Honors Thesis Program and Guidelines

Academic Year 2025/26

A student pursuing either the major or concentration in Environmental Studies can complete an honors thesis, which is a year-long project conducted over the fall semester, Winter Study, and spring semester of the senior year. Given the breadth of environmental studies, a thesis may follow a variety of formats. In general, it is a good idea for the student to use the thesis to build upon prior coursework and/or prior research, internship, or activism experience, and many students conduct thesis research during the summer before senior year. Students completing an Environmental Studies thesis may count one semester of the thesis as their senior seminar or as an elective.

Prospective thesis students should submit their proposals by the end of the first week of April (this year we have extended it to Apr 11) in their junior year using this form: Honors Theses in Environmental Studies. Students who plan to request a ZCE summer grant should have their proposals completed by the priority deadline for that program (which is Mar 19 this year) to ensure that applications for summer funding can be made in a timely fashion. The ENVI Advisory Committee will review all thesis proposals and will notify students of decisions by the end of April.

Students who are off-cycle should talk to the Chair of Environmental Studies for an appropriate timeline.

Every thesis has an advisor or two co-advisors; they also always have second readers unless there are two co-advisors (in which case a second reader is optional). Prospective thesis students should identify and work with an advisor to prepare the thesis proposal. Potential advisors may be any faculty member or affiliate of the Environmental Studies Program or, with approval from the Environmental Studies Advisory Committee, a faculty member from another unit. If the advisor is not an Environmental Studies faculty member or affiliate, the second reader must be an ENVI faculty member; otherwise, the second reader can be any relevant faculty member. In all cases, unless there are two co-advisors and a second reader is not deemed necessary, the thesis writer and advisor should work together (with help from the Chair of Environmental Studies if needed) to identify a second reader by the time the proposal is submitted. The second reader provides additional guidance throughout the thesis process and evaluates the final product along with the thesis advisor. If a prospective thesis student is unable to identify a thesis advisor, they should reach out to the Chair of Environmental Studies for help.

The 5-page thesis proposal should include:

• A cover page with thesis title, student’s name, advisor, second reader if applicable, and a brief summary of the proposed work. The cover page should also specify whether the applicant is submitting an application for a ZCE summer grant.
• An introduction to the topic, including a brief review of available research and an overview of the coursework and/or experiences that will contribute to the thesis.
• A brief description of the objectives of the project.
• A discussion of the methodologies that will be employed.
• A proposed timeline for data collection, analysis, writing chapters, and incorporating feedback.
• A reference section listing the works cited in the proposal (this does not count as part of the 5-page limit for the proposal).

Completed Environmental Studies theses are most easily found through this spreadsheet and can also be accessed through the Libraries & Special Collections Unbound site. Some past theses are also listed here.

The Environmental Studies Advisory Committee will review all proposals. We will provide comprehensive feedback and decisions by the end of April. We encourage students whose proposals are accepted to use the time after the decision is communicated but before the thesis work period starts to refine their proposals and seek guidance from their advisor and second reader.

The Environmental Studies Program will endeavor to facilitate networking among students who are working on theses in the same semester so that a thesis cohort can support each other through the research and writing process.

The final thesis will be evaluated by the thesis advisor and second reader, who will then decide to award no Honors, Honors or, in recognition of exceptional work, Highest Honors. Grades for the semesters of thesis work are also determined by the advisor and second reader, and may be awarded either at the end of each semester or left pending until the end of the year.

When submitting your thesis to Archive, be sure to follow the Special Collections guidelines.

Timetable for Theses in Environmental Studies 

* Off-cycle students should work out an appropriate timeline with the Chair of Environmental Studies.