honors thesis asu

Psychology Honors Thesis

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• The Undergraduate Experience

Honors FAQs         Honors Thesis Application

Psychology is an empirical and STEM discipline which relies on data to answer questions about the brain, mind, and behavior. We encourage all of our majors to get involved in the wonders of research and the generation of new knowledge. To fully explore your interests in psychology, the Department of Psychology at ASU has a number of activities that are specifically designed to encourage and support honors students in Barrett .   

An Honors Thesis in Psychology is expected to be a project of original empirical research that adds to knowledge in the discipline. Students in the honors program complete theses on a wide range of topics using a range of methodologies and the projects evolve from a blend of student interest and faculty expertise. The Department recommends that Barrett students participate in the Psychology Honors Sequence.

HONORS THESIS SEQUENCE

We offer a structured, intensive sequence for advanced students to help pursue an empirically-based Honors Thesis in Psychology. The Honors Thesis Sequence is the core of the psychology honors program. Beginning each January, the sequence spans one calendar year and consists of a two-semester sequence which is offered Spring and Fall. The seminar helps provide structured support for the cohort of students who are working on their theses with Psychology faculty. Seminar activities include professional tool skills  in writing and defending a thesis and preparation for applications to graduate or professional schools. Doing a thesis in psychology is also excellent preparation for any number of professional roles because of its analytic, scientific, and communicative demands.  

Enrollment in the sequence is limited with applications welcomed from all qualified, well-prepared psychology majors. Expectations for student preparation are more fully described in the program brochure and Honors Thesis Application . Applications for the Psychology Honors Thesis Seminar are due in mid-November for admission to the sequence in the January.

As described in the application materials, if a student applies to complete a Psychology Honors Thesis outside the Honors Sequence, they have the same expectations for preparation and committee structure as for students applying to the sequence, and they should used the application document to receive permission to enroll using the PSY prefix. Alternative honors projects can be completed using the prefix of HON. 

The department offers a small number of sections of some courses that are designed for honors students. These are smaller, separate seminar courses that are limited to honors students or by instructor permission (footnote 19 courses). When available, we particularly recommend that you seek out an honors section of Statistics (PSY 231 instead of PSY 230), as well as enrollment in the honors section of PSY 351 (Social Psychology) which is periodically offered.

Research Opportunities

In the thesis sequence, you will be immersed in a research project that you have designed so it is essential that you acquire firsthand research experience in preparation for the thesis sequence.  Research opportunities abound through our department's labs and you will undoubtedly find an ongoing study that will suit your inquisitive nature across the field of psychology including research in behavioral neuroscience, clinical psych, cognitive science, developmental psych, quantitative methods or social psych.

Currently available research opportunities can be found here .  If you don't see a research lab that quite matches your interests, visit our Research Lab pages and don't hesitate to directly contact the faculty member who directs the lab's research projects. Course credit (PSY 399, 499) is available for students who serve as research assistants in various psychology labs and many labs accept volunteer research assistants.

All students preparing to do a Psychology Honors Thesis (PSY 492/493) are expected to have completed a supervised research experience in PSY 399 before beginning your thesis project. 

What is an honors thesis in psychology?

Psychology is a scientific discipline that studies behavior and mental activity. In this it is a very broad field, which overlaps with many other disciplines in the university. Psychology is also an empirical science and our faculty feel that the honors thesis should have an empirical component rather than being a solely theoretical review paper. We encourage all our majors to get actively involved in research at all levels and feel that such research should be part of the thesis experience as well.

Thus, the honors thesis in psychology is a project of original scholarship which includes an empirical component and which the student undertakes under the guidance of a faculty member. The specific research question that the thesis engages and the details of the project are determined by the student and faculty member. Students work with faculty in developing research questions for their theses and in designing and executing studies to inform us about those research questions.

Thesis projects may involve the collection of new data or may use existing data sets to answer to new research questions. Because of the complexity of projects in psychology and the need in many cases to collect data from people or animals as subjects of study, there is a great deal of planning involved and projects are thus scheduled to require two semesters of academic work.

The thesis serves as a capstone experience for our majors. The experience is aimed at students who are our best students in terms of their capability and in terms of their engagement with the major. Before beginning a thesis, we expect students will have substantial progress in the major and already had some experience in research endeavors usually as a supervised research experience via a PSY 399 course.  

When does the psychology honors sequence occur?

The year-long sequence is spring and fall semesters. Thus, it is held in a calendar year, rather than an academic year. Students begin the sequence in spring semester of their junior year and complete the sequence and defend their honors thesis in the fall of their senior year.

What does the psychology honors thesis sequence involve?

There are a total of four courses (12 hours of credit) involved in the sequence, all of which are honors credit. Students enroll for PSY 497 Honors Thesis Seminar and PSY 492 Honors Directed Study. In the fall semester, students enroll in a second semester of PSY 497 and PSY 493 Honors Thesis.

During the spring semester, students develop the ideas, background and methods for their study. At the end of the spring semester, they write a paper and make a formal presentation of their proposed project to the seminar and their faculty mentor.

During the summer (when warranted) and fall semesters, students complete the data collection, do analyses of their data, and write up the study as a formal thesis. The honors thesis is then defended to a committee and the seminar class.

What does a student do to prepare for the honors thesis sequence?

Get an early start on substantive course work in psychology; do well in their coursework; and get involved in Psychology research activities with faculty-directed labs.

Expectations for applicants include the successful completion of:

• PSY 230/231, PSY 290 with a minimum GPA of 3.4;
• at least two, 3-credit upper division Psychology content courses (PSY 300 level or higher -- does not include PSY 394 UTA, PSY 394 Adv Advising Assistant, PSY 399, PSY 484, PSY 499);
• at least one research experience beyond PSY 290 (usually a PSY 399 experience with a faculty member in the department);

Students without this level of preparation are at disadvantage in terms of having the ideal honors thesis experience. Because the seminar has limited capacity, we reserve the class for those who are engaged and prepared for the experience. Typically, we have admitted all students meeting our expectations for preparation.

How do I apply?

There is an application process to help us make sure that you have met the expectations for preparation. An Honors Thesis Application  should be submitted to the Honors Coordinator, Dr. Mary Davis ( [email protected] ). Once admitted to the Honors Thesis Sequence, students will be given permission to enroll in PSY 497 and PSY 492. 

Can I begin the sequence in the fall?

