Thesis Guidelines
Director Guidelines for Overseeing a Thesis
Start Here: The Thesis at a Glance
An honors thesis is a multi-semester original research or creative project. You propose it, complete it under the supervision of a faculty director, and defend it publicly before a three-person committee. Students who complete and pass the thesis graduate with Honors Research Distinction.
This guide is arranged in the order you will actually do things. If you are just starting, read this page and Section 1. Everything else can wait until you need it.
The process in five steps
| Step | What you do | Form to file | When |
| 1 | Propose. Find a thesis director and submit a research proposal to the Honors Committee. | Thesis Proposal Form | March 1 (May grads) or October 1 (Dec grads) of the year before you graduate |
| 2 | Build your committee and register. Add a second and third reader; enroll in thesis credits. | Thesis Committee Form Independent Study Form | Committee form is due at the end of your first semester of thesis credits |
| 3 | Research and write. Complete 6–10 thesis credits across at least two semesters. | Thesis Credit Substitution Form (only if a course does not auto-count) | Junior through senior year |
| 4 | Defend. Give a 45–60 minute public defense to your committee. | Thesis Defense Form (signed by your committee at the defense) | Second Monday of April (May grads) or first Monday of November (Dec grads) |
| 5 | Revise, submit, and present. Make final edits, submit to Submittable, and present at the Honors Student Showcase. | Final Project Submission Institutional Repository Form (optional) | Within one week of your defense |
Every deadline in one place
| Milestone | If you graduate in May | If you graduate in December |
| Thesis proposal due | March 1 of the preceding year | October 1 of the preceding year |
| Last day to appeal a missed proposal deadline | April 1 | November 1 |
| Thesis defense | Second Monday of April, in your final semester | First Monday of November, in your final semester |
| Room reservation request to honors@ut.edu | At least two weeks before your defense | At least two weeks before your defense |
| Final thesis submitted to Submittable | One week after your defense date | One week after your defense date |
| Honors Student Showcase presentation | The semester you graduate | The semester you graduate |
| What happens if you miss a deadline Proposal deadline: you may appeal for an extension (April 1 or November 1) with a letter of support from your thesis director. Defense deadline: you will not be recognized at the Honors or UT graduation ceremonies, even if you defend later that semester. Final submission deadline: extensions are granted only in documented emergencies. Submittable cannot be reopened for individual students. Full details are in the FAQ on the last pages of this guide. |
1. Eligibility
To write an honors thesis, you must be all of the following:
- A currently enrolled University of Tampa student
- In good standing in the Honors Program
- At least a rising junior at the time you propose
2. What Counts as a Thesis
Standard thesis
A standard thesis is an original, research-based argument that is, at minimum, the length of a publishable article (20 to 25 pages).
Creative thesis
Creative theses are welcome. A creative thesis must also include a research reflection of no more than 10 pages explaining how the creative work draws on the research behind it. That reflection must include citations and a works cited page appropriate to your field.
Who decides
Your thesis director has the final say on what counts as a thesis. Directors should consult their department about appropriate project guidelines for your field of study.
Length and sources
The Honors Program sets no page limit. Your project should be long enough to fully develop your ideas, clearly present your research, and carefully discuss your results and their implications. Any secondary research you use must be vetted, peer-reviewed, and carefully documented.
Citation style and title page
Use MLA, APA, Chicago, or whatever style best suits your discipline. Whatever style you choose, your title page must include:
- Your full name
- The title of the thesis
- The area you are writing in (for example, English and Writing, or Accounting)
- The first and last name of every member of your thesis committee
| See what a finished thesis looks like Model theses are available in the University of Tampa Institutional Repository. |
3. Step 1 — Propose Your Thesis
You must have an approved proposal before you enroll in thesis credits. Submit your research proposal through Submittable; the Honors Committee reviews it, and once it is approved you may begin work on the project.
At the proposal stage you need only your thesis director. You select your second and third readers after the project is approved.
