Honors Requirements

Students majoring in Global Studies are encouraged to participate in the Global Studies undergraduate major Honors Program. An honors thesis provides a great way for a student to do one-on-one research work with a faculty member. An honors thesis can also serve as a high-quality writing sample for an application to graduate school or a job. An honors thesis is a way to become an expert on a topic of interest and gain recognition for your outstanding academic work. Finally, writing an honors thesis gives you the opportunity to explore in detail an area or topic which will be important later in your life or career, and it encourages you to synthesize the diverse offerings taken in this interdisciplinary program.

Students who have an overall GPA of 3.50 or higher and want to graduate with honors in Global Studies are required to write a 30-50 page Honors Thesis.

A faculty thesis supervisor must be selected, and a proposal approved by the supervising faculty and department two terms prior to graduation. The thesis must address a global or cross-cultural topic and use at least one non-English language source. Students are encouraged to write their theses in a language other than English.

The honors thesis may be combined with Honors College or other departmental exit project requirements as long as the minimum Global Studies honors thesis requirements are met.

On this page:

Before you Begin your Thesis

Credit Registration for your Thesis

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Requirements

Submitting your Thesis

Suggested Thesis Project Timeline

Examples of Past Undergraduate Honors Thesis

Before you Begin your Thesis

The student must complete and submit the Honors Thesis Agreement form at least two terms prior to graduation (i.e., during Fall term if graduating in the Spring). This form confirms that a faculty member has agreed to be the advisor, and that the advisor and the Global Studies Director of the Undergraduate Studies both approve of the proposed topic.

The Honors Thesis Agreement requires the following:

Proposed thesis topic
Anticipated thesis completion date
Information regarding intended credit registration associated with thesis
Signature from Student
Signature from Faculty Thesis Advisor
Signature from the Global Studies Director of Undergraduate Studies

In signing the Honors Thesis Agreement, both the student and the faculty signing the form certify that they have read the Guidelines for the Honors Thesis outlined in this program website.

Click here to download the Honors Thesis Agreement.

Once fully signed by both your thesis advisor and the Global Studies Director of Undergraduate Studies, submit the completed Honors Thesis Agreement form, including brief project description, to the School of Global Studies & Languages' Undergraduate Support team at gsl@uoregon.edu.

Credit Registration for your Thesis

Options for Course Credit for your Honors Thesis

If you are completing an undergraduate Honors Thesis for the Global Studies program, you may register for a combination of the following for a total of up to six credit hours.

Within the Global Studies major requirements, students may apply up to four thesis-related credits toward their Professional Concentration Area (Block B) or towards their Geographic Focus (Block C), if their thesis topic is related.

There are several ways of completing the honors thesis:

Students may write an honors thesis without registering for credits if they have already fulfilled UO and program requirements. The students are still required to work with an approved advisor and meet all other requirements for completion of an honors thesis. The honors thesis must be awarded a grade of “B+” or better to be approved by Global Studies.
Students may enroll in an approved four credit hour 400-level class on the subject of the thesis. The professor offering the course must sign the written statement acknowledging his/her agreement to serve as the honors thesis advisor. The professor thereby agrees to meet with the senior on a regular basis to guide the student’s work and evaluate the thesis paper. The thesis is written in addition to any other course requirements except when substituted for a less difficult term paper.
Students may register for GLBL 405, “Reading and Conference” or GLBL 403, “Thesis” credits under the supervision of a Global Studies faculty member or another faculty member who has indicated in writing his/her willingness to serve as the honors thesis advisor. Seniors may complete an independent research paper on an original topic that conforms to all other honors thesis guidelines. A student may register for GLBL 401, “Research” during the first term of the project, but not during the final term (since GLBL 401 is only offered P/NP). If the student wishes to register for credit during the final term, they should register for GLBL 403, “Thesis” credits.
Students may write their thesis as part of a practicum by registering for GLBL 406, Field Studies” (if their thesis-related internship is overseas) or GLBL 409, “Practicum” (if their thesis-related internship is done in the U.S.) and fulfilling all honors thesis requirements. This option is especially attractive for students doing internships which afford them unique research opportunities. In such cases, the senior should work with an approved advisor in the field as well as a Global Studies faculty advisor. If appropriate arrangements are made well in advance, the honors thesis can be completed while a student is studying or working abroad.

For Global Studies undergraduate honors students not in Clark Honors College, we suggest that you take four credits each of GLBL 401, “Research” (one or two terms before your last term, so usually in winter term if you will graduate in spring) and/or GLBL 403, “Thesis” (your last term, usually in spring term if you are graduating in spring). The intent of these credits is to ensure that students have time in their schedules to dedicate to research and writing. The expectation is that you will spend approximately 12 hours/week working on researching, then writing, your thesis. Your faculty thesis advisor serves as the instructor of record. Example assignments might include a prospectus, short updates, data summaries, preliminary analysis, detailed thesis outline, draft thesis, etc.

Registering for Individualized Study Credits

Students seeking to register for GLBL 401 (“Research”), GLBL 403 (“Thesis”), GLBL 405 (“Reading and Conference”), GLBL 406 (“Field Studies”), or GLBL 409 (“Practicum”) must complete the GSL Individualized Study Contract.

The form should be filled out and signed by the faculty member who will oversee their work, and returned to the GSL Undergraduate Support Team at gsl@uoregon.edu.

Once the form is submitted, students will be notified by the GSL Undergraduate Support Team when they have been pre-authorized to register for the individualized study credits in DuckWeb.

