating in the honors program. As an honors student, you would take 495A (3 credit hours) in the fall and 495BW (4 credit hours) in the spring. Since 1 credit hour is awarded for 3 hours/week of class time, you can plan to spend approximately 9 hours per week working towards your honors thesis in the fall. The spring course is a writing course and worth 4 credits, so you could be working approximately 12 hours/week on writing and completing your thesis. However, note that theses are defended at the end of March and final submission is in early April, which means that the work in the spring term is frontloaded toward the beginning and middle of the semester.  On the plus side, your thesis will be completely finished weeks before your other finals for the spring term.

The honors “classes” (495A and 495BW) meet about once every 2 weeks to once per month and are designed to facilitate your progress through the honors program (rather than provide extra work), so the time commitment tends to be fluid. The honors program is very self-driven, so you would set the research/writing schedule that works best for you in collaboration with your advisor. With good work ethic and time management, students have successfully balanced the Honors Program with studying for and taking graduate entrance exams, completing graduate school applications, job interviews, and the many other exciting transitions that occur in senior year.  While many students do take relatively full course loads in addition to completing the thesis, it could be a good idea to try to take more of your courses in the fall with a lighter load in the spring if possible.

What are the 495A and 495BW classes?

The honors course sequence is constituted by a series of meetings with the Honors Coordinator and Undergraduate Coordinator and/or with other faculty and staff resources on campus. The purpose of this course is fourfold:

• To support you in navigating academic and administrative structures, including following departmental and College policies, procedures, and timelines and working effectively with your advisor to complete the thesis;
• To scaffold the research process in a way that helps you to manage your time over the course of the year;
• To explore and discuss key components of the thesis process such as conducting a literature review, encountering research dilemmas (ethical, methodological, etc), preparing for the defense, etc.; and
• To offer you a chance to learn from and support your peers as you share your research and research experiences.

The faculty honors coordinator will offer you feedback on the  writing  of this thesis, however you will need to be in close contact with your advisor to determine the  structure ,  content , and  style  of the thesis.

How do credits and grading work for 495A and 495BW?

Both courses count toward your overall degree requirements and toward your GPA. They may also be counted as electives toward the Anthropology major, within the limit of 2 total directed reading/research courses (which include ANT 397R and 497R). ANT 495A is a 3 credit course. ANT 495BW is a 4 credit course and counts for continued writing (WRT) credit. If you plan to underload in your final semester, you may request less than 4 honors credits. Your grade in the course reflects your work moving toward completion of the thesis, not the level of honors received on the completed thesis.

What does an honors defense look like?

You will meet with your committee members at a mutually agreed upon time.  Your advisor will facilitate the meeting.  The defense usually takes 1 hour, though rooms are typically reserved for 1.5 hours.  You should plan to present (with Powerpoint or other visual media) for approximately 15 minutes.  Your committee will then spend the next 20-30 minutes asking you questions (for example, about your findings, your methodological decisions, the limitations of your research, your mode of representing it, etc).  You will then be asked to leave the room and they will discuss the results of your research and determine whether you have passed and the level of honors awarded (Honors, High Honors, Highest Honors). 

What are the levels of honors?

Per the  Emory College Honors Program  webpage:

Honors  (cum laude) represents satisfactory completion of the program, with an overall average of 3.50.

High Honors  (magna cum laude) represents completion of the program with outstanding performance, including an overall average of 3.50 and a thesis of quality sufficient for oral presentation to scholars in the candidate's field.

Highest Honors  (summa cum laude) represents completion of the program with exceptional performance, including an overall average of 3.50 and a thesis of a quality suitable for publication.

I plan to graduate in December of my senior year. Can I still participate in the Honors Program?

Yes, but you need to plan ahead and contact the Honors Coordinator early in the fall of your junior year.  Students must be enrolled in honors for 2 semesters with senior status, so you would begin the program in January of the year you plan to graduate. This means you would need to begin the application process no later than September of the year  before  you plan to graduate, to allow time to find an advisor, develop a project, be admitted to the program, and apply for IRB (if needed for your project) in that fall term so that you can begin research in January.  The fall deadline for honors applications is September 30th.

If you will reach official “senior” status before your next-to-last fall semester, it may also be possible to complete the honors program on the regular fall-spring timeline, one year early (leaving one more fall semester before graduation after completing honors).  This would allow you the benefit of completing the honors thesis along with a cohort of other students. In this case, you would need to submit your application by the normal deadline for rising seniors (mid-March). 

I plan to take a fifth year. Can I do the honors thesis in my fourth year?

Most likely not. The College Honors Program sees the honors thesis as being intended for completion in a student’s final year of enrollment, and tends to deny this request. If you feel that you have a strong case for why you should complete the thesis in your fourth year instead of your fifth, please contact the Honors Coordinator.

