plan ii thesis

Thesis Grants

Thesis grant application.

The Spring 2024 application for thesis grants is open and will close on March 31st. Thesis grants are available to Plan II students who are future-registered for or  currently enrolled in an honors thesis course (T C 660HA, 660HB, or 359T, or a departmental honors thesis course) . Grants are meant to support travel for thesis research or other research-related costs, which can take place the summer or winter break prior to taking T C 660HA. Applicants must have a confirmed faculty supervisor who will directly oversee their thesis research .  Please note these funds will be processed in April and May. PLEASE NOTE: Thesis awards involving travel will be subject to any University COVID-19 travel restrictions.

• APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
• WHEN TO APPLY
• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

HOW TO APPLY

Apply using the College of Liberal Arts Online Scholarship Portal . 

• If you have not used the system before, you will have to complete a one-time profile. After that, you will see a list of scholarships for which you are eligible to apply.
• Look for the scholarship titled, " Plan II Thesis Grant - Spring 2024 "
• Submit your application by 11:59 PM on March 31, 2024.

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES ( please read before submitting an application)

 In your thesis grant application:

• Be as specific, concrete, and as detailed as possible .
• For example:  If you need to go to a specific library abroad, let us know which materials or sources you will examine, which archive or collection holds them, and how they are vital to your project. If you need money to produce a video or follow through with a laboratory project, give us a clear indication of costs. If you are traveling to various places to conduct interviews, help us understand why in-person interviews are necessary or ideal.
• Be clear about what you can actually accomplish. If you are thinking of going to a specific collection, for example, consider what you can reasonably expect to get done in the time you have. 

Requests over $500 require a statement of support from your primary thesis supervisor . The statement should verify that your proposed research/travel plans are vital to your thesis project. An emailed statement of support from your supervisor should be sent to  [email protected] . A hard copy can also be submitted to the Plan II Office. Faculty statements of support must be received by the thesis grant application deadline. 

Our aim is to help you succeed in the project while supporting as many Plan II students on their research as possible. Your application should show us how we can make a concrete difference for you. 

Thesis grants are intended to support students currently completing thesis research. Grants can support research-related travel, materials (e.g., for a creative or laboratory project), and other costs directly related to the completion of your thesis project. 

If you are seeking financial assistance for academic travel NOT related to your senior thesis, please apply for a  Plan II Travel Grant  instead. Any travel that IS directly related to your thesis project should be submitted as a Thesis Grant application.  Please do not submit both applications for the same travel proposal. 

NOTE: Thesis Grants are not intended to cover the entire cost of your proposed travel or project. Only one type of grant will be awarded per student, travel program, or project.

WHEN TO APPLY:

Students should apply when they have registered for or are enrolled in the first or second semester of the Plan II Honors or departmental honors thesis sequence. Please note: grants can be awarded for thesis research or thesis-related travel to be completed the summer or winter  before  beginning a thesis course sequence. Please reach out to [email protected] for any questions.

AMOUNT: 

Awards typically range from $250 to $1,000, depending on financial need and total research costs.

In most cases, Plan II will pay only part of the costs of your research, but your Plan II application should outline all of your expenses for the project. Be sure to seek funds from other sources as well.

RESTRICTED TRAVEL:

The University of Texas System requires all travel to countries with U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings to be reviewed and approved by the University's International Oversight Committee (IOC). Students wanting to travel to restricted regions  must obtain Restricted Region Travel Approval to receive funding. We strongly advise students to complete this form during the program application process. Waiting to complete the petition process could result in a student not receiving a travel clearance or denial in time for departure. 

INDEPENDENT TRAVEL:

Students who are traveling abroad independently will be required to register their travel with the International Office to receive funding.

Thesis Symposia

Every November and April, seniors in the Plan II Honors Program present their original thesis research in a series of oral presentations. The Senior Thesis Symposium is comprised of sessions covering a wide range of interdisciplinary topics, including literature, science, history, creative writing, music, healthcare, engineering, philosophy, business, and politics. The complete program will be published here one week prior to the event.