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Requirements

Requirements for Graduating with Honors in Global Studies

All of the following are necessary for a student to be considered as satisfying the requirements for graduating with Honors in Global Studies:

Complete all Global Studies Major Requirements
Complete all University Requirements
Maintain an overall GPA of 3.50 or higher
Complete the required Global Studies Honors Thesis inclusive of submitting the following in accordance with the Honors Thesis Timeline:
1. Honors Thesis Agreement Form
2. Honors Thesis Approval Form

Global Studies Honors Thesis Requirements

The thesis must address a global or cross-cultural topic and use at least one non-English language source.

Students are encouraged to write their theses in a language other than English.

Honors theses should be written in thesis style, such as described in A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations by Kate Turabian. Citation style for the thesis may be the student’s choice but must remain consistent.

Faculty Advisors (readers of the thesis) should check to see that the following requirements are met:

Title Page
One page abstract
Table of Contents
Must relate to student's geographic focus or address a global or cross-cultural issue
Foreign language references (at least two specifically cited in the paper)
Length, 30-50 pages
Footnotes, endnotes, or embedded citations, e.g. (Thumber 1978:3). Style used is consistent.
Bibliography
Approval page (signed by a faculty advisor and Global Studies Director of Undergraduate Studies)
Spiral bound, with clear front cover and black back cover.

Submitting your Thesis

The Honors Thesis Approval Form

The completed thesis must be awarded a grade of “B+” or better by the advisor (“Pass” for Clark Honors College thesis) and be approved as meeting thesis guidelines by the Global Studies Director of the Undergraduate Studies. This includes addressing a global or cross-cultural topic and using non-English language sources for all projects, including the Clark Honors College thesis.

The deadline for submitting a final, clean copy of the thesis is one week prior to the end of the term (be sure to leave ample time to your advisor for grading!).

Students should consult with their faculty advisor and the Global Studies Director of Undergraduate Studies to find out how much time the faculty member needs to read and evaluate the thesis and plan a deadline accordingly. Earlier submissions are encouraged.

The Honors Thesis Approval Form requires the following:

Student name
Grade of thesis
Signature from a Faculty Thesis Advisor
Signature from the Global Studies Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Click here to download the Honors Thesis Approval Form

Once fully signed by both your thesis advisor and the Global Studies Director of Undergraduate Studies, submit the completed Honors Thesis Approval Form, including a PDF copy of your thesis, to the GSL Undergraduate Support Team at gsl@uoregon.edu.

Spiral bound copies should be submitted in person to the GSL Administrative office in 114 Friendly Hall.

Submit your approved thesis to the GSL Undergraduate Support Team for uploading into Scholar’s Bank and the Global Studies Website.

Once your thesis is approved, email the following to the GSL Undergraduate Support Team (gsl@uoregon.edu):

Your approved thesis in pdf format. Please submit a single document that includes the cover and signed approval pages. Do NOT submit the forms separately.
Permission Form for Student Submissions to Scholars’ Bank

Your thesis will be posted in Scholars' Bank to be permanently accessible, available and searchable through the UO libraries. If you are in CHC, you only need to submit your thesis to CHC (follow their instructions).

If, on your Honors Thesis Approval Form, you indicate your permission for your thesis to be featured on the Global Studies website, your thesis may also be posted on the Examples of Past Undergraduate Honors Thesis section of our website.

Suggested Thesis Project Timeline

Timeline Considerations

Most students complete their research and writing during their senior year. However, the timeline is flexible if you are conducting research during the summer. Here is a typical schedule:

Fall Quarter / Two (2) quarters prior to graduation

Consider which, if any, courses you should register for this term related to your thesis. See the “Credit Registration for Your Thesis” section for full details on course options.
Determine your topic or area of interest.
Identify, meet with, and confirm your faculty advisor.
Week 3: Confirm faculty advisor approval of potential topic.
Complete and return the Honors Thesis Agreement form.
Week 6: Work with advisor to develop overview/outline of thesis, preliminary bibliography.
Week 10: Overview of Paper, with references, outline advisor approval.
Consider: reading or at least skimming a few undergraduate theses, to see what they look like and how they are done. You can find some on Scholars' Bank and in the Examples of Past Undergraduate Honors Thesis section.

Winter Quarter

Consider which, if any, courses you should register for this term related to your thesis. See the “Credit Registration for Your Thesis” section for full details on course options.
Submit prospectus to your faculty advisor, if required.
Complete research.
Start writing.
Meet with advisor if/as necessary.

Spring Quarter / Graduation quarter (excluding Summer)

Consider which, if any, courses you should register for this term related to your thesis. See the “Credit Registration for Your Thesis” section for full details on course options.
Week 1: Bibliography and revised outline advisor approval.
Week 4: Rough draft, submit to advisor.
Week 7: Second draft, incorporating advisor feedback.
Week 10: Finalize and submit an approved thesis and Approval Form to the GSL Undergraduate Support Team.

Helpful Hints

An abstract is a one-page summary of your paper, including a thesis statement, main points and conclusion.
Use the Writing Lab in the basement of PLC as a resource.
Let people know if you see issues or problems coming up with your timeline for graduation; advance notice can avert problems.
Make sure that your advisor will be on-campus the term you plan to graduate (faculty may not be available summer term)
Leave your advisor plenty of time and many chances to give you feedback. Consider this paper the pinnacle of your academic experiences as a Global Studies major. You should plan to revise several drafts and leave your advisor ample time to provide you with feedback. The final product will be well worth it!

Consider sharing your findings with a broader audience!

UO Undergraduate Symposium – You can give a presentation or show a poster at this annual event celebrating undergraduate research and creative work.
Oregon Undergraduate Research Journal – You can gain experience with the peer-review process and publish your findings through this undergraduate-led journal.