No. The honors thesis sequence begins Spring semester only and runs two semesters ending in Fall. Begining the sequence in the spring semester has a number of advantages and remains the best timing option. Having the sequence run each calendar year also provides the greatest flexibility, both by having the summer available to work on the project and also by providing for a cushion in the event that the project is not completed by the end of fall semester. This timeline is also best for the student who is aiming to go forward to graduate or professional school in that thesis projects are largely completed by the fall period of applying to graduate school and student personal statements and the faculty letters of recommendation are more mature and well-informed.

What if I want to spent junior year abroad?

Study abroad can also be a very important, positive experience for students as is completing a thesis. If psychology majors who want to do an honors thesis in the sequence also want to study abroad, it requires more planning and probably some flexibility. It is true that there are more good opportunities than time to do them all, and sometimes students need to prioritize their choices.

Many students use the fall of their junior year or the summer either before or after junior year as a time to participate in such programs. It is not unusual for us to get an application from Spain or Australia in late fall to begin the sequence in January. If you elect this option, do not forget to submit an application by the November deadline. Remember that you still need to complete the expectations for preparation for the sequence.  

What if I am a transfer student, or am shifting majors to psychology as an upper-classman?

Upperclass students new to Psychology should carefully review their academic progress and longer term goals to evaluate the importance of the honors sequence for them. Although it is possible to be admitted into the program, transfer students or new majors may need to take additional semester(s) of study in psychology. It is imperative that such students plan carefully with their advisors.

• The Undergraduate Experience
• Resources For Current Students
• Guidelines For Honors Theses In The English Department

Guidelines for Honors Theses in the English Department

Please refer to the  Barrett guidelines to facilitate the process of planning and completing honors theses in the English department (i.e., English majors and film and media studies majors). 

https://barretthonors.asu.edu/academics/advising-and-requirements/honors-opportunities-in-majors

ASU Dissertations and Theses

• Introduction
• How to Get a Copy
• Doctoral Dissertations

Dissertations: Introduction

Dissertations: fall 2011 to the present, dissertations: 1999 - spring 2011, dissertations: 1973-1998, dissertations: 1954-1972, dissertations: 1938-1953.

• Masters Theses
• Honors Theses

At ASU, doctoral-level programs require a dissertation. "Dissertation" is the preferred term at the doctoral level as "thesis" is generally used to describe the document produced in Undergraduate Honors and Masters programs. 

The availability, location, and format of dissertations depend on the time period in which the student completed the doctoral degree:

• 2011 to the present
• 1938-1953 

The Graduate College requires doctoral students to submit an electronic copy of their dissertations to ProQuest; ProQuest waits for approval from the Graduate College before the dissertations are released into the ProQuest databases. ProQuest sends a digital copy of the bibliographic information and full text of these documents to the ASU Library for inclusion in several different databases.    

Note: Not all dissertations are available soon after graduation. The ASU Graduate College currently allows students to request an embargo of up to 2 years before their dissertation is made public; students may choose this option to protect their intellectual property rights or to preserve commercial publication opportunities among other issues. The full text of an embargoed dissertation will not be available for viewing in the following databases until the embargo period has ended.   The dissertations from this time period are available as follows:

• ASU Digitial Repository: ASU Electronic Dissertations and Theses Collection Has the full text of the dissertations, except for cases where the dissertation is within a requested embargo period; the full text is in PDF and is available for all to view, print, and/or download.   
• ASU faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students may access these databases from both on- and off-campus
• ASU Alumni and community members who live in the Phoenix area may access these databases from within an ASU Library; ProQuest does not permit us to offer off-campus access to alumni and community members.
• Alumni and individuals outside of the Phoenix area should check with their local libraries, particularly libraries at publicly funded colleges and universities, for the availability of the "ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT) database.      
• ASU Library's Catalog Contains a bibliographic record for the dissertations and each record has a link to the full text in the ASU Digital Repository.    
• The ASU Library does not retain or accept print copies of dissertations available in the ASU Digital Repository.    

The Graduate College required doctoral students to submit two printed copies of their dissertation to the ASU Library, one printed copy to their academic unit, and an electronic copy to ProQuest.    

The dissertations from this time period are available as follows:

• ASU Digitial Repository: ASU Electronic Dissertations and Theses Collections Only the limited number of 2010/2011 dissertations selected for the electronic submission trial are available in full text (PDF); full text for 1999-2009 is not available.  
• Alumni and individuals outside of the Phoenix area should check with their local libraries, particularly libraries at publicly funded colleges and universities, for the availability of the "ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT) database.  
• The first copy, aka the archival copy, is kept in storage and the user must contact the Wurzburger Reading Room (480-965-4932 or [email protected] ) in advance to set an appointment to view a dissertation. The copy may only be viewed in the Reading Room in Hayden Library and is not available for checkout or interlibrary loan.   
• The second copy, aka the circulating copy, is kept in the Library's high-density storage and may be checked out or loaned to other libraries.  Note: not every dissertation has a second copy and some of these copies may be shelved in libraries other than Hayden; see the catalog record for availability.  ASU dissertations are given the call number: LD179.15 [year] d [cuttered by author]

The Graduate College required doctoral students to submit two printed copies of their dissertation to the ASU Library, one printed copy to their academic unit and an electronic copy to UMI (predecessor to ProQuest).

The dissertations from this time period are available as follows: 

• ASU Alumni and community members who live in the Phoenix area may access these databases from within an ASU Library; ProQuest does not permit us to offer off-campus access to alumni and community members
• ASU Alumni and individuals outside of the Phoenix area should check with their local libraries, particularly libraries at publicly funded colleges and universities, for the availability of the "ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT) database.  
• The first copy, aka the archival copy, is kept in storage and the user must contact the Wurzburger Reading Room (480-965-4932 or [email protected] ) in advance to set an appointment to view a dissertation. The copy may only be viewed in the Reading Room in Hayden Library and is not available for checkout or interlibrary loan.  
• The second copy, aka the circulating copy, is kept in the high-density collection and must be retrieved in advance of a visit. These copies may be checked out or used for interlibrary loan. Some dissertations during this time do not have a second copy. ASU dissertations are given call number:  LD179.15 [year] d [cuttered by author]
• The second copy, aka the circulating copy, is kept in the Library's high-density storage and must be retrieved in advance of a visit. These second copies may be checked out or used for interlibrary loan. Some dissertations during this time do not have a second copy.  ASU dissertations are given call number:  LD179.15 [year] d [cuttered by author]

The dissertations from this time period are only available in print: 

