A Senior Honors Thesis may not count toward Honors in the Major requirements in more than one major unless the student has received Dual Thesis Authorization from the L&S Honors Program. Dual Thesis Authorization allows the student to write one interdisciplinary thesis under the guidance of two thesis mentors, one representing each major, and have the thesis count toward Honors in the Major for both majors.
If you have any questions about the Dual Thesis Authorization policy or wish to discuss your plan for a potential Dual Thesis, please consider scheduling an appointment with Christine Evans, Associate Director for Advising and Curriculum, or otherwise contacting the L&S Honors Program at honors@honors.ls.wisc.edu. You should also be sure to regularly consult with the assigned academic advisors for your declared majors.
Instructions for Students
Proposal Timeline
Discuss your interest in a potential dual thesis with your assigned major advisors, Honors advisors, and potential thesis mentors. These conversations should begin at least one semester prior to the start of a thesis.
Please submit dual thesis proposal materials the semester before you would begin your thesis. Meeting with Christine Evans before submitting your materials is recommended, but not required.
Plan to enroll in senior Honors thesis credits associated with the major you have identified as the “primary” major.
If you are waiting for thesis approval from a major committee (e.g., for neurobiology), you can submit materials to the L&S Honors Program in advance of that approval. Dual thesis approval would be conditional on major committee approval.
Proposal Materials
To be considered as a dual Honors thesis candidate, the following must be submitted to the L&S Honors Program via email at honors@honors.ls.wisc.edu:
- A one-page proposal, written by you, that does the following:
- Briefly describes the proposed thesis project
- Articulates how the project would integrate the two major disciplines and reflect deep engagement with each. Consider these questions:
- How are your research questions, data sources, and/or research methods shaped by each of the relevant major disciplines?
- How would your project be different if the thesis were only for one major or the other?
- What academic experiences (e.g., specific coursework from each major, prior research projects) have helped prepare you for the proposed research?
- Identifies your thesis mentors and which major would be “primary” for purposes of enrollment (i.e., which department’s thesis credits you will enroll in)
- Brief letters of support from the two proposed thesis advisors, one representing each Honors in the Major program.
- Information about what should be included in the letters is in the instructions for thesis mentors.
- Please coordinate with your thesis mentors about whether they will submit their letters to you or directly to the Honors Program.
Instructions for Thesis Mentors
Dual Thesis Mentorship
As part of seeking dual thesis authorization, the student will need two thesis advisors, one to represent each of the relevant majors. The student will identify a “primary” major and enroll in thesis credits associated with that major.
While the student may work more closely with the thesis advisor representing the “primary” major, both mentors should be available and offer guidance throughout the thesis project. The L&S Honors Program encourages the two dual thesis mentors to communicate regularly, as their communication can support clearer expectations and a more positive, integrative thesis experience for the student.
Letter of Support
If you agree to be one of the thesis mentors for a proposed dual thesis, you will be asked to submit a brief letter of support. Your letter should address:
- The viability of the thesis project
- Confirmation that the proposed thesis would fulfill senior Honors thesis expectations for the major that you are representing
- The interdisciplinary nature of the project. In particular, it is helpful if you can comment on how the project brings together methodologies or approaches that would not typically be present in an undergraduate thesis for a single major.
You can share your letter of support with the student, who would submit all dual thesis proposal materials together, or submit your letter directly to the L&S Honors Program at honors@honors.ls.wisc.edu.
Review Process
Dual thesis proposal materials will be reviewed by the Associate Director of Advising and Curriculum, with consultation by the Faculty Honors Committee and major departments as needed.
The decision regarding Dual Thesis Authorization will be communicated to the student, thesis mentors, and academic advisors for the two majors. If a dual thesis is authorized, the L&S Honors Program will coordinate with major advisors regarding DARS exceptions to allow the thesis enrollment in one department to satisfy thesis requirements for both relevant majors.
Additional Information
The Dual Thesis Authorization procedure has the following purposes:
- To verify that the proposed interdisciplinary thesis project clearly and significantly draws from both fields of study and therefore fulfills the thesis requirement for both departments.
- To open communication between the departments involved, and, specifically, the corresponding advisors.
If the dual senior Honors thesis is approved, the thesis will be listed under the primary advisor’s departmental name. The secondary department would submit relevant DARS exceptions to count the thesis credits towards their own thesis requirement.
Academic departments may choose not to allow their Honors in the Major candidates to pursue this dual thesis option. Alternatively, departments may allow their students to pursue this option, but require them to complete additional upper-level or Honors course work to compensate for the overlap. If a department chooses to require additional coursework from one of their Honors in the Major candidates, this decision should be communicated in writing to the student and the L&S Honors Program.
Only in extremely rare occasions would one thesis be allowed to count toward Honors in the Major for more than two majors; such decisions will be made by the L&S Honors Program on a case-by-case basis.