Students majoring in Environmental Studies (ENVS) and Environmental Science (ESCI) are encouraged to participate in the Environmental Studies Program Honors Program. Writing a senior thesis is good preparation for future professional positions and graduate studies. It provides an opportunity to develop your research and writing skills. Graduating with honors demonstrates a high level of initiative and ability to work independently. An honors thesis is a way to become an expert on a topic of interest and gain recognition for your outstanding academic work.

To graduate with departmental honors, a student must:

1. Have a 3.3 overall GPA and a 3.5 GPA in classes required for the major.
2. Complete a research-based thesis or creative project conducted under the direction of a faculty adviser. Due to the breadth of potential research topics, students can do original laboratory or field-based research, library-based research, or a terminal or creative project.

In summary, our requirements are:

1. Meet with an academic adviser from Tykeson (or if you are in the Clark Honors College, you can meet with an advisor there)
2. Complete your prospectus
3. Take ENVS 401: Research (4 credits) (not required for Honors College students)
4. Take ENVS 403: Thesis (4 credits)
5. Give a public presentation
6. Submit your approved thesis to Scholar’s Bank

For more details, read our ENVS-ESCI Honors Thesis FAQ

Required: ENVS Honors Cover-Approval Pages

Timeline
Most students complete their research and writing during their senior year. However, the timeline is flexible if you are conducting research during the summer. Here is a typical schedule:

Fall Quarter
a. Determine your topic or area of interest
b. Meet with your academic advisor
c. Identify and secure your faculty adviser

Winter Quarter
a. Register for 4 credits of research (ENVS 401)
b. Submit prospectus to your faculty adviser
c. Complete research

Spring Quarter
a. Register for 4 credits of thesis (ENVS 403)
b. Make arrangements for oral presentation
c. Finalize and submit approved thesis to Scholar’s Bank