Spring 2024 Symposium: Monday, April 15 and Tuesday, April 16

We are proud to announce our Spring 2024 Plan II Thesis Symposium on April 15 and April 16 ,  10:00 in the Glickman Conference Center. Complimentary refreshments will be provided for attendees. A program of the event is available to view here .

Each symposium is open to the public. All Plan II students, faculty, and family members are especially encouraged to attend. We hope to see you there!

Please direct any questions about the Plan II Spring 2024 Symposium to [email protected] .

Fall 2023 Symposium

Congratulations to the 27 students who shared their work at the Fall 2023 Thesis Symposium on November 14! Plan II faculty and staff could not be prouder of your accomplishments!

• Fall 2023 The Program
• Spring 2023 The Program
• Fall 2022 The Program
• Spring 2022 The Program
• Fall 2021 The Program
• Spring 2021 Virtual Presentations
• Fall 2020  Virtual Presentations
• Spring 2020 Virtual Presentations
• Fall 2019 The Program
• Spring 2019 The Program
• Fall 2018 The Program
• Spring 2018  The Program
• Fall 2017  The Program
• Spring 2017 The Program
• Fall 2016 The Program
• Spring 2016 The Program
• Fall 2015 The Program
• Spring 2015  The Program
• Spring 2014 The Program
• Fall 2013 The Program
• Spring 2013 The Program
• Fall 2012   The Program
• Spring 2012 The Program
• Fall 2011  The Program
• Spring 2011  The Program
• Fall 2010  The Program
• Spring 2010  The Program
• Fall 2009  The Program

Plan II Thesis Team

Contact the Plan II Directors (Dr Faria and Osbakken) regarding thesis topic approval ("part one" of pre-registration), research & writing guidance, and any thesis committee concerns.

Contact your Thesis Course Instructor (Dominica Whitesell) regarding course assignments and attendance.

Contact your Plan II Academic Advising Coordinators regarding course registration, graduation, incompletes, and other thesis concerns. 

Dr. Stephanie Osbakken, Associate Director

Meet to discuss your thesis ideas and gain topic approval.

Dr. Caroline Faria, Associate Director

Card block headline.

Enter your paragraph text here.

Dominica Whitesell Course Instructor

Once you are in TC 660 HA or HB, reach out to Dominica with any course-related questions.

Plan II Thesis

Contact by email: [email protected] Reach out if you have questions about registering for the thesis classes TC 660 HA or HB.

Thesis Resources

Thesis preparation process: .

The registration process for T C 660HA begins  THE SEMESTER BEFORE  you intend to start working on your thesis. In order to register, you MUST secure topic approval in the semester prior. 

To complete a non-Plan II Departmental Thesis, you will go through a different process. Read more about that below.

  Step 1: Planning ahead

• Read through the Plan II Thesis Manual and begin to formulate a general idea for your thesis topic.
• Meet with Drs Osbakken or Faria to talk over your ideas and to receive topic approval.

Step 2: Submitting your thesis approval form

• Secure a full thesis committee. This includes a first reader/supervisor + second reader. 
• Complete this Plan II Thesis Form . 
• Your advising team will receive an email notification that they have committed to work with you on your project. Plan II will pre-approve you for registration in TC 660 HA.

Thesis Resources:

• Plan II Thesis Manual
• Plan II Thesis Library Guide
• Texas ScholarWorks Collections
• Past Thesis Symposia
• Ask a Librarian (UT Libraries)
• Liaison Librarians at UT  (find the Plan II specialist here)
• Stats support  (from the SDS - primarily staff and faculty but may have useful resources)
• Geospatial/ GIS, quantitative and Spatial Coding support  (from the PCL)

Advising in Plan II

Advisors for Plan II students are supported by a comprehensive two-course thesis sequence known as TC 660 HA and HB. This is a three-credit class that meets most weeks, and across two semesters. The classes integrate a series of mini-assignments, which are designed to support students ongoing and low stakes writing and research. They cover the full scope of the research design, implementation, and write-up process. Given the wide range of student disciplinary foci and research topics, this class sequence provides a strong overview of the undergrad research process. However, faculty advisors will provide the specialist advising expertise tied to specific disciplinary norms, research practice, and/or the relevant creative process (for creative thesis students).  For potential first readers/ supervisors, please see the Plan II thesis manual (above) for a detailed overview of the thesis form, process, and expectations.

