***Attention Juniors***
Bing Honors College (BHC) is an opportunity offered jointly though Biology and Human Biology. For three weeks in early September, this program supports students actively engaged in their honors thesis work. Participants will work with a faculty leader and their peers to produce meaningful progress on their thesis before the start of senior year. Applications will be available in early May. Learn more about Bing Honors College or contact Jamie Imam.
The Honors program in Biology is research-based and requires students to complete a substantial piece of original biological work which they describe in a formal Thesis and present at the departmental Achauer Honors Research Symposium.
The program offers a unique opportunity for independent research, creativity and achievement. The Department of Biology is very proud of the achievements of our undergraduate researchers and of the fact that so many of our students take advantage of this opportunity (between 50-60% of our students write Honors Theses each year!). Honors research also offers a chance to interact more closely with faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and fellow undergraduates.
If you missed the Autumn Quarter Info Session, slides can be found here
Requirements
There are five requirements for graduation with Honors in Biology:
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You must have a minimum GPA of at least 3.0 within the major by the time you graduate. This includes every course on your degree progress checklist (including foundational breadth). The only courses excluded from your GPA are research and teaching courses (BIO 198/X, 199/X, 290, 291).
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10 units of BIO 199 or 199X or BIOHOPK 199H from the same lab.
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An approved Honors proposal, submitted two quarters prior to the quarter you plan to confer your degree. If you plan to graduate in Spring, your honors proposal should be submitted in Autumn.
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A PDF of your Honors Thesis, which should be read and approved by at least two Academic Council members (the Research Sponsor/PI and a designated Second Reader, at least one of whom must be from the Department of Biology).
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Attendance at, and poster or oral presentation in, the Achauer Biology Honors Research Symposium held at the end of Spring Quarter.
How to Apply
To petition for honors, students must submit the following materials:
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Honors Proposal form with signatures from:
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Research Sponsor/PI
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Second Reader. If the PI is not a Biology faculty member, your second reader must be
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Third Reader, if applicable. If the PI is not a member of the Academic Council, a third reader is required
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Biology Department Faculty Advisor (a student's Faculty Advisor may also sign as the Second Reader, but must sign twice - once as Second Reader and again as Faculty Advisor)
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Biology GPA calculation sheet, printed out and included with your honors proposal
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5-6 page proposal using the format indicated on the Honors Proposal Form. Proposals longer than 10 pages will not be accepted.
Once the Research Sponsor, Second Reader, third reader (if applicable), and Faculty Advisor have read and approved the honors proposal, the complete packet must be submitted to Gilbert 108.
In order to meet the deadline, students should submit these documents to faculty at least two weeks ahead of the deadline to allow enough time for review and revision!
Proposal Deadlines
Honors proposals are due to the Student Services Office in Gilbert 108 no later than two quarters prior to graduating.
Spring 2016 graduates: Thursday, October 8, 2015 at 3:00pm
Autumn 2016 graduates: Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 3:00pm
Winter 2017 graduates: Thursday, April 14, 2016 at 3:00pm
It is your responsibility to obtain the necessary signatures on the proposal form. Many faculty travel extensively, so make sure your Research Sponsor, Readers, and Faculty Advisor will be on-campus to read your proposal and sign your form well ahead of the deadline.
The Thesis
The Honors Thesis should take the standard form of a research report, with the intended audience being a Biology faculty member or student who is not necessarily in your specific field. It must be at least 12 pages, not including data appendices and reference lists, but most theses are more than 20 pages. Use either 1.5 or double spacing and a 12-point font. Your Research Sponsor should be able to provide specific guidance regarding the content and organization of your Thesis. Be sure to get your Sponsor's advice on early drafts. It is also advisable to keep in contact with your Second Reader, so s/he can see a draft in sufficient time to provide constructive feedback as well.
Please use this Word document as the template for your thesis. All items highlighted in yellow are meant to guide you through the format, and should be deleted for your final thesis!
Thesis Deadlines
Thesis deadlines are quarter-specific. Following are the deadlines for thesis submission for students graduating during the 2015-2016 academic year:
Autumn 2015 graduates: Monday, November 23, 2015 at 3:00pm
Winter 2016 graduates: Monday, February 29, 2016 at 3:00pm
Spring 2016 graduates: Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 3:00pm
The following items must be submitted to the Student Services Office in Gilbert 108:
- Printed signature page with original (ink) signatures from your readers. If original ink signatures cannot be obtained, scanned copies of the form can be accepted but your reader(s) must also email student services indicating final approval of your thesis.
- Thesis release form signed by you and your research sponsor
Thesis Submission
The final step is to submit your thesis online using Stanford's Digital Repository. Your thesis should be in PDF format with the file titled "LastName_FirstName_BioThesis.pdf." The PDF should include a copy of your signed signature page (the Student Services Office can send you a scanned copy if needed). Detailed instructions for submitting your thesis are in the document linked below:
Instructions for Submitting Your Thesis to SDR
Your thesis must be uploaded by the thesis submission deadlines!! Students submitting late proposals will automatically be excluded from winning the Firestone Award or doing an oral presentation at the Honors Symposium.
The Honors Symposium
Honors students graduating in Spring Quarter are required to participate in the Biology Achauer Honors Symposium held Friday May 13, 2016. Most students, including those graduating in autumn or winter quarters, will present their work on posters. For information on how to construct a poster, see Poster Guidelines or visit VPUE's website for additional information about poster design and presentation.
Approximately 6 students will give oral presentations instead of making a poster. If you are interested in giving an oral presentation at the Symposium, applications are due to Student Services by April 21, 2016.
All Honors graduates are expected to attend all of the oral presentations during the Achauer Honors Symposium, so as soon as you have finalized your Spring Quarter study list, make alternative plans for any class that meets Friday afternoons!
Firestone Awards
Research Sponsors may nominate their Honors student(s) for the Firestone Medal for Excellence in Undergraduate Research, using the Honors Thesis as the basis for the award. Students cannot apply for this distinction. In order for students to be considered for the award, the Research Sponsor needs to submit an application to Student Services by Friday, April 22, 2016 . This means that you should submit your Thesis to your Readers even earlier than the deadline if you’d like to be considered for the prestige -- and cash -- associated with the Firestone Medal!