I plan to study abroad in fall of my senior year. Can I still participate in the Honors Program?

Yes, though you need to be sure you have a clear plan developed with your advisor in advance, and be in agreement about how and how often you will check in while you are abroad. You should also discuss your plans with the Honors Coordinator to determine what type of progress you will be expected to make on your thesis while you are abroad (students enrolled in 495A are typically expected to complete the literature review portion of the thesis).

What is IRB approval and do I need it?

If your project involves human subjects, then you will need to obtain approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) before beginning your research. ( http://www.irb.emory.edu/forms/review/index.html ) The IRB application process can take a couple of months, so you definitely want to complete it in the summer before you begin your honors project. Keep in mind that faculty can be more difficult to reach over the summer, so you should talk with your advisor about IRB before the end of the spring term. Once you are admitted into the honors program, you will receive some resources to help you get started with the IRB process, but your advisor will likely be your best resource.

Who can help honors students with research preparation and data organization?

Besides your honors thesis advisor and committee members, you can find support from the helpful subject librarians at the Woodruff Library.  Our Anthropology Librarian, Dr.  Lori Jahnke , is an excellent resource for Honors students!  You can reference her  research guide , and/or schedule an individual consultation to help you make the most effective use of library resources. Another library resource is Dr.  Melissa Hackman , Sociology subject librarian, who is very helpful with questions related to data analysis/coding software (like MAXQDA).

Is there funding available for honors research?

While many honors projects do not involve significant cost, there are some funding opportunities available for students whose projects require additional funding support or include travel.

• Independent Research Grant  through the Undergraduate Research Programs office (deadline mid-April for summer funding, mid-Sept for fall funding)
• Undergraduate Global Research Fellowship  through the Halle Institute for Global Research and the Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry (note the deadline for this application is usually early February, so you would need to have your project idea together early)
• Undergraduate Humanities Honors Fellowship through the Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry (application opens November 1st)
• JWJI Honors Fellowship through the James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference.  (apply by July 21, 2023)
• CMBC Undergraduate Fellowship  through the Center for Mind, Brain, and Culture (apply by March 15)
• Rose Library Awards  for archival research, including the Currey Travel Award (pre-research) and Alan Rackoff Prize for projects completed using Rose Library source materials. (apply by April 30)
• See also: Trevor E. Stokol Scholarship for undergraduate research (this is not research funding per se, but a scholarship awarded to rising anthropology seniors based on the merits of their research projects).

Can I see a copy of previously written honors theses in Anthropology?

 Yes! A list of anthropology honors theses produced in recent years is available at the top of this page. You can also access the full text of many past honors theses at https://etd.library.emory.edu/ .  Click the "Search Go" icon at the top right, then filter School for “Emory College” and department for “Anthropology”.  If you choose to filter by Committee Member, note they may show up as "First Last"; "Last, First"; and "Dr. First Last", so you'll need to filter multiple times.

Undergraduate

Emory college, honors program, heather carpenter, senior undergraduate academic degree program coordinator.

Honors Program Coordinator

Robert a. paul, director of undergraduate research, director of undergraduate studies, charles howard candler professor of anthropology and interdisciplinary studies.

• Skip to Content
• Skip to Main Navigation
• Skip to Search

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington IU Bloomington

The College of Arts & Sciences

• Department of Anthropology
• Student Portal

• Undergraduate
• Honors Program

Our Anthropology Honors Program

Developing your own in-depth research project and writing an honors thesis can be an excellent way to prepare for graduate training in anthropology and many other post-graduation career paths for which strong research and writing skills are needed.

If you think you might be interested in our Honors program, the first step is to schedule an appointment with our Director of Undergraduate Studies , during your junior year. They will go over the requirements of the program and help you to formulate a plan. And it is never too soon to reach out to potential faculty mentors and find out if they are interested and available to work with you on your project.

Learn more about Honors in our Student Portal

• Faculty + Staff Intranet

Department of Anthropology social media channels

• College of Arts & Sciences

• Anthropology B.A.
• Anthropology + Linguistics B.A.
• Certificates
• Field Schools
• Career Preparation
• Concentration, Archaeology + Social Context
• Concentration, Food Studies
• Concentration, Paleoanthropology
• Concentration, Medical Anthropology
• Ph.D. Procedures
• Food Studies Course Descriptions
• Minor, Anthropology
• Minor, Anthropology of Food
• External Funding
• Getting Started at IU
• Departmental Forms
• IU + College Forms

• Undergraduate Study
• Research Opportunities and Awards
• Meet Our Students
• Undergraduate Student Forms

Honors BA Thesis Process

• BA Thesis Projects

Students who wish to be considered for honors must apply to the Director of Undergraduate Studies before the end of their third year. Eligible candidates must have a GPA of 3.6 or higher in courses in the major and typically a GPA of 3.25 overall. To receive honors, students must develop an extended piece of research via a bachelor's essay under the approved supervision of a regular Anthropology faculty member. BA projects involving alternative media (like film, photography, photo-essay, or art installation) might be acceptable if accompanied by a written text.