• The first copy, aka the archival copy, is kept in storage and the user must contact the Wurzburger Reading Room (480-965-4932 or [email protected] ) in advance to set an appointment to view a dissertation. The copy may only be viewed in the Reading Room in Hayden Library and cannot be checked out nor loaned to another library.   
• The second copy, aka the circulating copy, is kept in the Library's high-density storage and needs to be retrieved from the collection in advance of a visit. These copies may be checked out or used for interlibrary loan. Some dissertations during this time do not have a second copy.  ASU dissertations are given call number:  LD179.15 [year] d [cuttered by author]
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• Last updated: Jan 2, 2024 8:27 AM
• URL: https://libguides.asu.edu/asudissertations

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Honors Thesis Program

The ASU-Intel Honors Collaborative Thesis Program, offering students opportunities since 1995, is a successful collaboration between the Department of Finance and Intel Corporation. The program is the brainchild of Intel Embedded Products Controller Bob Auer, an ASU honors college graduate with a B.S. degree in finance, and was developed in concert with Professor of Finance Michael Hertzel. Selected junior and senior honors students in teams of three to five are paired with Intel employees in a real-world, real-time work environment to apply their knowledge to active business cases.

Successful completion of the program, which requires a full academic year commitment, fulfills the honors thesis requirement and results in six credits.

General timeline

August Information sessions

September Select students, teams and coaches Choose project topics

October Organize teams, topics and coaches Conduct skills assessment and training Projects begin

November/December Team proposals due

February Mid-progress -- check presentations

March Draft submittal Thesis defense

April Submission to the Honors College

Projects and subjects

Intel Corporation develops the projects, which relate directly to the company's business needs. Student teams, led by Intel coaches, create project plans, conduct detailed research and analyze business situations. Intel representatives monitor progress and provide coaching to the students through training on tools and analysis techniques and by engaging in interactive weekly on-campus/on-site progress checks and research direction. Department of Finance professors respond to student questions and help them determine how best to respond to challenges. The students ultimately impart their findings and recommendations in thesis defense presentations to the Intel and ASU representatives.

Some project topic areas have included:

• Financial analysis of suppliers
• International plant location decisions
• Efficiency studies
• Analysis of hedging
• Value of green initiatives

Application requirements and how to get involved

Interested students must attend the information sessions held early each fall semester, during which Intel coaches present potential projects. In order to be considered for involvement, students must submit their resumes to ASU faculty co-director Professor Mark Simonson at the initial information session. Selection, which offers seniors priority, will be made as teams are organized in October to participate in the three to four projects to be conducted that year.

Honors thesis gives ASU Barrett students jump-start on grad school, career

Engaging in research as an undergraduate and completing a thesis was a highlight of Andrew Albert’s academic career ASU's Barrett, the Honors College.

Albert, a 2013 Barrett Honors College graduate and recipient of the college’s Outstanding Graduate Award, was among 760 Barrett Honors College students who completed the culminating project of an honors thesis or creative project in 2013.

Barrett students must complete a thesis or creative project in order to graduate from the college. Students may choose their own project focus. On average, each student spends six to 10 hours per week over the course of two semesters on their honors thesis or creative project. Most start their research in the second semester of their junior year.

A kinesiology major, Albert used his love of cycling as inspiration for his thesis, which focused on the effects of cycling exercises on the improvement of cognitive and motor function of persons with Down syndrome. In his sophomore year, Albert took a class offered by Shannon Ringenbach, associate professor of kinesiology and director of ASU’s Sensorimotor Development Research Lab. She was launching a research project examining the effects of Assisted Cycling Therapy (ACT) on the motor, clinical and cognitive function of adolescents with Down syndrome. Albert signed on as a research assistant.

“Throughout high school and the first few years of my college experience, I was heavily involved in competitive cycling. As a kinesiology major, I was thrilled to hear that a professor was doing research examining the cognitive and motor benefits of cycling as a mode of exercise,” Albert explained.

“Some of the most important lessons I learned while doing my thesis came from the discussions I had with Dr. Ringenbach, who was my thesis director," he said. "We often had conversations covering a wide variety of topics, from the research process to career politics and balancing home life and work life. Seeing the research process from the study design to manuscript submission is an entirely different experience than simply volunteering in a research lab. As a future physician, I look forward to carrying my knowledge of the scientific process with me in my career."

A thesis or creative project is an integral part of the Barrett Honors College student experience and gives honors students a jump-start when pursuing graduate studies or entering the professional arena, said Mark Jacobs, dean of the college.

“The thesis lets students synthesize what they have learned, as well as gain self-knowledge and self-confidence. It’s also a huge leg up, when applying to graduate school, PhD programs and jobs, to be able to say that you’ve already done relevant and important work in your field,” Jacobs said.   Such is the importance of the thesis or creative project to the pursuits of honors students, that Barrett Honors College offers workshops and advising to prepare students to launch their research and projects. The college also provides funding to cover expenses essential to students’ thesis investigation, design or execution. The funds may be used to cover costs such as travel, library and copying fees, lab equipment and supplies, and art supplies. The maximum amount available per student is $500.

While the demands of completing a thesis or creative project are significant, the rewards for doing the work are great. Undergraduates receive hands-on research experience usually reserved for graduate students, and some projects that were done in conjunction with community or business organizations are translated into real-world applications.

For example, just in this calendar year students from Barrett have :

• created a survey for Habitat for Humanity of Central Arizona to use in evaluating its programs

• devised a marketing campaign targeting millennial consumers for a top movie studio

• evaluated data from the Arizona Youth Survey to give representatives from the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission insight into high rates of youth prescription drug abuse and information on prescription drug abuse prevention and intervention

• worked with the Community Action Research Experiences Program at ASU in collaboration with the Maricopa Association of Governments on an assessment of how training and support services can help domestic violence victim advocates better serve clients

• mentored teens at the Boys and Girls Club, focusing on leadership development, skill-building and success

• developed and marketed an application for the iPhone

• founded an organization to alleviate hunger in Arizona by raising funds and food donations

• started a program using technology and a microbusiness model to distribute clean water in Bangladesh

“The thesis or creative project gives every student the opportunity to engage in substantial collaboration with a faculty member on a focused problem and get a sense of what it means to find meaningful solutions,” said Margaret Nelson, vice dean of the college.

Honors Thesis Credit (BIO/MIC/MBB 492 and 493)

Form purpose.

