How to qualify

In order to qualify for the honors program, you must have a GPA of at least 3.33 in biology and must meet with the department chair prior to registration for your junior year. Most important, you will need to identify and secure a biology faculty sponsor to direct your honors research project.

Requirements

The honors program consists of 9 credit hours and attendance at the weekly biology seminars for the semesters in which the you are enrolled in the honors program. You must complete at least 3 hours of BIOL 3-98 (Honors Readings) by the end of the junior year. This course is designed to provide time to do background research on the honors thesis project and design a project proposal, but an adviser may also require you to work in the lab or field as well.

Research

Honors research and the seminar are designed to provide the opportunity to do the bulk of the research associated with your honors thesis project. Independent research courses allow time to finish the honors thesis and the final draft of the work.

Honors Thesis

A draft of the thesis should be submitted to the thesis committee early in the semester in which you would be defending it, so that committee members can have time to make thoughtful comments on it before revisions are due. This process of revision may go on for some time. You will be expected to defend the thesis during a weekly biology seminar towards the end of the semester. The honors thesis must be received by the Office of Academic Affairs for binding by the required date.