For award of honors, the BA essay must receive a grade of A or A- from the faculty supervisor and from the second reader. The faculty supervisor must be chosen from the regular Anthropology faculty. Affiliated faculty may serve with approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The second reader may be any credentialed scholar/scientist approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

This program may accept a BA paper or project used to satisfy the same requirement in another major if certain conditions are met. Approval from both Directors of Undergraduate Studies is required. Students should consult with their faculty advisers by the earliest BA proposal deadline (or by the end of their third year if neither program publishes a deadline). A consent form, to be signed by both faculty supervisors, is available from the College adviser. It must be completed and returned to the College adviser by the end of Autumn Quarter of the student's year of graduation.

This Website Uses Cookies.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using our website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.

Office of Undergraduate Education

University Honors Program

• Honors Requirements
• Major and Thesis Requirements
• Courses & Experiences
• Nova Series
• Honors Courses
• Honors Experiences
• NEXUS Experiences
• Faculty-Directed Research and Creative Projects
• Community Engagement and Volunteering
• Internships
• Learning Abroad
• Honors Thesis Guide
• Important Dates and Deadlines
• Honors Advising
• Honors Reporting Center
• Get Involved
• University Honors Student Association
• UHSA Executive Board
• Honors Multicultural Network
• Honors Mentor Program
• Honors Community & Housing
• Freshman Invitation
• Post-Freshman Admission
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Faculty Fellows
• Faculty Resources
• Honors Faculty Representatives
• Internal Honors Scholarships
• Office for National and International Scholarships
• Letters of Recommendation
• Personal Statements
• Scholarship Information
• Honors Lecture Series
• Honors Recognition Ceremony
• Make a Donation
• UHP Land Acknowledgment
• UHP Policies

Anthropology

Major requirements for students pursuing latin honors.

ANTH 1003V - Understanding Cultures: Honors

There are two options in the department, but Honors students must do the Independent Capstone Option in order for it to count as both the Honors Thesis and the capstone. All students start with ANTH 3993, a one-credit capstone planning course. Further information on this sequence is available on the Anthropology Website.

A summa thesis must include a public presentation. It is also expected to comprise original research, conducted at the highest level, and completed with exceptionally good writing.

Honors Faculty Representative Info

• Summer Research Opportunities
• Global Seminars and LAC Seminars

Anthropology and Sociology Honors Thesis

Departmental Honors

Under the guidance of an A&S faculty member, an A&S major writes a thesis based on an approved project in a specialized field of anthropology or sociology.

Timetable for Pursuit of Honors

Junior Year

Spring semester (typically in March, before registration for fall courses): Students interested in doing an honors thesis should meet with a potential faculty advisor. At this point, students do not need to have a firm thesis topic or research question, but they need to consult with an A&S faculty member at this time to explore the possibility of doing a thesis, learn more about the thesis process, and begin to solidify a plan of action should they choose to complete a thesis.

April: Students register via a drop/add form for A&S 495.

April and May: Students continue to meet with their faculty advisor to solidify a thesis topic and determine a research plan. If a student is planning on collecting data from human subjects over the summer before their senior year as part of their senior honors thesis, they should submit a proposal to Lafayette’s IRB by May 1 st for review (note: there are some types of projects with human subjects that do not require IRB review, but students should discuss this with their faculty advisor).

Summer following Junior Year

Students often begin collecting their thesis data and reading literature related to their topics.

Senior Year

Fall semester: Students who are collecting data from human subjects and who did not yet receive IRB approval should submit their proposal to IRB.

Fall semester: Students meet regularly with their thesis supervisor. They also should begin to comprise the rest of their thesis committee—each A&S thesis has an A&S faculty member as chair of the thesis, a second reader who is also an A&S faculty member, and an outside reader who is a Lafayette faculty member in a non-A&S department or program.

November-December: The thesis advisor and student discuss the progress of the thesis and whether it will continue into the spring semester. If they decide at this point (or within the first few weeks of the spring semester) that the thesis will not continue, the first semester’s work converts to an independent study. If they decide to proceed, the student registers for A&S 496 for the spring semester.

February semester: Final decisions regarding whether the thesis will continue are due. According to Lafayette policy, after the first semester, the faculty thesis supervisor may nominate a student who has earned an “A” in the thesis or research course for departmental honors. These nominations are due before the end of the third full week of classes in the second semester of work.

Spring semester: Students meet regularly with their thesis supervisor and continue to develop their thesis.

Early April: Students should aim to have a complete first draft of their thesis completed. Depending on the preferences of the student’s thesis committee, the student will share drafts of the thesis with their entire committee.

