Thesis Guide
To better understand what is involved with completing the Honors Thesis see our thesis guide.
The Honors College Senior Thesis serves as a remarkable opportunity unlike any other at the University. Although the thesis is a requirement towards graduation from the University with honors from the South Carolina Honors College, we encourage you to think of it as an opportunity to express the quality of your intellectual development and to draw your undergraduate learning experiences together.
We understand that the Honors thesis process can initially feel overwhelming, and our students often feel unsure where to start. We've compiled the resources below to help you get started and to provide step-by-step guidance on making your way through the senior thesis process.
To better understand what is involved with completing the Honors Thesis see our thesis guide.
Follow our submission guide as a standard format for submitting an Honors thesis or project paper.
*Find current deadlines for December and May graduates here.
SCHC 390 is an online class typically taken in either the fall or spring semester of your junior year to prepare you to undertake your senior thesis paper or project. At the end of the course, you will submit a thesis proposal for a pass/fail grade. Students who are studying away from campus are waived from the requirement but can still access information provided on Blackboard. Like with any other honors course, you will sign up for SCHC 390 through your Honors Advisor.
After completing SCHC 390, you will be enrolled in SCHC 499 by your Honors College advisor during advisement.
It is your responsibility to maintain regular contact with both your Thesis Director and Second Reader for the duration of your senior year. When meeting with your Director and Second Reader, it is critical to establish expectations for the research and writing process, including deadlines for draft(s) of your writing to be submitted. A final draft should be sent to your readers at least 2 weeks before your thesis defense. You must also select a date for your thesis defense in consultation with your Director and Second Reader. Any request for extensions beyond the stated deadline must be sent to Dr. Banks by the Thesis Director.
In collaboration with your Thesis Director and Second Reader, schedule a date and time for your thesis defense. This date must then be submitted to the Honors College. The defense is required to be held before the last day of classes. A representative from the Honors College is not required to attend the thesis defense, however you must submit your thesis defense date to the Honors College (available here). After your date has been selected, you are responsible for reserving a room for your defense. To reserve a room in HRH, complete this online form. Students can also reserve a classroom in Flynn Hall. Business Majors should contact Dr. Banks for information on reserving a room in the DMSB building.
In order to certify your diploma as an Honors College graduate, the following items must be submitted via online form to the Honors College. Please do not send any of the following via email.
Thesis Binding Form. This can be dropped in Dr. Banks’ office mailbox on the first floor of Harper. Please note, students are not required to pay for bound thesis copies. If you are interested in paying for a bound copy of your thesis in the traditional “red book” form, please contact Dr. Kay Banks (bankshk@mailbox.sc.edu) for details or see format requirements in the Submission Guide.
Kati Russ received the 2020 William A. Mould Senior Thesis Award for her thesis, “The Lost Generation’s Women: How Flapper Girls Helped the Lost Generation Find Themselves.”
Libby Davenport also received the 2020 William A. Mould Senior Thesis Award for her work studying Daphnia pulex, a microcrustacean that lives in lakes and ponds.
Date | Requirement |
---|---|
10/9 | Submit new proposal and/or new director contract if topic has changed since SCHC 390 |
11/6 |
Last day to submit thesis grant application |
11/20 | Deadline to submit thesis defense date and second reader information |
12/4 | Last day for thesis defense |
12/11 | Deadline for submission of all senior thesis documents |
Date | Requirement |
---|---|
10/9 | Submit new proposal and/or new director contract if topic has changed since SCHC 390 |
11/6 |
Deadline to submit second reader information |
3/5 | Last day to submit thesis grant application |
4/2 | Deadline to submit thesis defense date |
4/23 | Last day for thesis defense |
5/3 | Deadline for submission of all senior thesis documents |