BIO 492/BIO 493: Independent Study

This course is for an independent study in which a student, under the supervision of a faculty member, conducts research or creative work that is expected to lead to an undergraduate honors thesis or creative project. (MIC = Microbiology, BIO = Biology or MBB = Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology).

Must select single instructor during enrollment. 

Please note, 6 credit hours of individualized study is the maximum that can be used towards any major degree requirements.

• 1 credit requires 45 hours is about 1-3 contact hours a week
• 2 credits requires 90 hours is about 5-6 hours a week
• 3 credits requires 135 hours is about 8-10 hours a week

Please be prepared to complete multiple steps that may take several days to complete to enable you to accurately fill out this form.   

What you need before you fill out the form

Speak to a faculty member about entering into the agreement for an omnibus course and develop a plan. .

• Discuss how many credit hours you are planning to achieve for your class. The university requires 45 hours of contact work per credit. 
• Discuss how your work will be evaluated.
• Discuss options for social distancing both while working in person and a plan should you have to work remotely.
• Develop a brief description of the project and a list of the items you will do to earn the credit hours. This description will be in 2100 characters or less (2 to 3 sentences). 
• In the event you have more than one faculty member overseeing your project, you will want to discuss which faculty member will be signing off on the form. Only one faculty member can sign off on each agreement. 

What you should know about Adobe Sign for your form to be successful

• If you do use a personal email address, you may be required to log out of your ASURite before Adobe will let you access the form.
• Only one faculty member should be entered to sign off on the form. If you have 2 faculty members, you will need to decide which faculty member will be responsible for the form agreement
• Once you fill out this form, you will be prompted to enter 2 more emails. The first is the faculty member and the second is your own email address. You may use the same email you are using to submit the form. DO NOT use an email address that is set to auto-forward. 
• If you find your alert in SPAM you will have to mark it “not SPAM” before you will be able to access the link.
• See the trouble-shooting Adobe Sign dropdown for ways to follow-up on your Adobe Sign form. 

After filling out the form, make sure to watch your email for an “All Parties Finished” email. 

For questions about this form please email advising at [email protected]  

Does my course require the OMNIBUS form?

The following courses require an omnibus form, bio/hps/mic/mbb/plb 492:  honors directed study.

Possible credit hours:  1-3 Enrollment requirements:  Must be a student in Barrett, the Honors College Description:  492 may only be used if the research is part of your two-semester honors thesis work. This course ranges from one to three semester hours. Consult with an honors advisor before enrolling is recommended. Note:  Must be completed before 493.

BIO/HPS/MIC/MBB/PLB 493:  Honors Thesis

Possible credit hours:  1-6 Enrollment Requirements:  Must be a student in Barrett, the Honors College. Students may have first completed 492 or a related course for the first half of thesis credits. Description:  This course ranges from one to six semester hours. Consult with an honors advisor before enrolling is recommended.  Note:  493 is taken for the final semester of thesis work including the defense and final project submission.

BIO/MIC/MBB 494:  Advanced Study Practicum

Possible credit hours:  1-4 Enrollment Requirements:  Must have successfully completed the course for which you are assigned as an ATA. Description:  Assistant Teaching Assistants (ATAs) for School of Life Sciences Courses. Students must have completed the course for which they are assigned as an ATA. For more information, contact the course instructor. Note:  Does not count as upper division major lab credit.

BIO/HPS/MIC/MBB/PLB 495:  Undergraduate Research

Possible credit hours:  1-3 Description:  Supervised research in biology/microbiology/molecular biosciences and biotechnology/ or plant biology. Note:  Six credit hours of these types of experiences can be applied towards major degree requirements, and a max of three credit hours can go toward the upper division lab requirement.

BIO/HPS/MIC/MBB/PLB 496:  Undergraduate Thesis

Possible credit hours:  1-3 Enrollment Requirements:  Successful completion of BIO/MIC/MBB/PLB 495 Description:  Guided research culminating in the preparation of an undergraduate thesis based on supervised research done in current and previous semesters. Note:  Does not count as upper division major lab credit.

BIO/HPS/MIC/MBB/PLB 499:  Individualized Instruction

Possible credit hours:  1-3 Description:  Provides an opportunity for original study or investigation in the major or field of specialization on an individual and more autonomous basis. Note:  Can count as upper division lab credit, if doing applicable research/lab work. Please meet with your academic advisor with any questions.

What to do if I never received conformation about my OMNIBUS form

If you did not receive an "all parties finished" email from Adobe sign it is likely your form is not complete

Steps to trouble shoot Adobe Sign forms

• Check your SPAM or Junk mail folder. Some email software apps automatically route these emails to these folders. If you find an Adobe Sign email there, check to make sure it is the conformation email for the SOLS OMNIBUS form. 
• If you didn't get a confirmation email, reach out to your faculty member to make sure they received the email requesting their signature. Make them aware they may need to check their Junk or SPAM folders. If the email is in one of these folders, it will have to be marked "not SPAM" before the link will let them access the form. 
• If the faculty member indicates they have signed the form, you should email the advising office at [email protected]. In the subject line indicate "followup for Adobe Sign form" and include your name and student ID so your form can be located. 

Information for faculty about dates, contacts and grading

• Grades are due one week after Reading Day.
• Please email final grades to: [email protected]
• If you have any questions please email: [email protected] or contact the SOLS Advising office at 480-727-6277. 

OMNIBUS Adobe Sign Form

• Processing, Laser Scribing, and Characterizing Flexible Perovskite Solar Modules for Lunar Applications

Barrett Honors College theses and creative projects are restricted to ASU community members.

• Salazar, Grace (Author)
• Westmoreland, Adam (Co-author)
• Rolston, Nicholas (Thesis director)
• Rice, James (Committee member)
• Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
• Chemical Engineering Program (Contributor)
• Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
• Perovskite Solar Cells
• Flexible Solar Cells

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Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection

Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.

Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.

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Create opportunities for your future with your Honors Thesis.

All honors students end their program with an honors thesis: a sustained, independent research project in a student’s field of study. the thesis is an opportunity to work on unique research under the guidance of a faculty advisor. it often provides a writing sample for graduate school, and is also something you can share with employers to show what kind of work you can do. , what is an honors thesis.