Late April: Students will have a “final” version of their thesis to share with their full thesis committee.

First two weeks of May: The thesis defense occurs. In the defense, the student presents their thesis to their committee and any other interested parties and then answers questions on it and the related field(s).

To be awarded honors in A&S, the student must a) complete all thesis requirements by the end of the final exam period and b) graduate with an overall GPA of 3.00 or greater and a GPA in A&S of 3.20 or greater.

Joint Honors Thesis

Students may pursue a joint honors thesis in Anthropology and Sociology and another major/program. Students who pursue joint honors enroll in the honors thesis course in Anthropology and Sociology (A&S 495 or 496) one semester and the honors thesis course for the second major/program for the second semester. Students doing a joint honors thesis have thesis advisors in both departments/programs. Students interested in pursuing a joint honors thesis should attend to the same timetable as those doing A&S theses.

• Future Students
• Parents/Families
• Alumni/Friends
• Current Students
• Faculty/Staff
• MyOHIO Student Center
• Visit Athens Campus
• Regional Campuses
• OHIO Online
• Faculty/Staff Directory

Sociology and Anthropology

College of Arts and Sciences

• Awards & Accomplishments
• Communications
• Mission and Vision
• News and Events
• Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
• A&S Support Team
• Faculty Affairs
• Human Resources
• Promotion & Tenure
• Centers & Institutes
• Faculty Labs
• Undergraduate Research
• Environmental Majors
• Pre-Law Majors
• Pre-Med, Pre-Health Majors
• Find an Internship. Get a Job.
• Honors Programs & Pathways
• Undergraduate Research Opportunities
• Undergraduate Advising & Student Affairs
• Online Degrees & Certificates
• Ph.D. Programs
• Master's Degrees
• Certificates
• Graduate Forms
• Thesis & Dissertation
• Departments
• Alumni Awards
• Giving Opportunities
• Dean's Office
• Department Chairs & Contacts
• Faculty Directory
• Staff Directory
• Undergraduate Advising & Student Affairs Directory

Helpful Links

Navigate OHIO

Connect With Us

Tips for Writing a Departmental Honors Thesis in Anthropology

Preparing to write a thesis, detailed thesis guidance and suggestions, tips for writing a thesis.

What habits and actions will enable success?

 An undergraduate thesis project requires discipline in planning and execution from start to finish. Some key considerations include the following.

Once you decide to complete a thesis project after preliminary discussion with your adviser, take some time to think about what you would like your finished project to look like. Read through several recently completed undergraduate thesis projects in the department, and form some general ideas about your topic, approach, and final product. Think about what might cause you to be delayed, or even unsuccessful, or how you will counter those possibilities.

Organization

Workplace, work space, calendar, materials, ideas, records, meetings, files – if you find that the level of organization in any these aspects is lacking, make the changes needed to enable your success. 

Develop a written timeline for completion. Your adviser can help you identify the key steps and milestones and the amount of time you should allocate for each. Then work backward from the thesis submission deadlines to develop your timeline.

Designing and completing the thesis project will be challenging in the midst of your other academic and student activities. However, if you don’t give the project the time and effort it requires, you will miss your deadlines and/or be disappointed in the quality of the end product. Your thesis is an extra project that will require extra time and effort to complete.

Barriers to Success

As you begin your thesis planning and throughout the project, honestly identify those factors that are preventing you from doing your best work and take the actions needed to reduce or eliminate each of those barriers.

Daily Focus and Energy

Momentum is a critical element of completing a high quality thesis project. If you do not make a daily investment, even if for only 30 minutes, to address the next actions in your thesis project, you run the risk of trying to recapture thoughts and conversations and missing key milestones along the way. Reading, thinking, discussing, planning, and writing should become routine actions for generating and maintaining momentum in your thesis project. If you find that days or even weeks have passed without much thought or action on your thesis project, identify what’s preventing you from giving your thesis the time and effort it needs and address accordingly.

Your completed thesis document should reflect your personal best in formal writing and analysis. This includes sentence composition, grammar, punctuation, style (your adviser may suggest a specific style manual), flow of ideas, accuracy, literature citations, level of thought and analysis, and overall organization. Develop an outline for each chapter in consultation with your adviser before writing the full text. Edit your work carefully after multiple readings, and ask another capable person to give you honest feedback on your draft before submitting it to your adviser.

What Is a Thesis?

A thesis is a manuscript that presents an argument or assertion and supports it through logical claims and factual evidence, or data. The thesis must be analytic rather than descriptive. While the focus of your thesis will be the discussion of some set of anthropological phenomena, it should not simply present information, however important and interesting that information may be. Rather, and in addition, the thesis should represent an analysis of the phenomena, a theoretical and interpretive understanding of them; in other words, it should have an “argument.” This may mean simply stating a good, strong causal thesis and collecting data and logical arguments to support it (remember to include significant contrary facts and theories). Avoid a paper that is only, or even mostly, descriptive. A rule of thumb is that roughly one-third of the paper should be analysis, and two-thirds should be description and presentation of evidence.