If your research involves human or animal subjects
Some approved projects also need Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval. Apply for it after the Honors Committee approves your project and before you begin research. If you have the approval documentation when you submit your completed project, include it.
| Order of operations 1. Find a thesis director. 2. Submit the Thesis Proposal Form and receive Honors Committee approval. 3. Obtain IRB or IACUC approval, if your project involves human or nonhuman subjects. 4. Begin your research. |
Form: Thesis Proposal Form
4. Step 2 — Build Your Committee
Every honors thesis is overseen by a committee of three full-time University of Tampa faculty members, which you select:
| Role | Who it should be |
| Thesis Director | Preferably a faculty member from your major’s department. The director oversees most of the project — the proposal, the initial research, and the drafts. |
| Second reader | Another faculty member in your major’s department. |
| Third reader | A faculty member outside your major’s department. |
If you are writing a thesis outside your major, your director’s expertise should at least align with your topic, even if the director is outside your major’s department.
What the committee does
- Your director supervises the project from proposal through drafts.
- The full committee reads your final draft.
- You defend that draft orally to the committee.
- The committee votes on whether to recommend the project to the Honors Committee.
- The Honors Committee votes on final approval. If your project is approved, you graduate with Honors Research Distinction.
Form: Thesis Committee Form — due at the end of the first semester in which you take thesis credits.
5. Step 3 — Register for and Earn Thesis Credits
Required credits: 6 to 10 thesis credits, spread across a minimum of two semesters.
You may take these credits through HON 490 or through an equivalent independent study, capstone, or thesis course in your major. You and your committee can divide the credit hours across those semesters however you see fit.
Registering through HON 490
Complete the UTampa Independent Study Form. On that form:
- The “instructor” is your thesis director.
- The “chair” is the Honors Program Director.
Counting courses you have already taken
If you have already taken thesis or capstone courses in your major and your project is approved by the Honors Committee, you can apply to have those courses count retroactively toward your thesis credits.
Capstone courses sometimes populate as thesis credits automatically. If a course you want to count does not, file the Thesis Credit Substitution Form.
Thesis credits and passing the thesis
Your thesis grades and your defense outcome must line up. If you fail a thesis course, such as HON 490, in the semester you plan to defend, your thesis is also marked as failing and you may not schedule a defense — you cannot fail thesis credits and pass a defense. The reverse, however, is possible: you can pass all of your thesis credits and still fail your defense if the final product does not pass the rubric.
6. Step 4 — Defend Your Thesis
What a defense is
An oral thesis defense is a public presentation of your final project, given at minimum to your thesis committee (director plus second and third readers).
How long it lasts
A standard defense runs 45 minutes to an hour. You open by explaining your results or final product, and the committee then asks questions about the project.
Who decides the format and date
You and your committee decide together what “public” and “presentation” mean for your project, and you set the date, time, and location together.
For some students, the defense looks like a brief conference paper: you share highlights of your research with just your committee, followed by a Q&A. For others, it is a longer or more formal presentation open to the department or the university, also followed by a Q&A. Most defenses involve audience feedback and a response from the student.
Some projects are better suited to a screening (film students), a show (art students), or a performance. Because different projects should be showcased differently, how public and how formal your presentation is remains up to you and your committee.
The Honors Directors do not have to attend defenses, so you do not need to coordinate your date with them.
Reserving a room
To reserve a room, email honors@ut.edu with your requested date and time and an estimated number of attendees. Give Carla Sykes, the assistant, a minimum of two weeks — space at UTampa is at a premium if you are not arranging the room yourself. You may also host your defense online over Zoom.
