A senior thesis or senior honors thesis proposal should be two to five double-spaced pages with 1 inch margins and 11-12pt font. The abstract and references are included in the 5-page limit and the proposal should follow disciplinary guidelines and use headers appropriate to the field. If you are uncertain about how to format your proposal, talk to your thesis advisor. All proposals should contain the following:

• An abstract of the proposed research (200 words or less, may be single-spaced)
• Introduction and literature review, detailing the originality and significance of the proposed project
• Methods section, describing plans for data collection and analysis
• Timeline for completion of project
• Conclusion/future directions
• References (may be single-spaced)

These guidelines are adapted from the Hilldale/Holstrom Application with permission from the Office of Undergraduate Academic Awards.

Students should register for Biology 681-682: Senior Honors Thesis or Biology 691-692: Senior Thesis when a thesis will be completed in a biological science department that does not have its own thesis courses. Go to Biology Major Resources for the Course Authorization Form.