Theoretical Framework

Given these expectations, your thesis should have some theoretical component. Regardless of your topic or subfield, you are expected to develop a theoretical framework of some kind. There are several ways to do this. 

• You may wish to use theoretical propositions to frame the argument, to elaborate and sustain the analysis, and to "explain" the phenomena.
• You may wish to criticize existing theoretical propositions using your data and interpretations.
• You may wish to bring together various theories to formulate a more original model.

Your data constitutes the evidence that you will use to support your argument. The data you analyze may come from various sources. You may undertake your own research, perhaps through a stint in the field or the laboratory. Alternately, you may reanalyze data that have already been collected and published. In either case, you will probably want to supplement your data with background library and historical research. Regardless of the kind of work you do, your goal should be to provide the reader with an understanding of the problem and data. What makes your essay a thesis is that you go beyond narrative and description to include analysis and argument. What makes it anthropology is the centrality of problems and phenomena related to the concerns – archaeological, biological, or cultural – of our discipline.

The analytical nature of the senior thesis has several implications for its organization. First, of course, the whole thing has to have a point and there should be no doubt to the reader what that point is. Perhaps the best piece of advice here is to make explicit to the reader what is obvious and implicit to you, the writer, steeped as you are in your own material. This does not mean that your research must follow the “logico-deductive” pattern; in fact, anthropological research often does not present argumentation in any particular straightforward manner. However, when writing the thesis, you should try to arrange the material so that the reader will understand the direction of the whole. This requires some “big-picture” planning and organization.

Your thesis should have a beginning, a middle, and an end – in other words, an introduction, a "body," and a conclusion. The introduction should state the problem and the manner in which you are going to discuss and analyze it. The body of the thesis should present evidence in support of your argument in some explicit, logical order, so that the reader will understand the relevance or purpose of each section. Finally, the conclusion should summarize the points you have made, recapitulate the argument and its strengths and weaknesses, and perhaps address again the theoretical issues that were used in approaching and analyzing the problem; you should also explain how you have modified your view of these issues in the course of conducting the analysis.

Senior theses may range from 35 to 100 pages in length. Laboratory theses or those with heavily quantitative analyses may be 40 to 60 pages, while those with discursive arguments tend to be longer. Cultural Anthropology theses will ordinarily be between 60 to 80 pages. You should be wary of exceeding these limits in either direction. Long, verbose theses in particular are often poorly written, edited, and argued.

You should address yourself to a well-informed reader. Avoid repetition, unnecessary detail, and irrelevance in both data and analysis. Use your own style — and use this opportunity to develop your own authorial voice — but, in any case, write clearly. In the process of composing and preparing the manuscript, do not neglect the details of good expository writing. The pleasure and the understanding of the reader (and perhaps your grade) can be undercut by inattentiveness to style, form, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and citations.

Specific Points

All students completing a senior thesis should prepare a thesis proposal that addresses the following points: introduction/summary; background information; theoretical perspective and/or hypothesis to be tested; methods for collecting and analyzing data; and significance of project. This proposal should be completed prior to the beginning of the project — typically in the fall of the senior year. 

Credit Hours 

All senior thesis students must enroll in ANTH 495H for two of the three terms of their senior year. Students enrolled in this course will receive a grade of CR rather than a letter grade. These credits do not count toward the 55 hours required for the B.A. in anthropology.

IRB Approval

All projects require the approval of the Ohio University Institutional Review Board . Please plan to submit the required paperwork to the IRB two weeks prior to the commencement of data collection.

Funding 

There are various sources of funding to support undergraduate research at Ohio University. These funds are often competitive. A strong thesis proposal can be transformed into a strong application for funds. These deadlines typically arise in the spring and fall quarters; be sure to maintain contact with your adviser about them.

Committee 

Thesis committees involve a minimum of two and a maximum of three experts in the field. These committee members may be faculty members in anthropology or other related departments, practicing anthropologists, or other professional in related fields (for example, museum studies). At least one of the committee members (other than the adviser) must be a member of the anthropology program. Students typically approach potential committee members, after consulting with their advisers, in the fall semester .  It may be useful to provide a copy of the thesis proposal at this time in order to provide some background on the project at hand. In the spring semester, the student will schedule a full meeting of the committee to defend the conclusions of the thesis. The full thesis committee must reach a consensus on the successful defense of the thesis.

Note: The Anthropology program and the College of Arts & Sciences have specific guidelines for binding, formatting, title pages, references, notes, and tables. Please be sure to follow these guidelines closely.

