The Miami University Honors College aspires to produce students who well embody the concept of “citizen scholars,” using their honors education in ways that enhance existing knowledge and advance the common good. The Honors College requires students who joined the Honors community in the Fall of 2021 or later to demonstrate this commitment to exploring ideas and their consequences beyond the classroom through a culminating Honors Senior Project in order to earn University Honors. This project can assume the form of a traditional research thesis, or it can be achieved through an intensive and sustained creative, pre-professional, or co-curricular activity. 

Any Honors College students who joined the Honors community prior to Fall 2021 are NOT required to complete the Honors Senior Project requirement, however, they have the option of pursuing Honors with Distinction.

Students should direct all questions related to the Honors Senior Project to their assigned Honors advisor and mentors are encouraged to email Honorsadvising@MiamiOH.edu with questions or concerns.

Students will have two options for completing the Honors Senior Project:

Citizen

This option will provide students with the opportunity to use intensive experiential learning activities as a basis for producing an inquiry based project with relevance to the common good. This can be realized through activities that encompass either:

(1) sustained leadership and service,
(2) pre-professional internships or practica, or
(3) design and creativity.

These projects should involve a minimum of 500 total hours of activity. The focus for all of these projects is activity that engages the world beyond the classroom through creative expression, community service and social impact, entrepreneurship and professional development and growth, and/or leadership and public service.

Final submission of completed Citizen projects can take the form of:
-A written report, such as a business plan or lesson plans with analytical reflection
-A performance or other creative based display
-A portfolio of works

Scholar

This option allows the student to delve into topics of interest to them through intensive research that results in a traditional thesis, written to the standards of their major field of study. The thesis is understood to be an academic product and it will always involve significant inquiry and research under the direction of a faculty mentor. Through their thesis, a student will present new ways of looking at the world, develop expert interest in a particular topic, and contribute to the ongoing scholarly conversation in their field. The thesis must contain original research and it must mirror the quality of writing and thought typically seen in publishable scholarship. A student is expected to produce some new insights or interpretations on the topic investigated.  

Scholar projects can be completed through, but are not limited to:
-Departmental Honors thesis
-Yearlong independent studies
-Extended capstone projects
-Undergraduate Summer Scholars Program
-Geoffrion Family Fellows program
-Combined Bachelor's-Master's degree thesis completed as undergraduates

All Honors Senior Projects require:

• Inquiry based work that asks a question and results in the creation of new understanding or knowledge
• A faculty or staff mentor (faculty is required for Scholar projects)
• A written component for the final submission to the Honors College
• A mentor approved, project proposal submitted one year before graduation
• Clear delineation of individual work completed if the project was conducted as part of a larger team
• If a student expands their Capstone or Senior Design project, the Honors Senior Project component must extend their learning beyond any assigned work submitted for a grade
  

Timeline for Honors Senior Project

Students must submit a project proposal to the Honors College one year before they graduate. Students should be developing project plans and confirming their ideas with faculty mentors three to four semesters before they graduate. All projects are due by the last day of classes in the term the student graduates. 

The Honors Senior Project proposal form asks for the following information, which should be confirmed between the student and faculty mentor prior to submission:

• Student information
• Faculty mentor information
• Working project title
• A brief description of the project, including the goals of the project
• Description of the research method or process to be used for the project and the specific steps the student plans to take to accomplish the project goals
• Brief description of the project's intended outcomes or product (e.g. a thesis, reflective analysis, business plan, performance, etc.) and the minimum submission requirements (e.g. page length, performance time, etc.)
• The anticipated significance of the project, not only to the field of study and/or society, but also to the student's educational development
• A timeline for completing the project, including the measurable goals and deadlines for each semester