Thesis Year by Year

Request to enroll in AFLS 341H3 - Honors Proposal Development and Research Methods course for the upcoming spring semester. Students are expected to have identified an Honors Thesis Mentor and general honors thesis idea prior to enrolling in the course. Instructor permission is required to enroll.  Email our office at aflshnrs@uark.edu to request a seat in the course.

Enroll in at least one three-credit hour honors course:

• Get to know your Honors Departmental Representative. Consult the undergraduate course catalog and your Academic Advisor for honors course options. 
• At the completion of 6 honors credit hours you qualify for grants from the Honors College.

Identify your Honors Thesis Mentor:

• Review the guidelines for research, creative, and group/team projects. 
• Consider a question or concept you would like to explore through a research or creative honors thesis.
• View faculty research expertise under the Select an Honors Thesis Mentor tab on the Bumpers College Honors Program website.
• Speak with faculty about the direction of your honors thesis project and discuss their willingness to become your Honors Thesis Mentor.

Request to enroll in AFLS 341H3 - Honors Proposal Development and Research Methods course for the upcoming fall semester. Students are expected to have identified an Honors Thesis Mentor and general honors thesis idea prior to enrolling in the course. Instructor permission is required to enroll. Email our office at aflshnrs@uark.edu to request a seat in the course.

Submit Honors Faculty Mentor and Project Identification Form (Form #1) 

• Obtain your Honors Thesis Mentor's signature.
• Include the draft title of your honors thesis project.

Begin developing your honors thesis proposal in AFLS 341H3 and continue working with your Honors Thesis Mentor: 

• Establish research objectives or research questions, gather background information and peer-reviewed examples, and identify research methods or creative processes.

• Apply for a  Bumpers College Undergraduate Research & Creative Project Grant – Due October 15 during fall semester and March 15 in spring semester.
• Watch for an email from aflshnrs@uark.edu with deadlines and links to the Bumpers College Undergraduate Research and Creative Project Grant application and proposal guidelines. 

This is the last semester to take AFLS 341H3 - Honors Proposal Development and Research Methods.

Apply for a SURF Grant to fund your honors thesis project – Annual deadline Mid October.

• Attend a SURF information meeting – typically the first and second week of September.
• Register for SURF application tool kit through the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards.

Apply for Bumpers College Undergraduate Research & Creative Project Grant – Fall deadline October 15.

Continue working on your honors thesis:

• Refine your honors thesis proposal document.
  • (Title Page, Introduction, Literature Review, Methods and Materials or Development Plan, Literature Cited)

Enroll in at least one three-credit hour honors course.

• Consult the undergraduate course catalog and your Academic Advisor for honors course options. 

Coordinate with your Honors Thesis Mentor to identify your honors thesis committee (2-3 members). Schedule a date, time, and location to hold an honors thesis proposal meeting to seek approval for moving forward with your honors thesis project.

• Provide your committee a copy of your honors thesis proposal at least one week prior to your honors thesis proposal meeting.

• Provide a copy of the Honors Thesis Proposal  Meeting and Committee Selection Form (Form #2) to your committee at your honors thesis proposal meeting. Obtain Honors Thesis Mentor's signature, committee members' signatures, and the Honors Departmental Representative's signature. The Honors Departmental Representative is required to sign Form 2 to confirm that the honors thesis proposal meeting has taken place, but is not required to be an active committee member.
• Submit Form 2 and attach the approved honors thesis proposal. 

• • (Thesis Proposal: Title Page, Introduction, Literature Review, Methods and Materials or Development Plan, Literature Cited)

Following your committee's approval, you may begin conducting your honors thesis project under the guidance of your Honors Thesis Mentor and committee.

• Work with your Honors Thesis Mentor to determine if ethical approvals are needed for working with human, animal, or certain biological subjects. If so, submit the appropriate protocols for approval prior to beginning your honors thesis project.  Review requirements and help guides from the UA office of Research Integrity and Compliance. 
• Begin collecting data or start creative processes. 
• Gather background examples and materials.

Apply for a Bumpers College Undergraduate Research & Creative Project Grant – Spring deadline March 15. 

• Watch for an email from aflshnrs@uark.edu with deadlines and links to the Bumpers College Undergraduate Research and Creative Project Grant application and proposal guidelines. 

Enroll in at least one three-credit hour honors course.

• Consult the undergraduate course catalog and your Academic Advisor for honors course options. 

Enroll in AFLS 400HV - Honors Thesis Credits.

• Submit Request to Enroll in Honors Thesis Credit Form.
• Take three honors thesis credit hours in fall and/or three honors thesis credit hours in spring if needed.

Conclude honors thesis.

• Continue developing your honors thesis document (Findings, Results or Design Process and Creative Works, Discussion, Conclusions, Implications, Recommendations, Literature Cited, Tables, Charts, Figures, Appendices).

Apply for Graduation through UA Connect (at the completion of 90 credit hours).

Complete your honors thesis document and hold an honors thesis defense meeting. Coordinate with your Honors Thesis Mentor and committee to schedule a date, time and location.

• Honors thesis defense deadlines April 1 (spring graduates), July 1 (summer graduates), and November 1 (fall graduates).
• Provide your committee a copy of your completed honors thesis at least one week prior to your defense meeting date.
• Email aflshnrs@uark.edu the date, time and location of your defense meeting at least one week prior to your scheduled defense date.
• Provide the Honors Thesis Defense Meeting and Examination  Form (Form #3) to your committee at the defense meeting. Obtain the signatures of your Honors Thesis Mentor, committee members, and the Honors Departmental Representative. Your Honors Thesis Mentor is responsible for turning the signed and completed form in on your behalf to the Bumpers College Waldrip Student Center (AGRI 205) or by email to aflshnrs@uark.edu. 

Incorporate all revisions and edits provided during defense.

• Email aflshnrs@uark.edu to schedule an appointment to review final honors thesis formatting and ensure you are meeting minimum program requirements prior to the term’s submission deadline.

Submit final copy of honors thesis document to ScholarWorks.

• Honors thesis submission deadlines April 15 (spring graduates), July 15 (summer graduates, and November 15 (fall graduates). 

Enroll in AFLS 400HV, Honors Thesis Credits (if needed).

• Submit Request to Enroll in Honors Thesis Credit Form.

Submit your revised thesis as an article to Discovery Journal, the student journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. Please follow the linked instructions for student authors. 

Attend the spring Honors and Awards Reception.

• Watch for a message from our office with the dates, times and locations of this event.