Backup your computer files on a daily basis.

How should I work with my adviser in planning, conducting, and writing my thesis?  The thesis project is a joint effort between you and your adviser, but in reality, it is YOUR project. Take the initiative to schedule meetings, plan discussion topics and questions for the meetings, and make notes about what was decided at each meeting and your next actions. Schedule regular (weekly) meetings with your adviser as you plan, conduct, and write your thesis. Give your adviser ample time to read drafts of your work before you meet. Seek your adviser’s help in resolving any roadblocks along the way.

How do I obtain IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval?  Ohio University must ensure that research conducted under its jurisdiction does not present unreasonable risks to subjects or volunteers. Faculty, staff, and students conducting the research are primarily responsible for safeguarding the welfare of study participants. IRB approval of the proposed research procedures must be obtained before data collection begins. See Ohio University Research Compliance  for additional information and the IRB submission form .

What constitutes plagiarism?  A major ethical standard in research focuses on appropriately recognizing and crediting the work of others who have contributed to the body of knowledge in a given area. Plagiarism is simply using someone else’s ideas or wording without giving due credit. When you present an idea in your thesis project that originated from another source (written or spoken), even if you modified the wording or parts of the idea, credit to the original source should be given. The thesis is a scholarly work, and as such, extensive citation from the literature is expected. As you make notes from a source, indicate clearly whether your notes are a direct quote or a paraphrased interpretation. If direct quotes are used, the page number is required for a complete citation. Plagiarism software is widely available and routinely used by professors and journal editors.

What are the elements of my thesis research proposal and completed project? Undergraduate thesis projects mirror master’s thesis projects but the scope of the study and final product are usually scaled down considerably. The anthropology discipline typically uses a five-chapter approach for theses as shown on the following page. Check with your adviser for additional points. Typical page lengths (double spaced) are shown in parentheses.

• Table of Contents
• Purpose: “The purpose of this study…” (one sentence).
• Methods: Usually one to two sentences on how this study was conducted and who the sample or population was.
• Results: Usually two to three brief sentences on the major findings from the study.
• Conclusion: One to two sentences on the major implications or ramifications from the study.
• Provides the background and setting needed to put the problem in proper context and justifies the need for the study.
• Contains facts, trends, and points of view (opinions) as drawn from the professional literature in anthropology and any relevant areas. The presentation of these key points should flow from general trends and concerns to the specific problem/challenge that you will address in your thesis research.
• Provides a logical lead-in to a clear statement of the problem, which is followed by the purpose of the study and the research objectives that you will pursue.
• Chapter 1 also includes a list of any assumptions and limitations, as well as a section (Significance of the Study) that explains what groups could potentially benefit from the study and how/why.
• Presents the results of previous research related to your study topic, organized by the key variables in your study. A conceptual model showing the relationships among variables related to your research problem can also be included.
• For survey research or other quantitative study, Chapter 2 indicates the theory upon which the study is based. Qualitative studies usually build theory rather than apply or test theory. Thus, in these studies less attention is given to theory in Chapter 2. Provides the rationale for hypotheses (if stated).
• Describes in detail the step-by-step procedures used in collecting and analyzing data.
• Possible sections of Chapter 3 include research design, subject selection, instrumentation, data collection, data analysis, chapter summary and others. Talk with your adviser about adjustments in this chapter if you are undertaking a qualitative study.
• Reports all results obtained, including appropriate statistics and descriptions of data.
• Includes facts only – what was found with explanation, but not interpretation or conjecture by the researcher. Is organized and written around objectives of the study (research questions or hypotheses).
• Briefly summarizes intent, procedures, and findings of study.
• States conclusions based upon findings (first point in paper where the researcher is allowed to include his or her own interpretations).
• Describes how findings support or refute related studies (Implications for Current Knowledge).
• Describes implications of findings for those groups affected by the program/findings (Implications for Practice).
• Includes recommendations for practice based upon findings and conclusions, if applicable.
• Includes recommendations for further research.
• Includes copies of all correspondence, instrumentation, and other written communication used in carrying out the research.
• Includes special lists (i.e., expert panel members, etc.).
• Includes complete bibliographic information for all references cited in the text (use accepted style manual, such as APA, American Antiquity, or other professional guidelines decided with your adviser).

Note : Chapters 1-3 above constitute the thesis research proposal. In writing the proposal, verb tense is future tense (e.g., “will be”). Note that specific rules apply to verb tense. With few exceptions, past events and past research/writings should be described using past tense verbs. Past trends that still continue should be described using present perfect tense (e.g., has been). Present tense is used only to describe the contents of a table or other section in the thesis itself and when stating conclusions. The use of “it” and “there” to begin sentences should be avoided, unless “it” clearly refers to a preceding noun.

