Interdisciplinary Honors Thesis

The Interdisciplinary Honors Thesis is a two-semester independent research project, 3 credits each semester, which culminates in a written thesis and an oral defense before a faculty committee. Students are also expected to present their work at the Interdisciplinary Honors Thesis Conference in April. 

The Interdisciplinary Honors Thesis is the option for students:

• who are interested in a topic that spans more than one academic discipline (students may be double majors);
• who want to complete a research project in a field other than the major; or
• who are in a major that does not have a departmental honors program.

The Interdisciplinary Honors Thesis is a scholarly monograph, a substantial written work based on a defined thesis question developed into a sustained argument. The work must incorporate extensive original research, be supported by evidence and critical reasoning, and must show mastery of a subject field. In most cases the final product of the Interdisciplinary Honors Thesis will be a written research thesis; the final product could, however, be “creative:” a novel or a set of linked short stories, painting and mounting an exhibition, writing and producing a video or play, or composing and performing a piece of music. Whatever the primary medium of expression, the project must incorporate substantial scholarly research and writing.

Note: Students writing Interdisciplinary Honors Theses do not typically participate in Departmental Honors Programs and do not typically qualify for Departmental Honors.  Students who are interested in writing a senior thesis through their major department's Departmental Honors program should contact the major department for more information. 

Students interested in completing an Interdisciplinary Honors Thesis must submit an application for review by the SAS Honors Program in the Office of Undergraduate Education.

The remaining dates for the 2023-2024 Interdisciplinary Honors Thesis are as follows:

Proposal Application Link:

INTERDISCIPLINARY HONORS THESIS APPLICATION

Applications for 2024-2025 are due on  May 1, 2024.

Students will be notified by the end of May if they have been accepted into the Interdisciplinary Honors Thesis program. Upon approval of the proposal, a student completing an Interdisciplinary Honors Thesis will enroll (with a special permission number) in 01:090:495-496, Honors Interdisciplinary Thesis, and must also enroll in 01:090:491-492, Research Workshop.

Deadlines for 2024-2025 Interdisciplinary Honors Thesis

All students completing an SAS Interdisciplinary Honors Thesis will be considered Paul Robeson Scholars.

For more information

Please contact the SAS Honors Program at honors@sas.rutgers.edu or 848-932-7964.