Completing a Thesis in the Research Humanities or Social Science Disciplines

The Senior Honors Thesis in humanities and social science disciplines is typically envisioned and executed entirely as a written piece of work. This kind of thesis might resemble a long research paper in form, but it is different than a class paper. It tackles a problem that others have not yet addressed adequately, or it approaches the problem from a new angle. Research into what others have said and done is the essential first step, but your thesis should go beyond prior work to include your own insights and critical thinking. You should have an acquaintance with the relevant scholarship and display originality in the formulation of your arguments. Typically, such a thesis will run 50-75 pages.

Completing a Thesis in Creative Writing

The creative writing thesis is typically envisioned as a written piece of work that has two main components: 1) critical introduction, and 2) original creative writing in a single genre (poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction, novella, portion of a novel), the bulk of which is created after the approval of the thesis prospectus.

While the length of the creative writing section depends largely on the genre and nature of your project, some suggested guideposts include: a poetry collection (30 pages); a short story collection, creative non-fiction, play, or novella (60 pages); a portion of a novel (80 pages including a detailed outline of the rest of the work). More important than length is the quality of thought and writing. The critical introduction must be 15-20 pages. The central aim of this introduction is to situate your creative writing project within the artistic traditions you are engaging in. For more information on writing a creative writing thesis, please refer to the Creative Writing Thesis Overview and Guidelines.

Please review the CLASS Thesis and Dissertation webpage for formatting requirements and the CLASS submission deadline to receive college approval.

Email Anna Marchese in the CLASS Dean’s Office to submit a copy of your signed Thesis Defense and Final Evaluation form and a copy of your revised thesis after you defend and before the CLASS submission deadline. Include “Senior Honors Thesis” in the subject line and provide her with your UH PeopleSoft number in your email.

After you receive CLASS approval, you will submit your final thesis to the Honors College. The thesis defense form and directions for submitting the final approved thesis to the Honors College can be found on the Defense and Graduation page. After your thesis is checked and approved, the final thesis must be submitted to the Senior Honors Thesis Electronic Portal by the last day of the term.

There are no bound copies of the thesis required for the Honors College. However, all students who complete the senior honors thesis are welcome to submit a bound copy to the Honors College for display in the Estess Library.