Other Considerations

Your thesis research should address a known, real problem in anthropology. Your project will be designed and conducted in an attempt to help resolve the identified problem. Thus, your research problem can be drawn from your personal experiences and observations, from others’ observations and opinions, or from previous research. The problem you choose to research should be related to a significant or major problem, as generally viewed by experts in the profession.  A key question to ask as you and your adviser discuss potential thesis projects is, “Who needs and could benefit from this research?” The second fundamental question to ask when identifying your research topic and interpreting the results is, “So what?” That is, of what value will/is the research, to whom, and why? Your study should attempt to inform or solve a problem in the field. Try to go beyond merely describing a situation or population and design your study so it has the potential to provide solutions.

Keeping these aspects in mind throughout your research and in developing your conclusion will make your thesis better.

Here are additional guidelines, similar to the above, but include more insight about certain parts of the thesis and common mistakes. 

• The introduction should establish a chain of reasoning/logic and smoothly flow from one key point to the next.
• Chapter 1 summarizes the “opinion literature” on your topic.
• Use the most recent references available, and use original sources unless they are out of print.
• Use past tense or present perfect tense in your writing. Only use future tense for the proposal to describe what you will do.
• Common grammatical errors include using “data” as a singular noun (should be “data are”) and beginning a sentence with “it” and “there.”
• Your list of definitions should include all terms not commonly understood. These words should be “operationally defined” for your study. For example, provide a definition and citation on motivation, followed by a statement that says, “In this study motivation was defined as the subject’s score on the Britton Motivation Questionnaire.”
• Build your reference list as you go. Cite sources using APA style, and check the elements of each citation to prevent a return trip to the library to get the missing elements.
• Limitations are any restrictions in the study – population, sample, time, geography, and so on.

A theory is a generalization or series of generalizations by which we attempt to explain some phenomenon in a systematic manner. Our field includes many theories about learning, leading, communicating. Theory is derived from research, observations, and logical analysis and is commonly presented in books and published research. Chapter 2 includes the underlying theory base for your study, research findings from past studies that are related to your topic, and a conceptual model in the form of a diagram or concept map that combines the theory and previous research (see the example on page 7), showing the relationship between variables that may influence the phenomenon you are studying. With few exceptions, previous research findings are reported in journals (e.g., Journal of Agricultural Education, Journal of Extension, Journal of Leadership Education, Journal of Applied Communications, etc.) and technical reports. Your outline for Chapter 2 should be derived from the major variables in your study. Focus on recently published research (last 10 years), while including any works that are considered classics in the field. When you find an article that seems related to your study, read the abstract to verify, then focus on the population studied, the results, and conclusions.

Chapter 3 is the research methods chapter and is based largely on the decisions you and your adviser make about how to conduct your study. Elements of Chapter 3 typically include one or more introductory paragraphs, research design (specify the design and explain its limitations), population and sample, instrumentation (the tools that you will use to collect data), data collection procedures, data analysis procedures, and a chapter summary. Talk to your adviser about modification of this outline if you are conducting a qualitative study.

Chapter 4 is where you present the findings of your research. These should be clear and carefully linked to the hypotheses that you proposed to address in your research. You should not try to link your findings to broader topics and issues in the field – this will come in Chapter 5.

Chapter 5 is the discussion and conclusion chapter. Here you should link your findings to broader topics in the field of anthropology. You should directly say how your results fill a certain research gap or address a problem in the field. Your conclusion should concisely summarize your work with a brief statement of its importance. You may provide suggestions for future directions in research, but this section should be brief (e.g., 2-3 sentences).

Final Thoughts

Completing a high quality undergraduate thesis project requires initiative, careful planning, frequent communication with your adviser, disciplined inquiry, and sound judgment and decision making. After you have completed your study, your adviser may encourage you to submit a proposal to present your research at a regional or national conference and/or to submit a manuscript to a journal for review and possible publication. Your adviser will also assist you in developing an executive summary of your research that can be shared with practitioners in the field. This is the best way to ensure that your thesis project has value by providing insight and potential solutions to a significant problem faced by one or more stakeholder groups.

 (Adapted from Department. of Agricultural Education and Communication at the University of Florida)

Genomic analyses correspond with deep persistence of peoples of Blackfoot Confederacy from glacial times

An article by Dr. François Lanoë (SoA Professor) and Maria Zedeno (SoA Professor), “Genomic analyses correspond with deep persistence of peoples of Blackfoot Confederacy from glacial times” was published in Science Advances . You can download the paper from this link: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adl6595 .

Abstract : Mutually beneficial partnerships between genomics researchers and North American Indigenous Nations are rare yet becoming more common. Here, we present one such partnership that provides insight into the peopling of the Americas and furnishes another line of evidence that can be used to further treaty and aboriginal rights. We show that the genomics of sampled individuals from the Blackfoot Confederacy belong to a previously undescribed ancient lineage that diverged from other genomic lineages in the Americas in Late Pleistocene times. Using multiple complementary forms of knowledge, we provide a scenario for Blackfoot population history that fits with oral tradition and provides a plausible model for the evolutionary process of the peopling of the Americas.