Most of your work in college involves learning information and ideas generated by other people. When you write a thesis, you are engaging with previous work, but also adding new knowledge to your field. That means you have to know what's already been done--what counts as established knowledge; what's the current state of research; what methods and kinds of evidence are acceptable; what debates are going on. (Usually, you'll recount that knowledge in a review of the literature.) Then, you need to form a research question  that you can answer given your available skills, resources, and time  (so, not "What is love?" but "How are ideas about love different between college freshmen and seniors?"). With your advisor, you'll plan the method you will use to answer it, which might involve lab work, field work, surveys, interviews, secondary research, textual analysis, or something else--it will depend upon your question and your field. Once your research is carried out, you'll write a substantial paper (usually 20-50 pages) according to the standards of your field. Your thesis must count for at least 4 credits (some majors require that the thesis be completed over 2 semesters, and some require more than 4 credits).

What do theses look like?

The exact structure will vary by discipline, and your thesis advisor should provide you with an outline. As a rough guideline, we would expect to see something like the following:

1. Introduction 2. Review of the literature 3. Methods 4. Results 5. Analysis 6. Conclusion 7. Bibliography or works cited

In 2012, we began digitally archiving Honors theses. Students are encouraged to peruse the Honors Thesis Repository to see what past students' work has looked like. Use the link below and type your major in the search field on the left to find relevant examples. Older Honors theses are available in the Special Collections & Archives department at Dimond Library. 

Browse Previous Theses

Will my thesis count as my capstone?

Most majors accept an Honors Thesis as fulfilling the Capstone requirement. However, there are exceptions. In some majors, the thesis counts as a major elective, and in a few, it is an elective that does not fulfill major requirements. Your major advisor and your Honors advisor can help you figure out how your thesis will count. Please note that while in many majors the thesis counts as the capstone, the converse does not necessarily apply. There are many capstone experiences that do not take the form of an Honors thesis. 

Can I do a poster and presentation for my thesis?

No. While you do need to present your thesis (see below), a poster and presentation are not a thesis. 

How do I choose my thesis advisor?

The best thesis advisor is an experienced researcher, familiar with disciplinary standards for research and writing, with expertise in your area of interest. You might connect with a thesis advisor during Honors coursework, but   Honors advisors can assist students who are having trouble identifying an advisor. You should approach and confirm your thesis advisor before the semester in which your research will begin.

What if I need funds for my research?

The  Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research  offers research grants, including summer support. During the academic year, students registered in credit-bearing thesis courses may apply for an  Undergraduate Research Award  for up to $600 in research expenses (no stipend).  Students who are not otherwise registered in a credit-bearing course for their thesis research may enroll in  INCO 790: Advanced Research Experience,  which offers up to $200 for research expenses.

What if I need research materials for a lengthy period?

No problem! Honors Students can access Extended Time borrowing privileges at Dimond Library, which are otherwise reserved for faculty and graduate students. Email [email protected] with note requesting "extended borrowing privileges" and we'll work with the Library to extend your privileges.

Can I get support to stay on track?

Absolutely! Thesis-writers have an opportunity to join a support group during the challenging and sometimes isolating period of writing a thesis. Learn more about thesis support  here .

When should I complete my thesis?

Register for a Senior Honors Thesis course (often numbered 799) in the spring and/or fall of your Senior year.

This “course” is an independent study, overseen by your Thesis Advisor. Your advisor sets the standards, due dates, and grades for your project. You must earn at least a B to qualify for Honors.

What happens with my completed thesis?

Present your thesis.

All students must publicly present their research prior to graduation. Many present at the  Undergraduate Research Conference  in April; other departmentally-approved public events are also acceptable.

Publish your thesis:

Honors students are asked to make their thesis papers available on  scholars.unh.edu/honors/ . This creates a resource for future students and other researchers, and also helps students professionalize their online personas.

These theses are publicly available online. If a student or their advisor prefers not to make the work available, they may upload an abstract and/or excerpts from the work instead.

Students may also publish research in  Inquiry , UNH's undergraduate research journal.

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Philippe Ricord (1800–1889)

Philippe Ricord was a nineteenth-century physician and surgeon in France who studied syphilis and demonstrated that it is different from gonorrhea. As of 2024, researchers recognize that syphilis and gonorrhea are both sexually transmitted infections, or STIs. However, the bacterium Treponema pallidum  causes syphilis, leading to symptoms such as sores and fever, whereas the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae  causes gonorrhea and leads to different symptoms such as discharge from the urethra. Before Ricord, researchers thought syphilis and gonorrhea were the same disease. Ricord, through observation and experimentation, distinguished syphilis from gonorrhea and arranged the stages of syphilis into primary, secondary, and tertiary, each associated with different symptoms and levels of severity. By distinguishing syphilis from other STDs and accurately categorizing its stages, Ricord helped researchers better understand how to treat syphilis, a disease that can be transmitted from mother to child, causing life-threatening illness in infants.

Early Life and Education

Professional career, honors and accolades, legacy and impact.

Ricord was born on 20 December 1800 in Baltimore, Maryland, to parents who emigrated from France to the US to escape the unrest and violence of the period known as the Reign of Terror. During the French Revolution from 1789 to 1799, the Reign of Terror was a yearlong period where revolutionary extremists accused many French citizens of crimes such as treason and then publicly executed them. Ricord’s father died when he was young, so Ricord’s older brother, Jean Baptiste, raised Ricord and his other brother, Alexander. Ricord attended the Economical School in New York City, New York, which was a school for refugee children from France. According to John David Oriel, a physician and researcher who studied STIs and the history of STIs, Ricord had to leave the school due to financial challenges. After his time at school, Ricord worked odd jobs, but also assisted his older brother Jean Baptiste, who studied natural history. During one trip, when Ricord was helping his brother, he met Charles Alexandre Lesueur, a researcher from France who also studied natural history. Lesueur was in the US collecting specimens for the Paris Museum when he met Ricord. At the age of twenty, Ricord and his brothers accompanied Lesueur back to France to work for him as a curator of plant and animal specimens.

In the 1820s, Ricord began to pursue a career in medicine, and studied at various hospitals under multiple different mentors in France until 1826 when he received his medical degree. In 1821, Ricord began working at Val-De-Grâce Hospital in Paris, France, as an extern, which according to Oriel, was an unpaid medical student who did ward rounds daily. Shortly after that, Ricord began working under Guillaume Dupuytren, who was a surgeon who worked at the Hôtel Dieu hospital in Paris, France. In 1822, Ricord passed the medical exam required to become an intern, which according to Oriel, was a paid medical student who is also capable of teaching. After becoming an intern, he continued to study at Hôtel Dieu under Dupuytren. However, according to Oriel, Ricord and Dupuytren had a dispute that led to Ricord’s dismissal from Hôtel Dieu. Dupuytren claimed that he invented a surgical procedure to create an artificial anus, but Ricord disagreed, stating that a surgeon in the US had done the surgery years prior. The disagreement led Ricord to begin studying at l‘Hôpital de la Pitié and worked with various new mentors. In 1826, Ricord presented his thesis, Dissertation Sur Diverses Propositions de Chirurgie (Dissertation on Various Surgical Propositions) and earned his medical degree. He then spent a few years practicing general medicine in rural regions of France and also supported himself by teaching anatomy at l’Hôpital de la Pitié. 