How the committee decides whether you passed
| The passing standard Your thesis passes if it scores a 3 or higher in 4 of the 6 rubric categories, and At least 2 of your 3 committee members agree that the thesis is passing. |
Thesis defense rubric
| Critical Inquiry | Actively and analytically examining and questioning information, ideas, arguments, or situations. |
| 4 · Exceeds | Excels in using a framework or methodology — or creates an entirely new methodology — to address the research questions and draw conclusions from them. |
| 3 · Meets | Implements a framework or methodology to address the research questions and draws conclusions from them. |
| 2 · Approaching | Attempts to implement a framework or methodology to address the research questions and draw conclusions, but falls short in significant ways. |
| 1 · Not met | Does not implement a framework or methodology to address the research questions or draw conclusions. |
| Analysis | Breaking material into its parts and determining how those parts relate to one another and to the whole, through differentiating, organizing, and attributing. |
| 4 · Exceeds | Goes well beyond summary, showing a sophisticated ability to analyze and critically evaluate sources in order to develop original insights within the research topic and to answer the research questions. |
| 3 · Meets | Adequately summarizes existing research, showing a sufficient ability to analyze and evaluate sources in order to develop original insights within the research topic. |
| 2 · Approaching | Attempts to summarize existing research and/or analyze and evaluate sources to develop original insights, but falls short in significant ways. |
| 1 · Not met | Fails to provide analysis of existing research. |
| Synthesis | Combining different elements or ideas into a new, integrated whole. |
| 4 · Exceeds | Seamlessly integrates information from multiple sources that speak to one another and to the hypothesis, generating sophisticated new insights, conclusions, or interpretations. |
| 3 · Meets | Adequately integrates information from multiple sources that speak to one another and to the hypothesis, generating insights, conclusions, or interpretations. |
| 2 · Approaching | Attempts to integrate information from multiple sources that speak to one another and to the hypothesis, but falls short in significant ways. |
| 1 · Not met | Fails to synthesize research findings. |
| Original Argument or Creative Work | Forming a unique argument or artistic work. |
| 4 · Exceeds | Formulates a hypothesis, thesis, or creative work exhibiting extraordinary depth and/or divergent thinking. |
| 3 · Meets | Formulates a valuable, appropriately narrowed, and well-articulated hypothesis, thesis, or creative work. |
| 2 · Approaching | Formulates a feasible hypothesis or thesis, or presents an original creative work, but it may not be clearly articulated and/or may not lead to original or valuable findings. |
| 1 · Not met | Formulates a hypothesis or thesis that is not original, or that is not an argument or an original creative work — or lacks a thesis altogether. |
| Research Mechanics | Carrying out or using a procedure to investigate research questions. |
| 4 · Exceeds | Consistently integrates diverse sources with exceptional skill, showing a sophisticated understanding of research methodologies. |
| 3 · Meets | Effectively quotes, paraphrases, and/or summarizes research according to the discipline’s style guide, offering pertinent sources that contextualize and support the project’s findings. |
| 2 · Approaching | Attempts to quote, paraphrase, or summarize research according to the discipline’s style guide in support of the thesis, but the integration falls short in execution. |
| 1 · Not met | Fails to successfully quote, paraphrase, and/or summarize any research. |
| Research Citation | Acknowledging the origin of an idea, quotation, or piece of data. |
| 4 · Exceeds | Consistently and seamlessly incorporates accurate citations throughout, demonstrating a deep understanding of citation conventions while maintaining the flow of the paper. |
| 3 · Meets | Properly cites research according to the discipline’s style guide. |
| 2 · Approaching | Attempts to cite research according to the discipline’s style guide, but falls short in execution. |
| 1 · Not met | Fails to cite any external research. |
| What “completing the thesis requirement” means To formally complete the thesis requirement, you must pass the thesis defense with your committee. Completing all of your thesis credits without passing the thesis does not finish the requirement. Neither does completing the thesis without defending it at all. If you find yourself unprepared to defend successfully, you have two options: withdraw from Honors and take your three remaining Spartan Studies requirements to graduate, or postpone your defense. Keep in mind that postponing may require registering for additional HON 490 or other credits to remain an active student at UTampa. |
7. Step 5 — After You Defend
You have one week from your defense date to make final edits and submit your thesis. Four things happen after the defense:
| What happens | Who does it | |
| 1 | Your committee signs the Thesis Defense Form. | You ask; your committee signs |
| 2 | The Honors Thesis Evaluation is submitted. | Your thesis director |
| 3 | The final draft is submitted through Thesis — Final Project (Student Submission). | You |
| 4 | Optionally, you allow the library to list your thesis using the Institutional Repository Form. | You (optional) |
Once you have submitted your thesis to Honors, the Honors Directors assign your thesis director to review it officially in Submittable, where the director scores it using a short rubric.