• UVM Libraries
• UVM Libraries Research Guides
• Howe Library

HCOL 3000: Thesis Proposal Seminar - VonDoepp( Fall 2024)

Honors thesis preparation, library quick links.

• The Literature Review
• Search Our Collections (books, journals, videos, newspapers, etc.)
• Books Beyond UVM
• Find Appropriate Article Databases
• Find Journal Articles
• How to Interpret Citations
• Style & Citation Guides
• Manage Your Citations
• Interlibrary Loan & Document Delivery
• Academic Support Services

Welcome to the HCOL 3000 library research guide, which is designed to help students writing Honors Theses conduct successful library research for a literature review in a thesis proposal as well as the in honors thesis. It is meant to support you as you take your research to the next level.

While your thesis advisor will likely recommend specific books and articles, your own research is critical. This research guide is not a source of discipline-based content, but does provide guidance on how to find discipline-specific resources.

From the Honors College website:  UVM Libraries and Honors College Students  

For general reference questions,  librarians are available at Howe Library at the Reference Desk, and remotely as well through our  Ask a Librarian  services, which include chat, e-mail, text and phone options.  

Librarians are here to support and facilitate your research process, and are available for individual consultations by appointment. 

You may wish to consult with a  Subject Librarian in your discipline   for help with in-depth thesis research at any stage of the research process, including help with defining and refining your thesis topic. Contact any of us by e-mail, and we will schedule a time that is mutually convenient to meet. As the Honors College Librarian, please also feel free to contact me regarding all stages of your thesis process.   You can contact me directly at: [email protected]      

• Thesis Research & Writing Guides
• View HCOL Theses From Past Years
• Research Databases and Journal Titles
• Multimedia Services
• Off-Campus Access
• What Research Is and How Researchers Think about It pp.16-18 of the Turabian Manual
• Steps for Successful Research
• How to Write a BA Thesis: A Practical Guide from Your First Ideas to Your Finished Paper (2nd ed) by Charles Lipson Call Number: LB 2369 .L54 2018 description from the publisher (University of Chicago Press) [Locations: 3rd floor and Reference Collection]. The Honors College also keeps a few copies in the main office for students to use.
• Writing Guides Harvard Writing Project. The Harvard Writing Center sponsors pdf-based guides on different types of writing-including writing the senior thesis and writing guides for various disciplines. While the Harvard student is the intended audience, these guides provide practical advice and useful examples to benefit all students.
• UVM ScholarWorks : UVM Honors College Senior Theses (2014 -> ); This is UVM's Institutional Repository. Note: Since electronic submission is not required, not all theses have been submitted to ScholarWorks.
• Honors College Website : HCOL Theses 2012-2013 This list consists of: 1. citations to theses; 2. theses titles linked to full-text.
• Research Databases List of important electronic library resources: article databases, e-books, reference, images & sounds, statistics, newspapers, streaming media, and more. Search by individual title or search within subject categories.

• Multimedia Services Website: includes info on circulation policies, media equipment, multimedia lab Location: Howe Library 1st floor
• Schedule Films and Music

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

Found a citation to a book or journal article that you need, but the library does not have it?

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service for UVM affiliates. We will obtain materials (books, articles, book chapters) not owned by the UVM Libraries, Articles and book chapters will come to you in electronic format; print books will be borrowed from other libraries and made available to you. There is no fee.

Requests may be placed online. Log in to  your ILL portal   using your UVM netid and e-mail password. If you are making a request for the first time, you will need to register for the service before making a request. 

Document Delivery (materials owned by UVM Libraries)

UVM students may request scans of articles and book chapters from materials available in Howe Library regular print and microform collections. ILL staff will scan articles or book chapters and deliver them as a PDF to a user's Interlibrary Loan (ILL) portal. There is  no  fee. Copyright law applies.

Requests may be placed online. Log in to  your ILL portal   using your UVM netid and e-mail password.

 If you are making a request for the first time, you will need to register for the service before making a request.  From your main ILL portal page, select: New request  --> (pull-down menu -- Document Delivery request)

Find more details and a link to the ILL and document delivery request forms . There is also a link ("ILL/DD" green button) on the Library homepage.

Working Off Campus?

Use your UVM NetID and password to log in to the UVM network through EZproxy before you begin your research, to access the UVM Libraries' licensed electronic resources, such as article databases, electronic journals, e-books, and more.

• Next: The Literature Review >>
• Last Updated: Jul 24, 2024 1:35 PM
• URL: https://researchguides.uvm.edu/hcol3000fall2024