The Stanford University School of Engineering offers a program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering with Honors (BIOE-BSH). This program provides a unique opportunity for qualified BioE majors to conduct independent research at an advanced level with a faculty research advisor and to document their work in an honors thesis.
Honors Eligibility Criteria:
- GPA of 3.5 or higher
- Arrangement with a BioE faculty member (or a faculty member from another department approved by the BioE Undergraduate Curriculum Committee) who agrees to serve as the honors advisor, plus a second faculty member who agrees to be a second reader. One of the two must be a member of the Academic Council and in the School of Engineering.
Application Instructions:
Students who meet the eligibility criteria and wish to be considered for the Honors Program must
submit the following materials to Teri Hankes in the Bioengineering Administration Office located at the Shriram Center in room 119, no later than the second week of the Spring Quarter of junior year:
- An Undergraduate Honors Program Application Sheet signed by your honors advisor and second reader (pick-up in Student Services Office)
- 1-2 page thesis proposal
- 4 –year plan highlighting Honors research units
- Supplemental form (one page max; pick-up in Student Services Office)
- Unofficial Stanford transcript (in Axess)
Applications are subject to the review and final approval by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. Applicants, advisors and second readers will receive notification via email when a decision has been made.
Requirements in order to receive departmental honors:
- Declare the Honors in Axess (BIOE-BSH)
- Maintain an overall GPA of 3.5 as calculated on your unofficial transcript.
- Complete at least two quarters of research with a minimum of nine units of BIOE 191 or BIOE
191X for a letter grade; up to three units may be used towards your BioE depth elective requirements. - Honors Winter Quarter check-in: submit a one-page project update to faculty advisor and Teri Hankes by the first week of Winter Quarter.
- Submit a completed thesis draft to the research advisor and thesis reader by the first week of Spring Quarter (with a cc to student to Teri Hankes).
- Participate in a public presentation of either your honors thesis or project at one of the following:
- a public colloquium sponsored by the department
- an approved poster session or
- an approved comparable public event
- Submit two signed bound copies plus one PC-compatible CD-ROM (preferably a single file in a PDF format) of your honors thesis to Teri Hankes in the BioE Administration Office by the second Monday in May.
Resources:
- Submit application for a UAR Major Grant
- Major Grants support substantial, in-depth projects that normally include a full-time summer commitment, and that demonstrate focused, intellectually rigorous perspectives on the topics at hand.
- Almost all Major Grants are awarded to students beginning an honors thesis between their junior and senior years.
- Please check website for application deadline.
- Budget limit is $6000; budget may include a stipend.
- For more information and how to apply, click HERE.
- Tutoring and Consultations
- The Hume Writing Center provides writing support during the entire thesis process, including brainstorming, researching, organizing, and drafting an honors thesis or other advanced writing project:
- Writing Center Appointment. Make an appointment for a session with an individual tutor at the Writing Center. We encourage Honors students to develop a working relationship with a specific tutor at the beginning of the year, following up by meeting regularly with that tutor through the thesis-writing process. Topics may include overcoming writer’s block; developing clarity and coherence; addressing documentation concerns; and articulating complex arguments or difficult concepts.
- Technical Communication Program
- The School of Engineering's Technical Communication Program (TCP) is a resource for students seeking to strengthen their technical writing and/or speaking skills. The program offers courses, individual consulting, and tutorial support for departmental courses in the school. Our services are primarily designed for students in engineering, but we attract students from a wide range of technical disciplines, including science, medicine, and business. We welcome interested students from across the university.
ENGR 202S: Writing: Special Projects
Writing tutorial for students working on non-course related projects, such as proposals, journal articles, conference papers, and theses. Weekly individual meetings structured around the student's project. This course may be repeated for credit.
1 unit. Offered in the fall, winter and spring.
