Coe College 2003-2005 Catalog, p.16-17. Visit the Registrar for more information and handouts.

Requirements for Honors Thesis (Project)

Students wishing to complete an honors project (thesis) must have: (1) at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average at the time of graduation, and (2) the accumulation of at least 16 graded credits at Coe. The thesis/project is ordinarily done during the senior year but may be done earlier in the student's academic career. The process for this is as follows:

a.       Prepare an honors thesis (or project) proposal during the junior year and secure the approval of the Committee on the Honors, Independent and Interdisciplinary Study and Off-Campus Opportunities. The proposal must be submitted to the Committee, with the approval of the faculty advisor, by the deadline listed in the college calendar. Application forms are available in the Registrar's office.

b.      The work on the honors thesis must represent a minimum of the equivalent of two courses. Typically the student will register for two term courses of Independent Study. Neither of these courses shall be taken during the term immediately preceding the student's independent study.

c.       If the thesis advisor judges the work to be of honors quality, the student and advisor will convene a thesis committee for an oral defense. This committee is chaired by the thesis advisor and consists of at least three other faculty members, including a representative from outside the thesis advisor's department.

d.      Typed copied of the thesis must be submitted to the members of the thesis committee no later than seven weeks prior to graduation in order to permit time for revision if the thesis committee so requires.

e.       If the thesis is approved by a majority of the examining committee, the student must submit two copies suitable for binding and preservation in Stewart Memorial Library. The style of the paper shall meet the professional standards of the discipline within which it is written.

f.        Transfer students shall petition for honors projects in the same manner and on the same schedule as other Coe students.

g.       The committee will not approve petitions for honors projects from students who have not completed nine graded courses at Coe. However, the committee will approve, when appropriate, the independent studies included within the honors proposal.

h.       A student may, before the end of the first independent study, resubmit the petition for honors when that student has completed nine graded courses at Coe and has satisfied the grade point requirements governing applications for honors projects.