Undergraduate Thesis Leading to Graduation with Honors Research Distinction
There are three options for honors students in the College of Arts and Sciences (ASC) interested in pursuing graduation with honors research distinction or with honors distinction:
- The graduation honor with honors research distinction in [the major field] recognizes those students who demonstrate excellence in the study of a discipline both through major course work and by completing an independent research project culminating in an undergraduate thesis.
- Students majoring in mathematics may choose the graduate-level course work option to graduate with honors distinction in Mathematics.
- The graduation honor with honors research distinction recognizes those students who complete and successfully defend an undergraduate thesis in a discipline other than the major.
Students majoring in the arts may pursue a creative project or thesis that leads to graduation with distinction.
For information about the thesis option for students not in an honors program, please see the Research Thesis web site.
To graduate with honors research distinction, you must satisfy the following requirements:
- Identify an Ohio State faculty member to serve as your project advisor. The project advisor will provide guidance to you throughout the research process.
- Submit the Thesis Application to the ASC Honors Office by the deadline noted below.
- Complete a minimum of four semester credit hours of 4999H research credit in the relevant discipline.
- Students must register for at least 4 credit hours of thesis research from the College of the Arts and Sciences, using course number 4999H. (Note: Psychology requires enrollment in a 4999H course sequence.) These 4 credit hours may be divided and taken over the course of multiple semesters.
- Successfully defend the thesis during an oral examination.
- Meet any department-specific requirements, which may include honors course work and/or a minimum grade point average within the field of distinction.
- Graduate with a minimum 3.4 cumulative grade point average on at least 60 graded Ohio State semester credit hours.
- In order to graduate with honors research distinction, you must be enrolled in the ASC Honors Program, which requires completion of the honors course work requirement (fulfilled by completion of an approved Honors Curriculum).
***Thesis Option for students not in the ASC Honors Program***
If you are planning to graduate with honors research distinction, you should submit the Thesis Application to the ASC Honors Office upon enrolling in 4999H research credit and no later than the following deadlines:
- Students defending Autumn 2026: Applications are due by Friday, January 30, 2026
- Students defending Spring 2027: Applications are due to Rebecca Sallade by mid-September 2026
- Future semesters' deadlines are TBD but will always be the end of Week 3- the academic calendar has not yet been posted by the Registrar.
Questions about the application may be directed to Rebecca Sallade, the Undergraduate Research, Honors Thesis, and Honors Project Coordinator.
- If you are working toward a thesis, it is your responsibility to register for 4999H. In some cases (e.g., in the Department of Psychology), the 4999H research hours are actual courses in a sequence and will require prior planning to make sure you are able to register in a timely fashion.
- The number of research credit hours you take in a given semester will depend on the amount of time you plan to spend on your research during that term. You should plan to discuss this with your thesis project advisor. Keep in mind that you will need to take at least 4 credit hours of 4999H to meet the requirements for a thesis.
- Your thesis project advisor will need to provide written permission for you to register for 4999H. Permission to enroll in 4999H can be documented on a Course Enrollment Permission form [pdf]. You should submit the signed form to the Arts and Sciences Honors Office no later than the second Friday of the semester to have the hours added to your schedule. (Late registration for research hours will result in a $100 Late Course Add Fee and may only be added by petition.)
- Students must register for at least 4 credit hours of thesis research from the College of the Arts and Sciences, using course number 4999H. (Note: Psychology requires enrollment in a 4999H course sequence.) These 4 credit hours may be divided and taken over the course of multiple semesters.
Students who have submitted a Thesis Application for approval will be contacted by the ASC Honors Office with oral examination instructions early in the semester in which they plan to defend the thesis (usually around the third or fourth week of the semester).
- Due Dates for SPRING 2026 Defenders (all by 5pm EST)
- February 20th- Defense Committee Proposal Form
- May 7th- Certification Form
- May 7th- Knowledge Bank Submission
- Due Dates for AUTUMN 2026 Defenders (all by 5pm EST)- dates will be updated once Registrar posts AU26 academic calendar
- 6th Friday- Defense Committee Proposal Form
- Last Day of Exams- Certification Form
- Last Day of Exams- Knowledge Bank Submission
Abstracts and copies of past undergraduate theses completed for graduation with research distinction are available for examination online through the Ohio State Libraries' Knowledge Bank and in the Mortar Board Room (room 202) of the Thompson Library. They are valuable not only as examples of research undertaken in various disciplines but also as sources of information.
Thesis FAQ
As soon as you know you intend on completing a thesis project, it is advised to get the application started. For a complete application you will need to have your OSU Faculty member chosen as well as a general project idea. Minor tweaks to the application can be made (or cancelled) later if needed.
If you are still deciding between general research and a thesis and/or are deciding between a few different project ideas, it is okay to hold off on the application.
