North Central College
College Scholars Honors Program
SENIOR THESIS GUIDELINES
Updated for 2014-15 Academic Year
General Criteria for the Honors Thesis
The honors thesis is expected to achieve a level of excellence consistent with the senior and capstone year of the
College Scholar. Writing a thesis is a process, one that none of our undergraduate students have completed
before, and it requires a commitment on the part of the student and the faculty member alike that goes beyond a
typical course experience. Characteristics of the honors thesis are as follows:
 An honors thesis may be completed within any discipline, or it may be interdisciplinary. Projects should
reflect “scholarship” appropriate to the subject matter. To articulate and support the project’s claims, some
theses will employ methodologies common to the humanities—including the studio and performing arts;
others will utilize research methods prevalent in the social sciences or in business; still others will utilize lab
or field research methods commonly employed in the natural sciences. Students should discuss appropriate
scholarly methodology with a faculty member in the field of intended work.
 The thesis’s level of scholarship should be significant for an undergraduate. It should be substantially more
rigorous than a term paper/course project or a term-long independent study, and should reflect work that has
developed and matured over the course of an entire year.
 Every thesis should include a text. Creative projects (e.g., film, computer program, creative writing, work(s)
of studio art, theater, or music) should include a written analytic introduction wherein the student situates the
project within existing scholarship, discusses creative influences, and/or reflects on the discovery and creative
process.
 Every honors thesis is 3.0 credits and is recorded with the course number “HON 400.”
 The length of the thesis depends upon the subject matter and methodology. Most theses have been more than
30 double-spaced pages; however, analytical introductions to creative projects are typically 10-20 pages.
 The thesis text should be well-written and carefully checked for grammatical or spelling errors.
 The thesis text should contain a consistent form of references, footnotes, or other documentation appropriate
to the discipline within which it is written.
 The thesis may be printed on one or both sides of the page. A 12 point “Times New Roman” font is preferred.
 The completed thesis must contain:
o The “Thesis Title Page” signed by the Director and Second Reader (see the template on the last page)
o A table of contents
o A 100-150 word abstract highlighting its central features
o The thesis text itself, and
o A selected bibliography
Two carefully-edited hard copies with title pages signed by the Thesis Director and Second Reader, a
signed hard copy of the “non-exclusive thesis distribution license” for inclusion of the thesis in an electronic
database, and an electronic version of the final draft (via email) must be submitted to the Office of College
Honors Programs on or before 5:00 pm on the day before Honors Day/Rall Symposium or, for those not
graduating in the Spring term, on Monday of the eighth week of the student’s graduation term.
Thesis Director / Second Reader / Librarian
The Thesis Director carries the primary responsibility for guiding the student’s project. This includes drawing up
a timeline for completion with the student and meeting in person regularly to assure progress (typically, weekly).
The Director of College Scholars should be contacted if either the student or the Thesis Director is not
fulfilling his/her responsibility to meet regularly.
The Second Reader is selected by the student following consultation with the Thesis Director. The Second Reader
should be from a department different from that of the Thesis Director (occasionally, exceptions are allowed
based on circumstances). A primary function of the Second Reader is to evaluate the quality and readability of the
thesis from the view of a non-specialist and to offer insight from a disciplinary perspective that complements the
project’s focus. The Second Reader should provide input as requested by the student, helping to strengthen the
project’s quality, but should defer to the Thesis Director if differences arise with respect to the direction, scope,
or evaluation of the student’s work.
The third member of the student’s thesis team is the Supporting Librarian from the NCC library faculty. Each
student is expected to discuss their project ideas, methods, and bibliography with an NCC Supporting Librarian
early in the proposal development process. In addition, each thesis project is to be reviewed by a librarian prior to
submission of the final draft.
While Second Readers and Supporting Librarians are vital to successful theses, only Thesis Directors are formally
compensated (through teaching credit) for their role. Students should, therefore, meet regularly with their Thesis
Director and only occasionally with their Second Readers and Supporting Librarians.
Evaluation of the Project
The grade for the 3 credit hour thesis is assigned by the Thesis Director, after consultation with the Second
Reader. Librarians are not involved in the grading process (unless they are also serving as a director or second
reader). Regardless of whether the thesis credits are placed in a single term or over multiple terms, a single thesis
grade will be assigned. A “PR” grade should be assigned when the student has allocated “HON 400” credits to a
term or terms earlier than the project’s completion date. No letter grade should be given until the final draft has
been submitted. Once the project has been completed (usually in the spring term), one grade will be assigned for
all of the credit hours and will replace any earlier “PR” grade(s). The final grade for the thesis should reflect the
student’s overall work during the thesis process (conducting preliminary research, scheduling and showing up
prepared for meetings, drafting process, meeting intermediate deadlines, and producing a final version), not
merely the quality of the final draft. There is no automatic “A” or “B” on an honors thesis; College Scholars
must maintain both a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better and a cumulative honors GPA of 3.0 or better to
graduate as a College Scholar. The thesis grade counts toward both of these. Furthermore, a thesis that does
not receive a grade of “C-” or better does not meet the requirement for graduating as a College Scholar.
Timeline Guidelines & Completion Requirements
 For all students, a complete draft of the thesis (complete, but not “final”) is due to the Thesis Director,
Second Reader, and Supporting Librarian no later than the end of the second week of the term in which the
student plans to graduate. This allows time for feedback, revisions, and editing/proofreading.
 Once a student completes requested revisions, s/he should submit a final (revised and proofread) version to
the Thesis Director and Second Reader. If the final draft is satisfactory, the Thesis Director and Second
Reader will sign on the title page to indicate the project’s completion.
 Again, [1] two hard copies of the final approved version with signed title pages, [2] the signed “non-
exclusive thesis distribution license,” and [3] an electronic version of the thesis must be submitted to the
Office of Academic Opportunities on or before 5:00 pm on the day before Honors Day/Rall Symposium or,
for those not graduating in the Spring term, on Monday of the eighth week of the student’s graduation
term. This means that, before this deadline, the thesis should have received the signed approval of both the
Thesis Director and the Second Reader. Copies of the final draft, therefore, should be provided the Thesis
Director and the Second Reader sufficiently in advance of the seventh week to allow for appropriate review,
consultation, and final editing.
 Of the two hard copies of the thesis submitted by the student, one will be preserved in the Oesterle Library
Archives, while the other will be bound and included in the Rall House Thesis Collection. The submitted
electronic version will be catalogued and made available for circulation through the Oesterle Library’s digital
collection.
 Additional bound copies may be purchased by students for $15/copy (submit the additional hard copies of the
text and your check to “North Central College” when you turn in the two required copies, or a few days later
if needed to prepare the copies and gather the payment).
See a sample of the Thesis Title Page on the next page.
This is the Title of an Imaginary Senior Honors
Thesis to Illustrate How Your Title Page
Should Be Prepared
Your Name
SENIOR HONORS THESIS
Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements of the
College Scholars Honors Program
North Central College
Please enter date here
Approved: ______________________________________ Date: __________
Thesis Director Signature
Type Thesis Director’s Name Here
Approved: ______________________________________ Date: __________
Second Reader Signature
Type Second Reader’s Name Here