Briefly, you can expect the scope of labor for an advising role in Plan II to look like the following:

• The period of advising is two full semesters (Fall-Spring or Spring-Fall). The first reader will be the "instructor of record" for the TC 660 HA and HB sequence (i.e they will see these classes on their grade submission pages). However, the courses are designed, administered, and taught by Plan II thesis directors and the course instructor. 
• The first and second readers receive about four substantive emails a semester from Plan II, sharing updates on the thesis process and important upcoming deadlines and requirements.
• Students typically meet with their first reader/ supervisor about once every 2 weeks. They may meet at a time and place of their convenience. Second readers usually meet about once/ month. This kind of meeting schedule may vary, depending on the advising teams preference. However, there should be some sustained measure of ongoing engagement, dialog and revising work between the advisors and students over both semesters. Meetings may be in person or over Zoom.
• While advisees usually meet separately with their advisors, we recommend that first and second readers meet together, along with their advisee, at least once each semester.
• Advisors (and to a lesser degree) second readers will read and provide feedback on draft writing about 2-3 times during the semester.
• Advisors may need to act as the P.I. on IRB applications (requiring CITI training).
• Advisors and second readers are invited (but not required) to attend a coffee/ breakfast informational and appreciation session over the two-semester period.
• Advisors and second readers will collaborate to determine a grade recommendation  in each semester. Plan II thesis team makes any necessary amendments to the grade, based on course attendance and participation. Once the final grade has been determined by the Plan II team, Plan II submits the final grade to UT.
• In the second semester, advisors and second readers must conduct an advisee's "oral showcase" (formerly "oral defense") by the required deadline.
• Advisors and second readers are warmly encouraged, but not required, to attend their advisee's thesis symposium.
• Once the final thesis is complete, advisors and second readers will collaborate in determining recommendation for awards/ model thesis etc.
• In many cases advisors and second readers will sustain a relationship with advisees that continues long after the thesis project, and may include mentorship, letter of recomemndation writing, and sponsorship/ advocacy in future careers, graduate education/ training etc.

The Plan II Honors Thesis Database

Plan II began to digitize theses in 2007. The database is publically available via the Texas ScholarWorks repository from 2017. 

A selection of earlier theses have been scanned and added. It's searchable by author, title, keyword, etc. If you are a Plan II alum and you would like your thesis moved into the "Openly Available" Collection, please contact a Plan II Advisor. 

Research Funding & Awards

• Plan II Thesis Grant
• Liberal Arts Undergraduate Research Awards
• University Co-op/George H. Mitchell Undergraduate Student Awards
• Office of Undergraduate Research

IRB Guidance

• Walk-In Wednesday Virtual Advising: Zoom Link
• General Questions: [email protected]  
• Phone: 512.232.1543
• Website: IRB (Human Subjects Research)

*Departmental Thesis (non Plan II) Planning Forms

You may be interested in pursuing a departmental senior thesis instead of a Plan II thesis. We warmly welcome and encourage students to do so. This can be particularly useful if students are considering graduate level research in a particular field, or are already working with faculty advisors in their labs.

If you would like to consider this option, please:

1. Meet with one of the Plan II Associate Directors (see above). Together we can determine whether your chosen thesis program is equivalent to the Plan II thesis and approved as an alternative.

2. Once Plan II approves, please complete the departmental form below. Please do so, ideally, in the semester prior to the commencement of your thesis. At the latest, you must submit this by the 4th class day of your thesis course.