In 1831, Ricord earned a position at l’Hôpital du Midi, where he began studying syphilis in an attempt to prove that it was different from other venereal diseases such as gonorrhea. L’Hôpital du Midi was a hospital that treated venereal diseases. Venereal disease is an older term that refers to STIs. At that time, physicians did not know exactly what caused syphilis and according to Oriel, by the sixteenth century, physicians subscribed to the theory that the same infectious substance caused both syphilis and gonorrhea, but resulted in different symptoms. Specifically, they thought that syphilis led to chancres, which is a sore that typically appears on the genitals and is caused by STIs, whereas gonorrhea resulted in pus-like discharge from the urethra.

Though many physicians subscribed to the idea that syphilis and gonorrhea were the same disease, one surgeon, John Hunter , offered evidence in favor of the theory with his 1786 text, “Treatise on the Venereal Disease.” There he uses the term venereal poison and states that it is responsible for causing venereal disease. In his book, Hunter states that the poison is present in pus, as well as other secretions from the body and causes venereal diseases when humans encounter those substances. He claims that if the poison meets a mucus membrane, it causes gonorrhea, if it gets into the bloodstream, it causes syphilis, and if it comes into contact with skin, it causes a chancre. According to Oriel, Hunter was not qualified to make such a statement, as he had not been formally trained as a physician but rather trained as a surgeon.

Other physicians and researchers at the time also attempted to prove that the same causal agent led to gonorrhea and syphilis, but according to Oriel’s biography, Ricord found their diagnostic techniques to be inadequate. Hunter practiced one of the diagnostic techniques Ricord disproved of in 1767, which entailed inoculating a healthy person. According to Hunter, when he did so with gonorrheal pus, the individual began to show symptoms of syphilis, so he diagnosed them with syphilis, declaring that he had proved that the same infectious material causes both syphilis and gonorrhea. As of 2024, researchers believe that the individual in that experiment likely had a double infection of syphilis and gonorrhea. However, Ricord sought to investigate the relationship between syphilis and gonorrhea for himself and began by creating a diagnostic technique to use on those already infected with one or both conditions.

During the 1830s, while working at Hôpital du Midi , Ricord developed a technique of his own to diagnose individuals with venereal diseases, in which he inoculated people with genital discharge, discharge from their own lesions, or from an inflamed lymph node to distinguish syphilis from other venereal diseases. Lymph nodes are organs that are a part of the immune system. He also wanted to use his method as a way of diagnosis. With that diagnostic method, Ricord collected fluid from genital discharge, lymph node, or a chancre of an infected individual. Then, he injected it into their thigh, covered the injection site with a piece of specialized glass, and observed it every day to determine if a lesion would form. Ricord found that the result of his test differed depending on the stage of syphilis that a patient had. He organized syphilis into primary, secondary, and tertiary stage syphilis based on the symptoms. As of 2024, researchers recognize an additional stage of syphilis, called latent syphilis, which occurs in between the secondary and tertiary stages. During latent syphilis, many years can pass without a person experiencing any symptoms of the disease.

During his research, Ricord observed how the inoculations he performed produced different results depending on the stage of syphilis and noted that gonorrheal discharge did not result in chancres. Ricord found that after inoculating a person in the primary stage of syphilis with discharge from a chancre, it would always produce a new chancre. He also concluded that discharge from an ulcer of a person in the secondary stage of syphilis cannot produce a new chancre. However, researchers after Ricord learned that a person in the late primary stage or second stage of syphilis has already generated an immune response to the bacteria, therefore they are less likely to form a chancre when inoculated with syphilitic material. Ricord proposed that inoculation to be the only accurate means of diagnosis, as it allowed him to distinguish syphilis as a separate condition from other venereal diseases. Gonorrheal discharge did not cause chancres when used for the inoculation, while discharge from a person in the primary stage of syphilis did induce chancres. That difference in combination with careful consideration of other physical symptoms present in a patient allowed Ricord to distinguish syphilis from gonorrhea. From 1831 to 1837, Ricord performed the procedure more than 2,500 times.

In 1838, Ricord published Trait é pratique des maladies vénériennes (A Practical Treatise on Venereal Diseases), in which he sought to achieve multiple goals, including proving that some specific agent caused syphilis, distinguishing syphilis from other similar venereal diseases or symptoms, organizing syphilis into stages, and considering different treatment methods for the disease. In that text, Ricord details the results of his inoculation experiments, how he distinguished syphilis from gonorrhea, and how he organized the stages of syphilis, into primary, secondary, and tertiary syphilis based of his observations. Ricord also includes numerous case reports of individuals with syphilis whom he treated. Those case reports included descriptions of the patients’ symptoms, the treatments Ricord gave to patients, and the results of the inoculations. Before describing the case reports, Ricord expresses that he does not believe it is permissible to inoculate a healthy person with any disease, as the consequences are unpredictable. Ricord also explains that despite performing syphilis inoculations on dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, and pigeons at his clinic, he was not able to induce syphilis in any of those animals. He used the same inoculation technique on the animals as he did in humans to produce a positive result, but the animals never presented symptoms of syphilis as people did. That led Ricord to declare that syphilis is unique to humans and cannot be transmitted to animals. According to Oriel, Traité pratique des maladies vénériennes was highly acclaimed and Ricord later won a gold medal from the French Academy of Sciences for the publication.

Additionally, in his 1838 publication, Ricord wrote about the vaginal speculum that he used to better examine the vagina and the cervix for venereal diseases. At that time, physicians typically did not perform thorough vaginal examinations on women experiencing symptoms of venereal disease. Rather, they diagnosed women by simply looking at the vulva and palpating the vagina to determine if they were infected. According to Oriel, Ricord did not believe that method of examination was sufficient. Thus, Ricord used a speculum , which is a device that physicians insert into the vagina to hold the vaginal walls apart to visualize chancres and discharge within the vagina and on the cervix. He explains the results of his examination in his 1838 publication, clarifying that genital discharge and chancres were not mutually exclusive in women.

