MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY HONORS COLLEGE DEPARTMENTAL DISTINCTION I. DEPARTMENTAL DISTINCTION Requirements -minimum of 12 semester hours in department of major -senior honors project (may be included in 12 hours in major) Courses Courses used to fulfill general honors requirements also may be applied to departmental distinction. It is the prerogative of the department of major to determine what courses may or may not be used to fulfill the departmental distinction requirements. Sample course sequences: A. MAJ 312 4 (upgrade from 3 with honors component) MAJ 401 4 (upgrade from 3 with honors component) MAJ 499 4 (senior honors project) 12 honors credits Sample component proposal form is on page 9. Copies of form are available from the Honors College. B. MAJ 312 3 (regular honors section) MAJ 401 3 (regular honors section) MAJ 412 3 (regular honors section) MAJ 499 3 (senior honors project) 12 honors credits II.HONORS PROJECT PROPOSAL FORM (see page 5) Process The student should consult with a senior faculty member in the department of major and settle upon a topic and design for the project. A written proposal describing the project must be submitted to, and approved by, the Director of the Honors College. Deadline The project proposal must be submitted by the end of the first week of the semester in which the student is to do the project, and not later than the end of the first week of the semester in which the student will graduate. Form The proposal should contain the following components: Title Page Signature Page (Approval of the Project) Abstract covering the following: Subject Purpose of the Research Need for the Study Methods Projected Date of Completion Course Enrollment Course Enrollment. The proposal must provide the following information: (a) semester of enrollment, (b) course code and number, and (c) number of credit hours. Approval of the Project. A signature page, bearing the signatures of the project advisor, department head, and Director of the Honors College must be a part of the proposal. The format shown on page 5 should be used. 3 Preparation The proposal must be double spaced, with one-inch margins, on 8 2" x 11" white, bond paper of at least 25% cotton rag content. High rag content papers contain lower amounts of acid fiber and are less subject to yellowing with age. A laser jet or inkjet printer should be used. Funding A small stipend might be available for xerography, library research, and other expenses related to the project. Request for funds (max. $200) must be made in the proposal. III. HONORS PROJECT FORM Order. The completed project will contain the following components in the order given: Acceptance/Signature Page Title Page Abstract Table of Contents List of Tables (if any) List of Figures, Plates, or Illustrations (if any) Body of Thesis Literature Cited, References, or Bibliography Appendix (if any) Index (if any) 4 Project Acceptance/Signature Page. The format shown on page 8 is to be used. The page must bear the signatures of the project advisor, department head, and Director of the Honors College. Title Page. The required format is shown on page 6. The title and author entries are centered within the margins of the title page. The title, in all capitals, is double spaced and presented in inverted pyramid style if longer than 48 spaces. This page is counted as "I" but pagination is not shown. Abstract. The format shown on page 7 must be used. The abstract should be not more than 350 words and should contain a statement of the problems, materials, methods or procedures used, a presentation of principle results, and a conclusion or summary. The body of the abstract should be single spaced and limited to one page. Number as "ii" in pagination. IV. HONORS PROJECT PREPARATION Form Use one side of 8 2" x 11" white, bond paper of at least 25% cotton rag content only. Project must not be bound. Spacing Double space all materials in text. Single space may be used for footnotes or quotations of five lines or more. Print Size and Quality Standard pica (10 characters per inch), elite (12 characters per inch) or proportional spacing is required. Script or slanted faces are not acceptable. Italics may be used for book or journal titles, scientific names of species, and other appropriate situations. Acceptable print quality: letter-quality (laserjet or inkjet). Dot matrix printing is unacceptable. Margins 5 1 2" left side. 1" top, right side, and bottom. The area within these margins must contain all parts of the project -- all parts of illustrations, graphs, the body of the project, and the page numbers. Page Numbering Page numbers should be in the upper right hand corner, 1" from the top and 1" from the right edge of each page. Pages prior to the body of the project should be numbered with small Roman numerals (I, ii, iii, etc.); the body of the project through the index should be numbered with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.). Illustrations Black ink must be used for hand lettering, or in ink work. Photographs or other illustrations are to be mounted (either with white casein or by dry-mounting process). V. COMPLETION OF DEPARTMENTAL DISTINCTION Deadline The completed, unbound, senior honors project, including all those elements listed under "Project Order" above, must be in the Honors College office no later than 5:00 PM, 14 days before date of commencement. Minor corrections and/or changes in the body of the project may be made up until date of commencement. When the student completes these requirements, his/her diploma and transcript will read "...in the Honors College with distinction in [major]." 6 MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY HONORS COLLEGE PROPOSAL TO GRADUATE WITH DISTINCTION NAME Bear M# PROJECTED GRADUATION Semester/Year MAJOR STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: (ATTACH SEPARATE PAGE IF NECESSARY) PROPOSED COURSES TO WHICH COMPONENTS WILL BE ADDED. INCLUDE TWO (2) ALTERNATE SELECTIONS: COURSE SEMESTER COURSE SEMESTER __ ____ __ ____ __ ____ __ __ ____ PROPOSED SENIOR HONORS PROJECT: (ATTACH SEPARATE PAGE IF NECESSARY) STUDENT SIGNATURE DATE ADVISOR SIGNATURE DATE DEPARTMENT HEAD SIGNATURE DATE HONORS DIRECTOR SIGNATURE DATE 7 SENIOR HONORS PROJECT PROPOSAL by Joe Honors Submitted to the Honors College Missouri State University Month Year Approved: ______________________________________ Project Director _____________________________________ Department Head _____________________________________ Director of the Honors College 8 SAMPLE TITLE PAGE TITLE HERE IN TWO OR THREE LINES A Senior Honors Project Presented to the Department of [Major] and the Honors College Missouri State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Departmental Distinction in the Honors College by Joe Honors Month Year 9 TITLE (ALL CAPS) Academic Department Missouri State University, Month Year Joe Honors ABSTRACT (body - single spaced - one page) 10 TITLE OF PROJECT by Joe Honors A Senior Honors Project Submitted to the Honors College Missouri State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Departmental Distinction in the Honors College Month Year Approved: _________________________________ Project Director ________________________________ Department Head ________________________________ Director of the Honors College