• Departmental Thesis Registation Form

Once you are approved to take the departmental thesis you need not take the Plan II thesis course sequence (TC 660 HA and HB). You will substitute these for your departmental thesis sequence.

3. Note that you are required to present in the Plan II symposium held during the semester you finish your thesis. You must also submit your final thesis to the Plan II thesis repository. Once you have completed your departmental thesis forms, you will receive information about each of these processes. 

Plan II Honors Theses

Permanent URI for this community https://hdl.handle.net/2152/62788

If you are a current UT Austin student, faculty, or staff and are looking for the Plan II Honors Theses that are restricted access, please login to the repository (top right). Once you are logged in, you should see the Plan II Honors Theses restricted collection. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

If you are looking for an honors thesis that isn't from the Plan II program, please see the Honors Theses collection.

Browsing Plan II Honors Theses by Author

• Ablon, Haley   1
• Abraham, Sarah   2
• Abzug, Robert H.   1
• Ackermann, Avi   1
• Adams, Paul   2
• Adams, Paul C.   1
• Adamson, Jake   1
• Aguilar, Karla   1
• Aiken, Abigail   7
• Aiken, Abigail R. A.   1
• Aiyer, Meera   1
• Albrecht, Annie F.   1
• Aldama, Frederick Luis   1
• Aldea, Abigail   1
• Aldis, Abigail V.   1
• Ali, Austin   1
• Allen, Alexis   1
• Allen, Katherine   1
• Allen, Taylor Burke   1
• Alley, Ellen   1
• 1 (current)

• Future Students
• Parents/Families
• Alumni/Friends
• Current Students
• Faculty/Staff
• MyOHIO Student Center
• Visit Athens Campus
• Regional Campuses
• OHIO Online
• Faculty/Staff Directory
• University Community
• Research & Impact
• Alumni & Friends
• Search All News
• OHIO Today Magazine
• Colleges & Campuses
• For the Media

Helpful Links

Navigate OHIO

Connect With Us

OHIO Board of Trustees approve Housing Master Plan Phase II construction; hear revitalized mission and vision statement

• Russ Research Opportunity Center Room 180 Fit Out – The Board approved the development of an effective and efficient research environment for several active and pending sponsored research projects in the newly completed Russ Research Center. This $1.5 million project is anticipated to be funded by the Russ College of Engineering and Technology departmental funding.
• Athena Cinema Structural Stabilization – The Board approved to stabilize a structural issue discovered during routine maintenance. The $850,000 project is anticipated to be funded by century bond emergency project funding and central University funding.
• West Green Gulch Bridges Repair and Repaint – The Board approved to repair a pedestrian bridge on West Green that is in a state of disrepair and will also remove a second pedestrian bridge that is no longer needed. This $558,000 project is anticipated to be funded by century bond.
• Lin Hall Third Floor Renovation – The Board approved to provide a gallery and learning laboratory for student and alumni engagement to highlight OHIO’s research and creative activity. Renovation of the OHIO Museum Complex space on the third floor of Lin Hall will include refinishing the floors, walls and ceilings in rooms 310 and 311, the third-floor corridor and the stairs to the third and fourth floors. This $500,000 project is anticipated to be funded by external grant funding.
• A resolution to change the name of the World Religions program in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences to Religious Studies.
• A resolution to change the name of the Sport and Lifestyle Studies program in the Department of Recreation, Sport Pedagogy and Consumer Sciences in the Patton College of Education to Recreation and Sport Services.
• A resolution to establish a Bachelor of Science degree in Cybersecurity Operations in the J. Warren McClure School of Engineering Communication Technologies in the Scripps College of Communication.
• A resolution to approve land exchange of approximately 0.23-acres on Moore Avenue in Athens with the Ohio University Credit Union (OUCU).
• A resolution to approve to issue up to $75 million of new debt in support of Housing Phase II new construction.
• A resolution to elect Steve Casciani Chair of the Board of Trustees for the year beginning May 14, 2024, and ending May 13, 2025.
• A resolution to elect Trustee Scott Borgemenke as First Vice Chair and Trustee Matt Evans Second Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for the year beginning May 14, 2024, and ending May 13, 2025.
• A resolution to increase the program fee for the Masters of Speech Language Pathology and the Doctor of Clinical Audiology from $63 to $75 per credit hour.
• A resolution to create a new opt-out course fee for BA1000: Introduction to the College of Business to cover the cost of the DiSC assessment.
• A resolution to increase nursing courses to cover inflation for passthrough certification.
• A resolution to increase the course fees for flight courses in Aviation by 10 percent to cover inflation.
• A resolution to change the current reduced OHIO Online instructional fee from $304 to $316 per credit hour.

