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