The deadline to submit a thesis application is in the first few weeks of the semester prior to your defense and/or graduation. Keep an eye on your ASC Honors newsletter or contact the Honors Thesis Coordinator at sallade.3@osu.edu for specific dates.
Please don't forget to include a project description with your application- this is commonly forgotten!
Your project description should include a general overview of your study idea, how you plan on analyzing your data, and how your findings will contribute to the field at large. We are also looking for confirmation that all (or the vast majority) of your project is done individually.
It is advised that you show your project description to your PI/Project Advisors/Co-Signers when asking them to sign your application.
The project description can be sent via attached Word document or within the body of the email used to submit your application.
It is strongly recommended that you have an approved thesis application on file prior to enrolling in 4999H hours. However, there may be some situations in which this is not feasible (or would result in a rushed application). If you choose to enroll in 4999H hours prior to having an approved thesis application, please remain in close contact with our Honors Thesis Coordinator (Rebecca Sallade.3) to make sure that your faculty advisor and project idea are appropriate.
If you started at OSU prior to AU22, then you must have an approved Honors Application on file prior to submitting a thesis application.
If you started at OSU during AU22 or later, then you must be up-to-date with your Honors Project Benchmark submissions.
For questions about thesis application "pre-reqs", please visit our Membership page.
Your thesis does not have to correspond with your major nor do you have to take your 4999H hours within your major department. As long as your project is interesting and relevant to you, then go forth!
Keep in mind however that your 4999H hours MUST be taken within the College of Arts & Sciences. If you need help finding an appropriate department to house your 4999H hours, please talk to your Primary Project Advisor and/or our Honors Thesis Coordinator, Rebecca Sallade.3.
Yes!
Although you are free to work with faculty outside of ASC, your 4999H hours MUST be taken within the College of Arts & Sciences. If you need help finding an appropriate department to house your 4999H hours, please talk to your Primary Project Advisor and/or our Honors Thesis Coordinator, Rebecca Sallade.3.
If you are working with a lab/faculty outside of ASC or maybe adjacent to OSU (COM faculty, Nationwide Children's, etc.), contact our Honors Thesis Coordinator, Rebecca Sallade.3, or your ASC Honors Advisor to see if a 4999H section under your PI is already set up.
If you are working with a lab/faculty member with no OSU affiliation, you will be required to find an OSU faculty member willing to advise you on your project.
All ASC Honors students must take four or more credits of 4999H within the College of Arts and Sciences to fulfill our thesis requirements- no exceptions can be made. This is because we are the College issuing the diploma and honors research distinction.
You are welcome to supplement these hours with non-ASC 4999H credits if required by your faculty member, but they cannot be used to fulfill the "four or more credits of 4999H" rule within ASC. Please contact our Thesis Coordinator (sallade.3) if you have questions or concerns about this.
There is no correct/standard length of time since each thesis project is different. Most students spend 1-2 years on a thesis, but this can depend on a variety of factors.
If your thesis is completed within your major field, your diploma will read with honors research distinction in [your major field].
If your thesis is completed OUTSIDE of your major field, your diploma will read with honors research distinction.
There are some nuances/exceptions to this depending on the combination of your major department, faculty advisor, etc. Please contact our Honors Thesis Coordinator, Rebecca Sallade.3 if you have questions about what your diploma will say.
While the vast majority of thesis candidates have lab experience, ASC Honors has had students start their own projects completely from scratch with no research experience, that have demonstrated great success.
In a general, here are the main differences between pursuing standard research and pursuing a thesis project:
- Individuality from Lab: General research usually involves contributing to someone else’s lab and hypothesis (like your PI, a PhD student, etc.), whereas a thesis is pursuing your own project/hypothesis. You can absolutely start a thesis from scratch/not affiliated with your current lab. I would say most students start out in a lab and then their project develops from there- usually as a spin-off of their PI’s work, taking the same data and analyzing it in a new way, expanding their study, having a question on a participant survey that is just for your own research, etc.
- Credit Hours: With research academic credit is optional (4998H), but with a thesis it is required (4999H).
- Scientific Process: Standard research can involve a variety of pieces (like literature review, data collection/analysis, maybe contributing to a manuscript, working with participants, etc.) although not all of this is required. In a thesis you are participating in the entire scientific process (lit review, study design, data collection, analysis, your own manuscript writing, and then presenting those findings via oral defense before you graduate).
- Diploma Distinction: Successfully defending your thesis will result in with honors research distinction or with honors research distinction in [insert your major here] being printed on your dipoma, whereas standard research is not noted on your diploma.
Please note that BOTH experiences are valuable in their own way, so there is no right/wrong path to take.
Please reach out to our Honors Thesis Coordinator, Rebecca Sallade (.3) and she would be happy to help!
Consider checking out this resource first!