• University of Texas Libraries
• UT Libraries

Plan II Thesis

• Finding Books
• Background Information
• Finding Articles
• Creative Projects
• Zotero LibGuide

Looking for a book?

Search for a book.

Choose "Books & Media" from the choices under the search box on the  UT libraries' homepage to search the library catalog.

Then, search for the title or keywords related to your topic in the catalog search box.

Understanding your Results 

After searching, you need to look for four details:

2. If this is in print, which library has it? Click on the link to find out more information about the location.

3. Is the book AVAILABLE? If not, there will be a due date.

4. Are you ready to check out? Write down the call number and click the location link to see where you can find it on the shelf. 

Checking out Books

Once you've located your book, all you need is your UT ID to check it out!

I really want this book, but it is checked out. Is there anything I can do?

Yes! If you would like to get a hold of a book that has been checked out, you can request the book. The library will then change the due date so that the current borrower has to return it earlier. To request a book, go to the library catalog, click the  pick it up  button, log in with your UT EID, and then request the book. You can learn more about this feature  here.

Pick it up?

Pick it up  is a service that allows you to request your book to be retrieved from the shelf and be delivered to the UT library of your choice. It will take an estimated 3-5 days for your book to be retrieved. You can learn more about it  here .

Need a more advanced search?

If you need more options to search, you can click on the Books & Media option on the Libraries home page and choose Advanced Search .

LIB USE ONLY? 

LIB USE ONLY means library use only . When a book has this label under its current status, you can only access and read the book at its library location. 

I checked out a book, and I am not ready to return it. What can I do?

You can renew it! You can renew your book at any library location or online, through Renew & My Account .  Renew & My Account can be found on the upper right-hand corner of the screen, next to Ask a Librarian.

I can't find the book that I need. What can I do?

If the UT Libraries doesn't have a book you need, you can request it through InterLibrary Loan. The service is free and unlimited. Click on the link below to create an account and request a loan.

• InterLibrary Services (ILS)

Open Access and Books in Public Domain

University of Texas students, faculty, and staff can download materials in the public domain in addition to conducting full text searches of all materials in the HathiTrust Catalog. UT Official Retirees and UT Extension Students are excluded from this access because of HathiTrust's strict definitions and added layer of authentication

Click the "Log In" button and choose "University of Texas at Austin" from the drop-down menu. Select "continue" and then enter your EID and password when prompted.

Ways to Search in the Library Catalog

Keyword Searching

Use keywords to search for artists, art movements, materials, or your topic. 

Examples: Ed Ruscha  Contemporary Art Photography 

Title 

Use the title of a book you are looking for in a catalog search.  Example: A Short Guide to Writing about Art

Find a book by a specific author using their last name, first name.  Example: Barnet, Sylvan

Subject Search

Use the subject search to find books related to your topic.  Example: American Art  Photography

Search for Specific Resources 

Use the Advanced Keyword Search to limit by resource type, language, or date of publication. 

Format types include:

• Video/Film 
• Archival Materials
• Dissertations
• Last Updated: Jan 31, 2024 7:24 AM
• URL: https://guides.lib.utexas.edu/planii