Thesis Year by Year

Meet with your academic advisor to discuss application process and timeline for your major.

Determine Your Faculty Mentor:

• Utilize the Faculty Mentor Dashboard to view possible mentors within your program and active faculty research projects.
• Contact Honors Council member in your department for help in finding a research mentor.
• Search COEHP website for professor’s research interests.
• Email professors and ask to observe their research.
• Meet with the potential faculty member about joining a research team.
• Begin research with a professor.

• Attend COEHP Honors Sophomore Success Meeting. Next meeting: Spring 2025
• Read and write over the summer.
• Create a summer reading list of books and scholarly articles

• Students are strongly encouraged to have a faculty mentor by the end of the spring semester. 
  • Utilize the Faculty Mentor Dashboard to view possible mentors within your program and active faculty research projects.
• Develop a strong research question and begin writing a SURF Grant Application (thesis/project mentor will assist with the process). 

For Exercise Science students: enroll in EXSC 372H3 Honors Research Methods in Exercise Science. For Public Health students: enroll in PBHL 372H3 Honors Research Methods in Public Health.

• Discuss this course with your mentor.
• This course will replace EXSC 390H1 or PBHL 390H1

For Communication Sciences & Disorders students: enroll in CSDI 290H3 Honors Intro to Research in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Develop research idea.

Enroll in Honors Thesis/Project Tutorial - 390H1.

• Discuss with honors thesis/project mentor before enrolling. 

Search by departmental prefix, and enroll in thesis/project mentor’s section (example:  CIED 390H1).

Apply for SURF Grant:

• Attend a SURF information meeting – visit this page for information on this years's meetings
• Register for SURF application tool kit through the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards
• Deadline: mid-October

Assemble Honors Thesis/Project Committee (must be University of Arkansas faculty):

• Faculty Mentor*
• One faculty committee member
• Additional committee members may be added at the mentor's discretion

*Note: The Faculty Mentor must approve changes in committee members.

Complete Thesis/Project Proposal.

Present thesis/project proposal to committee (optional; discuss with Thesis/Project Mentor):

• Recommended Deadline:  Reading Day spring semester of junior year.
• Final Deadline:  Reading Day fall semester of senior year (semester before graduation).
• Research Mentor will assist with scheduling presentation.
• Submit Honors Thesis/Project Proposal Form at this link.

• Read and write over the summer.
• Create a summer reading list of books and scholarly articles.    

Enroll in Honors Thesis/Project – 498HV.

• Must complete at 3 hours before graduation.
• Search by departmental prefix, and enroll in thesis/project mentor’s section (example: CSDI 498HV).

Present Proposal to Thesis/Project Committee (ideally presented in junior year).

• Research Mentor will assist with scheduling presentation.

Submit Honors Thesis/Project Proposal Form (unless you submitted in junior year) at this link.

• Deadline: Reading Day

Apply for Graduation through UA Connect.

• Meet with academic advisor for degree check. 

Apply for Graduation through UA Connect

• Spring graduates: Apply by March 1
• Summer graduates: Apply by July 1
• Fall graduates: Apply by October 1

Complete Thesis/Project.

• Complete data collection by March 1 (dates are suggested, but meet with thesis mentor to confirm).
• Write results in March and April.

Defend Thesis/Project – final week of April or earlier.

• Work with mentor and committee to establish a defense date, time, and location.
• Meet with your faculty mentor to select a format for your thesis/project defense from the options below.
  • Traditional academic defense
  • Conference presentation
  • Presentation at COEHP Honors Symposium in April
• Provide committee a copy of your thesis/project at least two weeks prior to defense.
• Bring a copy of the Thesis/Project Approval Form and Thesis Evaluation Tool (optional, ask your thesis/project mentor) to defense.
  • Form Submission Deadlines
    • Approval Form (submit here): Reading Day of graduating semester
    • Evaluation Tool: DOES NOT need to be submitted to COEHP Honors Program.

Submit Final Copy of Thesis/Project to ScholarWorks.

• Incorporate all rewrites and edits provided during defense.
• Complete the submission agreeement.
• For a detailed tutorial, click here.

Attend COEHP Honors Commencement & Reception

• Receive honors regalia
• Held annually the day before COEHP Commencement