8. Honors Student Showcase
You must present your research at an Honors Student Showcase during the semester you graduate. If travel abroad or work obligations make that impossible, arrange to present the semester before you graduate.
At the showcase you share your research through a poster, a QR code linking to video or media, or any other visual format that fits your project. The showcase is a come-and-go tabling event, and it counts as a symposium both for you as a presenter and for the other honors students who attend.
9. After the Thesis: Publishing and Funding
Making your work public
You should try to publish or otherwise make your thesis public in a venue appropriate to your field — a journal, a conference, a juried art show, or a stage.
Research and conference funding
To apply for research or conference funding, complete the Student Travel Request Form in Workday. One application routes automatically to the appropriate cost centers, which determine which offices can support your travel.
- Log in to Workday.
- Type “create request” in the search bar at the top of the screen, press enter, then click the resulting “create request” link.
- Type “Student travel request” in the popup window, then click “OK.”
- Complete the form. Fill in every required field and attach documentation for all budget expenses — screenshots of flight costs or hotel rates, receipts for conference registration, and so on. Incomplete requests will not be funded.
- Review your entries and click “Submit.”
Once all of the relevant offices have noted their contributions, you will be notified of your funding and given instructions for reimbursement.
10. Frequently Asked Questions
What is the plagiarism policy?
A thesis involving any kind of plagiarism — including uncited material generated by artificial intelligence — will not be considered for completion. Students who plagiarize are removed from the Honors Program, denied the opportunity to graduate with Honors or Honors Research Distinction, and reported to the University for sanctions.
Any thesis containing hallucinated sources — sources that do not exist — is automatically treated as AI-generated. It will be rejected for completion, and the student will need to switch to Spartan Studies in order to graduate.
What if I need to change my thesis after my proposal is approved?
If you change the essence of the project — a major change to the thesis plan — file a Thesis Amendment Form. Smaller changes are at your thesis director’s discretion.
What if I miss the proposal deadline?
You can appeal for an extension on a case-by-case basis, as long as you provide a letter of support from your thesis director. The Honors Committee reviews these appeals.
- Graduating in May of the following year: appeal by April 1.
- Graduating in December of the following year: appeal by November 1.
What if I miss the defense deadline?
The consequences depend on whether you defend at all:
| If you… | Then… |
| Defend after the deadline but before the semester ends | You still graduate with honors, but you will not be recognized as graduating with research distinction at either the Honors or UT graduation ceremonies. |
| Do not defend at all | Your thesis is considered incomplete, and you will need to take three Spartan Studies classes in order to graduate from UT. |
What if I miss the final submission deadline in Submittable?
Extensions are not granted. Submittable cannot be opened or closed for individual students — submissions are either open for everyone or closed to everyone. Beyond that platform limitation, submitting the thesis signals that the thesis is finished, which needs to happen well before graduation.
You may appeal to the Honors Committee by writing a letter explaining the emergency circumstances and sending it to honors@ut.edu. Here, “emergency” means your health has been harmed to the point that you cannot complete the thesis, or an immediate family member has become critically ill or has died. It does not cover technological problems or failure to finish the work on time.
What if I receive an Incomplete in a course being used for thesis credit?
You will not be marked as graduating with honors or with research distinction at the graduation ceremony, because an Incomplete means you missed the defense and appeal deadlines. Once you resolve the Incomplete, you will be marked as graduating with Honors.
What if I finish the thesis but switch to Spartan Studies for my core requirements?
You may graduate with research distinction, but not with honors. Either way, you must still satisfy either the Honors coursework or Spartan Studies to complete your graduation requirements.
11. Suggested Timeline
This is a recommended pace, not a set of deadlines. The binding dates are in the deadline table at the front of this guide.
| When | What to do |
| Second semester of sophomore year through second semester of junior year | Find a director.Brainstorm your committee — the second and third readers — with your director.Submit the proposal. |
| Junior year | Begin researching.Create a literature review.Begin drafting your results, if you are able. |
| Senior year | Complete your draft.Submit the draft to your committee for feedback.Revise your draft.Defend your thesis.Make any last revisions within one week of your defense date.Submit the thesis to Submittable.Your faculty are then assigned a rubric to evaluate the thesis. |