In 1840, Ricord published an updated version of “A Treatise on Venereal Disease,” the text that John Hunter had originally published in 1776 to provide up-to-date information on venereal disease. In the newly published version, Ricord added many annotations throughout and thereby provided readers with an updated understanding of venereal disease according to what he had found during his research in the 1830s. For example, in the text where Hunter states that the same venereal poison is responsible for both syphilis and gonorrhea, Ricord responds that Hunter’s conclusions are the result of an erroneous interpretation of his experiment. Ricord goes on to describe his method of inoculation to clarify the difference between gonorrhea and chancres that may form from syphilis.

Starting in the 1840s, Ricord criticized the work of Joseph-Alexandre Auzias-Turenne, a physician and researcher, about syphilis transmission in animals. Despite Ricord’s 1838 publication reporting that animals cannot contract syphilis, Auzias-Turenne performed experiments inoculating animal with the pus from chancres. During the 1840s, Auzias-Turenne conducted experiments on monkeys and was able to induce a lesion that Auzias-Turenne concluded was a chancre. When Auzias-Turenne presented his findings to other experts, he was met with doubt and skepticism. Ricord criticized Auzias-Turenne’s experiment and conclusions, stating that Auzias-Turenne should inoculate himself with pus from the monkey’s chancre to see if he himself would develop syphilis.

During Auzias-Turenne’s research, he studied the practice of syphilization, which is the process of desensitizing an animal or person to syphilis by repeatedly inoculating them with syphilitic material until they do not produce new chancres anymore so that they are immune to the disease. Auzias-Turenne eventually performed the experiment on sex workers and even inoculated himself with syphilis hoping to prove that syphilization could be used to protect against syphilis. According to Oriel, in 1844, when Auzias-Turenne presented his research to several medical societies in Paris, Ricord prevented him from conducting further research on sex workers. Then, in 1867, during a medical conference, Auzias-Turenne proposed syphilization as a prophylactic, or preventative, measure for syphilis, which according to Oriel, led to Ricord unleashing a long, personal tirade against Auzias-Turenne. That resulted in an argument between those against and for syphilization.

Ricord’s accolades for his research and work as a physician grew during the 1850s with new positions and more publications on his work with syphilis. Ricord became a member of the Académie de Médecine in 1850. Also in 1850, Ricord began publishing Lettres sur la Syphilis (Letters on Syphilis) in the journal l’Union Médicale . Ricord wrote and addressed the letters to the editor of the journal Amédée Latour. In the letters, Ricord explains his career with syphilis, the research he conducted, and the evolution of the academic understanding of syphilis as a disease throughout history. For example, in his first letter, Ricord writes about his career in venereology and his intimate studies of syphilis. In that letter, Ricord details how he began working at l’Hôpital du Midi and became involved in researching syphilis. He then explains how he set out to learn the cause of syphilis through experimentation and observation.

In 1860, Ricord retired from his position at the Hôpital du Midi and began working at his private practice in France and took on new leadership positions during the Siege of Paris in 1870. In 1868, Ricord became president of the Académie de Médecine, and in the following year, 1869, he became the consulting surgeon to the Emperor of France, Napoleon III. During the siege of Paris in 1870, during which Prussian forces invaded and captured Paris, Ricord worked as an ambulance surgeon, treating wounded people, and directing the physicians and medical students of the ambulance service.

Ricord’s contributions to the discipline of venereology at the Hôpital du Midi and through his text had widespread impacts and allowed for researchers to better understand and categorize symptoms of STIs. His 1838 publication, Trait é pratique des maladies vénériennes challenged and disproved common erroneous theories about the cause of syphilis and clarified the relationship between gonorrhea and syphilis. Additionally, Ricord’s students Jean Alfred Fournier, Charles-Paul Diday, and Léon Bassereau, continued his work and made contributions to the field of venereology, such as finding ways to prevent the spread of STIs. Additionally, Bassereau distinguished between soft-chancres and hard, or syphilitic chancres, something Ricord had not identified during his own career. Ricord also reintroduced the speculum, which improved the treatment of females experiencing STIs. However, Ricord was not entirely correct in all of his theories. For example, as of 2024, researchers recognize that certain species can contract syphilis, although the causative agent may differ, and syphilis is still infectious in the secondary stage, contrary to what Ricord stated.

Ricord died in 1889 of pneumonia.

