DEPARTMENTAL HONORS IN BIOLOGY
(For May 2016 & December 2016 Graduates)
Information, Procedures and Criteria
Overview. Departmental Honors in Biology is awarded to students who have successfully completed a
rigorous program of research and scholarship in the area of Biology. The written product, the honors
thesis, is normally based on empirical research conducted by the student, although in certain cases, the
thesis can be based on research of a different type, e.g., historical or philosophical research of a
biological topic. The research can be conducted during the academic year, e.g., in a faculty member’s
lab or on a study away program, and/or during the summer.
The department expects students pursuing departmental honors to make a major commitment of time
and energy, one that normally extends as long as a year or more, including time spent developing and
conducting the research, analyzing the results, reviewing the literature, writing the thesis, and preparing
and presenting a public seminar on the thesis topic. Students should consider pursuing departmental
honors only if they have a very strong interest in research and are willing to organize their senior year
around the demands of the honors work. Students interested in pursuing departmental honors are
encouraged to contact a faculty member early in their junior year. Specific eligibility criteria and
departmental procedures are described in more depth below.
Minimum GPA. To be accepted into the department’s honors program, students must have a
cumulative GPA (all college courses) of at least 3.30 and a GPA in their biology courses of at least 3.40.
Prerequisite Course Work. Honors students must be biology majors. Biology minors are not eligible
to pursue departmental honors in Biology. Students must have strong academic background and training
in the area(s) needed to complete their honors work. The nature of the preparation will vary with the
research, but adequate preparation must be demonstrated in relevant areas both within and outside of
biology (e.g., in statistics or chemistry). Students interested in pursuing an interdisciplinary topic for
their honors work must have demonstrated knowledge and expertise in the respective non-biological
field(s) for their applications to be approved. In addition, these students may be asked to have a faculty
member from the non-biological discipline serve as a co-faculty adviser to the honors project and thesis.
Application Process. Students must submit a Departmental Honors Application to the chair of the
Biology Department no later than September 14, 2015 (for May 2016 graduates) or January 25, 2016
(for December 2016 graduates). The multi-page application involves a literature review of the topic,
with a bibliography, and a thorough description of the proposed research, as well as information about
the student’s preparation. (The application form should be attached to this information packet. If not,
one can be obtained from the department office.) The application must be accompanied by a list of the
biology courses taken and the grades earned by the students in those courses as well as overall GPA and
biology GPA. The student and the biology faculty member serving as the student’s honors adviser must
sign applications. Applications will be reviewed by a committee of department faculty members (the
departmental honors committee). Accepted applicants will be admitted into the department’s honors
program.
The Thesis. A typical thesis consists of two parts: an extensive literature review and a report of the
student’s own research. In the literature review the student should demonstrate a thorough
understanding of the major ideas, findings, and theories of the biological field that provides the context
for the student’s own study. It is expected that the student will clearly describe how his/her specific
study relates to the larger questions and issues confronting the broader research discipline. Literature
reviews in honors theses are expected to range from 7,000 to 14,000 words (20-40 pages). While there
are no formal length requirements for Biology theses, they normally range from 14,000 to 21,000 words
(40-60 pages, excluding figures, tables, and bibliography).
Thesis Format.
A Biology Honors Thesis will be composed of the following ordered sections:
 Title Page (listing the title, student’s name, the words “An Honors Thesis Submitted to the
Biology Department at Macalester College, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA”, and the date
(day, month, year) of completion.
 An Abstract (on its own page)
 Table of Contents
 A Preface (if desired)
 Acknowledgments (if desired)
 The body of the thesis
 Literature Cited
 Tables (if not incorporated into the text)
 Figure Legends (if not incorporated into the text)
 Figures (if not incorporated into the text)
 Appendices (if any)
Font should be Times New Roman (12 point) (with exceptions for tables and figures). Margins
should be one inch (top, bottom, and right) and 1.5 inches (left). Primary, secondary, tertiary, and
quaternary (if any) headings must be distinguished from one another using different font, capitalization,
and/or spacing conventions for the respective heading types.
References should be cited using one of the two following formats:
o Cited parenthetically in the text (last name and year of publication) with the Literature Cited
section arranged alphabetically according to the last name of the authors; or,
o Cited numerically (in order of citation in the text) with the Literature Cited section arranged
in ascending numerical order.
Note: In addition to being archived in the library, each successful thesis will be shelved and displayed in
the Biology Department.
The Oral Presentation. Honors students are required to present a 30-60 minute public seminar on their
research. In addition, honors students are expected to present their findings at the Winchell Symposium
and/or at another professional meeting, and if there is room, also at the Biology Department Spring
Symposium.
The Defense. An honors thesis is read by a committee of faculty members, usually three, and typically
including a faculty member or other expert from outside Macalester. This committee then meets with
the student for about an hour (the defense) during which time committee members ask the student
questions about the thesis and the research behind it. Following the meeting with the student, the
committee decides as a group whether the thesis merits an honors designation.
Timeline. Students must submit their Departmental Honors Application to the department chair no
later than September 14, 2015 (for students graduating May 2016) and no later than January 25, 2016
(for students graduating December 2016).
During the last week of January in the senior year (August for December graduates), students are
required to submit a first draft of their literature review along with a progress report of their research to
the department for approval. Only those students whose literature reviews are approved by the
department and who are making good progress on their research will be permitted to proceed in the
department honors program. Expectations and guidelines for the literature reviews are described above.
Honor’s Deadlines:
Honor’s Application
DUE
Complete Draft of
Literature Review
Outside Examiner
form DUE
Abstract
Oral Defense
Completion
Final Thesis
For May 2016 Graduates:
September 14, 2015
For December 2016 Graduates:
January 25, 2016
January 25, 2016
September 6, 2016
April 1, 2016
(Tentative)
April 1, 2016
(Tentative)
April 22, 2016
(Tentative)
April 29, 2016
(Tentative)
November 14, 2016
(Tentative)
November 14, 2016
(Tentative7
December 7, 2016
(Tentative)
December 14, 2016
(Tentative)
Independent Credits. Honors students are required to register for an Honors Independent (Bio
466) during the fall semester for May graduates and during spring semester for December
graduates. Students may substitute a ‘Research in …’ class for the Honors Independent providing
they are working on their honors research in the class. Unless the majority of the research and
writing is completed before the start of spring semester, honors students are strongly encouraged to
take just three classes during their final semester, or if the credits from four courses are needed for
graduation, students are encouraged to enroll in an Independent as the fourth course.
Honors students are also required to register for a two credit January independent credit during their
senior year and are normally expected to be on campus during this time working on their research
and/or writing. However, in certain cases, honors research and/or writing may be better accomplished
off campus during January, e.g., in a particular lab, field site, or library. In these instances, the on
campus requirement for January will be waived.
Students are permitted to register for no more than two 4 credit independents (in addition to the 2
credit January independent) to work on their honors project. Note: only 4 independent credits can count
toward the Biology major.