• Burke, Donald S. "Joseph-Alexandre Auzias-Turenne, Louis Pasteur, and Early Concepts of Virulence, Attenuation, and Vaccination."  Perspectives in Biology and Medicine  39 (1996): 171–186. 
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “About Gonorrhea.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. February 15, 2024.  https://www.cdc.gov/gonorrhea/about/index.html   (Accessed May 28, 2024).
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Syphilis.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last Reviewed January 16, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/syphilis.htm (Accessed May 28, 2024).
• Dracobly, Alex. “The Myth of Philippe Ricord’s Son-in-Law.” La Société Française d’Histoire de la Dermatologie. https://www.biusante.parisdescartes.fr/sfhd/ecrits/the-myth-of-philippe-ricords-son-in-law/ (Accessed May 28, 2024).
• Goldwyn, Robert M. “Guillaume Dupuytren: His Character and Contributions.” Bulletin of the  New York Academy of Medicine 45 (1969): 750–60. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1750448/ (Accessed May 28, 2024).
• Hunter, John, and Philip Ricord. A Treatise on the Venereal Disease . Ed. Freeman J. Bumstead. Philadelphia: Blanchard and Lea, 1853. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=mj4JAAAAIAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA17&dq=John+hunter+syphilis&ots=_VZ5JpbbWn&sig=FEIo9bmFiuf74XHIfYrpUX42I_s#v=onepage&q=John%20hunter%20syphilis&f=false (Accessed May 28, 2024).
• Lifson, Amy. “Remains of the Day.” HUMANITIES: The Magazine of the National Endowment for the Humanities , March/April 2010. https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2010/marchapril/curio/remains-the-day ( Accessed May 28, 2024).
• Linda Hall Library. “Charles Lesueur.” Linda Hall Library. December 12, 2022. https://www.lindahall.org/about/news/scientist-of-the-day/charles-lesueur/ (Accessed May 28, 2024).
• Oriel, John David. “Eminent Venerologists. 3. Phillippe Ricord.” Genitourinary Medicine 65 (1989): 388–9.   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1194410/ (Accessed May 28, 2024).
• Oriel, John David. The Scars of Venus: A History of Venerology . London: Springer-Verlag, 1994.
• Oriel, John David, and A.H.S. Hayward. “Sexually-Transmitted Diseases in Animals.” Sexually Transmitted Infections 50 (1974): 412–20. https://doi.org/10.1136/sti.50.6.412 (Accessed May 28, 2024).
• Ridgway, Geoffrey L. “John David Oriel, MD 1923–2000.” Sexually Transmitted Diseases 28 (2001): 2–3. https://doi.org/10.1097/00007435-200101000-00002 (Accessed May 28, 2024).
• The British Medical Journal. “Philippe Ricord, M.D.” The British Medical Journal 2 (1889): 1070–1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20221382 (Accessed May 28, 2024).
• JAMA . “Philippe Ricord (1800–1889), Syphilographer.” The Journal of the American Medical Association 211 (1970):115–6.
• Pashkov, Konstantin Anatolyevich, and Mikhail Sergeyevich Betekhtin. “Philippe Ricord – Prominent Venereologists of the XIX Century.” History of Medicine 1 (2014): 9–12.
• Ricord, Philippe. A Practical Treatise on Venereal Diseases, or Critical and Experimental Researchers on Inoculation, Applied to the Study of these Affections, with a Therapeutical Summary and Special Formulary. New York: P. Gordon, 1842.   https://wellcomecollection.org/works/wb3fc4xs (Accessed May 28, 2024).
• Ricord, Philippe. Dissertation Sur Diverses Propositions De Chirurgie . Paris: De L’Imprimerie De Didot Le Jeune, 1826. https://archive.org/details/BIUSante_TPAR1826x094 (Accessed May 28, 2024).
• Ricord, Philippe. Letters on Syphilis: Addressed to the Chief Editor of L’Union Médicale . Trans. D.D. Slade. Boston: David Clapp, 1853. https://wellcomecollection.org/works/f2nwhe5w (Accessed May 28, 2024).
• Ricord, Philippe. Letters on Syphilis: Addressed to the Chief Editor of the Union Médicale . Trans. W.P. Lattimore. Philadelphia: A. Hart, Late Carey & Hart, 1852. https://wellcomecollection.org/works/aqzzfwdn (Accessed May 28, 2024).

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Artificial Intelligence in Business, Business Data Analytics, Computer Information Systems

Faculty honors advisors, about this opportunity.

Technology is inescapable in the 21st Century. There are few, if any, companies in the world that do have technology and analytics at the core of everything they do. The degree programs offered by the Department of Information Systems are essential for providing students the business, technology, and analytical skills companies need for success.  Degree programs include: 

Artificial intelligence in business — Bachelor of Science

Master the art of harnessing artificial intelligence to drive business innovation. The undergraduate degree in AI in business equips you with the necessary technical AI and business skills required to succeed in the constantly evolving landscape of technology and information systems. It prepares business students to leverage AI mindfully, toward meaningful value creation within an organization.

In addition to learning how AI technologies work and how to deploy it successfully within a business, students are given opportunities to practice these skills in an organizational setting under the guidance of world-class business faculty and leaders.

Business data analytics — Bachelor of Science

Learn to effectively leverage business data analytics, creating a competitive advantage for organizations of all sizes and in any industry. The business data analytics degree program gives you the requisite knowledge to create and manage Big Data initiatives and associated business processes, facilitating large-scale business data analytics solutions for organizations of all sizes and in any industry.

Covering everything from data warehousing and dimensional modeling to visualization tools and data mining techniques, you’ll have a firm grasp of all things business data analytics, the skills you need to succeed in any career you pursue, and direct access to more opportunities than you can imagine.

Computer information systems — Bachelor of Science

Learn about the exciting and innovative ways that information technology is used to help organizations succeed. The degree in computer information systems teaches you to design, build, and maintain information systems that support business operations and managerial decision-making. Known for quality, our graduates continue to be recruited by leading organizations worldwide.

Covering everything from data management for decision-making and project management, to solution development for value creation and business intelligence for competitive advantage, the computer information systems program connects you with the skills you need to secure a job and excel on arrival.

Thesis projects from students in the Department of Information Systems take on a wide variety of topics and forms. There are a number that are qualitative research projects, answering important questions driving the technology and analytics agenda for professionals and academics. Many others involve the creation of technology artifacts, like mobile apps, web-based apps, databases, analytics dashboards, etc. Thesis projects undertaken by the IS Department must have a Director who is a member of the ASU faculty with professional expertise in the project area. The thesis will also have a required Second Committee Member who may be faculty or a community member, approved by the director, with related experience and knowledge of the thesis topic. Given the cross-disciplinary nature of the degree programs offered in the IS Department, many projects involve topics and faculty from many departments and colleges across ASU.

For general college information on W. P. Carey thesis projects, including how to obtain permission to enroll in thesis credit, click here.

Academic Preparation

Students working on thesis projects and degrees in the Department of Information Systems are encouraged to have a strong drive to answer technology and data related questions that influence our world academically, professionally, and personally. The open nature of the degree programs offer variety for how the specific studies of technology, data, analytics, and business are applied. Students who have intellectual curiosity, the desire to learn business technology skills, and the drive to apply themselves fully to their studies will find a broad array of applications and topics to which they can apply the hard and soft skills they learn in both the CIS and BDA degree programs.

Recommended Timeline

It is recommended that students begin exploring thesis topics in their second and third years of study. The majority of students complete a thesis in their final two years of undergraduate study. 

Other Honors Opportunities

W. P. Carey is proud to offer a specialized honors version of core business curriculum. This honors version, offered in Fall and Spring semesters, takes a deeper dive into course material and allows students to engage on a higher level with their faculty and peers. Students of all business majors are able to access these courses:

• ACC 261 Honors Fundamentals of Financial Accounting covers ACC 231/232
• ACC 271 Honors Fundamentals of Managerial Accounting covers ACC 241/242
• CIS 236 Honors Information Systems covers CIS 105 & 236
• ECN 231 Honors Business Statistics covers ECN 221
• FIN 303 Honors Finance covers FIN 300/302
• MKT 303 Honors Marketing Theory & Practice covers MKT 300/302
• MGT 303 Honors Organizational Strategies/Leadership covers MGT 300
• SCM 303 Honors Global Supply Operations covers SCM 300

Academic Unit

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