Senior Honors Capstone Project

Home / Honors College / Senior Honors Capstone Project

The culmination of the Honors College curriculum is the Senior Honors Capstone Project, which can take the form of an Honors Thesis or an Honors Portfolio, depending on which option fits the needs and the requirements of the student’s field of study. The final decision must be made in consultation with the Honors College Director and the principal faculty mentor of the project. The student’s academic department may opt to require the student to complete a separate project for completion of the major, or they may partner the Senior Honors Capstone Project with senior projects in the degree-granting program. Both the thesis and portfolio options will require a publicly accessible presentation of the completed project.

A) Thesis Option

The Honors Thesis represents original, independent, mentored inquiry in a specific field of study reflecting sustained effort, thoughtfulness of design, and excellence in execution. It should represent not only the culmination of the honor student’s education, academic ability, and research skill, but also the capacity to achieve continued graduate or professional-level research, publication, training, or practice in the chosen field.

Thesis Option Requirements: Students choosing this option work closely with a faculty mentor over the course of their senior year to conduct research as appropriate to their major field and produce a written record of their work in the manner of professional publication in the academic or professional field. While the length of the thesis may vary according to discipline and project scope, a capstone thesis in honors would seldom be less than twenty typewritten pages, exclusive of supporting documentation, data, appendices, or bibliography. In addition, students will be required to present their thesis publicly upon its completion either in person or via video recording and digital resources.

B) Portfolio Option

Portfolios allow for more applied research and creative projects, such as design projects, service-learning projects, entrepreneurial projects, creative projects, etc. The portfolio is best for work that is not of specific written length, but has distinct, related components making for an integrated, quality project.

An Honors Capstone Project Portfolio is a deliberately crafted collection of experiences, projects, research, and documentation that works toward a common purpose of showcasing sustained, creative, and rigorous undergraduate work on a specific issue, problem, project, or objective. It should provide a framework to plan, organize, synthesize and reflect on the diverse elements of the capstone project.

The component or artifacts included in the portfolio will vary widely according to the project and major field of study, however some possible inclusions may be:

  • Websites/digital media projects
  • Service-learning, community-based research, or practicum-based projects
  • Entrepreneurial activities
  • Computer programs/applications
  • New technologies, methodologies, or applied techniques
    Portfolio Option Requirements: All work submitted in the portfolio should be relevant to a specific chosen theme, problem, question, or solution that is the focus of the project. The contents of the portfolio should reflect high level proficiency in a variety of skills, abilities, and talents expected of an honors college student.

    In addition to relevant media and documentation of portfolio exhibits and artifacts, the portfolio must include a (minimum) 10-15 page reflective statement exclusive of front matter, images, data, diagrams, tables, appendices, or bibliography. This statement serves to critically summarize and synthesize the various components/artifacts of the portfolio together. This statement should be formatted similar to the Honors Thesis format in the style appropriate to the student’s major (APA, MLA, IEEE, etc.).

    More specifically, the portfolio’s reflective essay should include several of the following:
    • evidence of how the project achieved its desired goals, intentions, or purpose;
    • engagement with the relevant existing research, knowledge, or creative work in the relevant field;
    • evidence of a deliberate and thoughtful design of the portfolio’s various components/artifacts;
    • discussion of the individual components and how they contribute to the portfolio’s cohesion and purpose;
    • discussion of how the individual components build on each other to showcase the complexity, originality, or effectiveness of the project;
    • relevant information or background that illuminates the portfolio’s purpose and significance, including the process of putting the portfolio together, the challenges in doing so, and how these challenges were overcome;
    • discussion of how the project integrates several aspects of the student’s honors education and experience;
    • any potential future directions for the portfolio, or how the work of the portfolio might continue

In addition, students will be required to present their thesis publicly upon its completion either in person or via video recording and digital resources.

The presentation format selected for the Senior Honors Capstone Project may vary according to the specific contents of the project, the norms of the academic field, and consultation with the Faculty Mentor and Honors College Director. It may take the form of a formal presentation to an audience or a virtual presentation though digital media. The preliminary list provided below includes a number of potential online venues used in the creation of a presentation video and/or online portfolio. These can be used as a demonstration of work for future endeavors, such as employment or graduate school.

  • YouTube and social media sites
  • LinkedIn
  • Weebly
  • WordPress
  • Honors / Undergraduate research fair

There is no specific requirement for the layout selected beyond the inclusion of the stated portfolio requirement pieces. Please ensure that all artifacts hosted or linked on your portfolio are accessible to the Honors College Director as well as your faculty mentor.

1) Step One: Finding an Honors Capstone Project Advisor

The honors college student is responsible for finding a faculty project advisor/mentor. The advisor does not need to be an Honors College committee faculty member or have a particular status (such as tenure-track, Associate, etc.). S/he should, though, be qualified to supervise a project in the area you are proposing. Once a faculty advisor who is interested in supervising the project has been identified, notify the Honors College Director so that the selected faculty member may be advised to read the Guidelines for Mentoring an Honors Senior Project (https://honors.unl.edu/faculty/mentoring-thesis-project/).

2) Step Two: Complete Preliminary Research and Preparations

Honors Scholars should do significant background work on the topic before they make their proposal (i.e., research the literature surrounding the topic, do preliminary work, and/or investigate the feasibility of the project—whatever is the foundational work for the project). It is advisable to work with the faculty mentor to do this preliminary work. Honors Scholars should determine with the help of the faculty mentor if the project is more appropriate for the Senior Honors Thesis option or the Senior Honors Portfolio option.

3) Step Three: Developing Senior Honors Capstone Project Proposal

Once the initial steps have been completed, Honors Scholars will collaborate with the advisor to develop a detailed proposal. The guidelines for the Honors Thesis Proposal and the Honors Portfolio Proposal are given below. Projects involving human or animal subjects (including questionnaires and surveys) may be subject to prior approval by institutional administrative review. Honors Scholars are advised to determine whether or not their project requires prior approval by asking the faculty mentor.

Honors Thesis Proposal

Proposal Guidelines Proposals need to be 8-12 pages (minimum) typed and double-spaced, using the citation and formatting styles typical for the student’s discipline. Proposals for the Honors Thesis need to have the following elements, though not necessarily in sequential order:

  1. A working title that is descriptive of the project;
  2. A clear statement of the research question, problem, goal, thesis, or hypothesis of the study (e.g., the purpose of the study) intelligible to non-specialists;
  3. The significance of the study (why it matters), intelligible to non-specialists;
  4. Any necessary background or definitions for understanding the topic of the study;
  5. A research literature review with bibliography that is relevant to the topic and which describes the field(s) or studies to which the thesis is contributing. This should be substantive and demonstrate the student’s exploration of the topic. It should be formatted in the style relevant to the student’s field, typically APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, or IEEE;
  6. A relevant methodology or research design : This should include a) a discussion of relevant research, evidence, or data to be used, and/or how student will generate these; b) description of the role the student is playing in the research project (especially if it is a contributing part of a larger research project); c) documentation of student’s training in the skills, protocols, techniques, or background for the research, as needed (e.g. a methods course, draft interview protocol, surveys, certification for biohazard, animal research, etc.); d) a research ethics statement, if needed; f) the resources or materials necessary/available to the student in order to carry out the project.
  7. A projected timetable or schedule for realizing different portions the project.

Honors Portfolio Proposals

Proposal Guidelines Proposals need to be 8-12 pages (minimum) typed, double-spaced. Students must use the citation and formatting styles typical for their discipline. Proposals for the Honors Portfolio need to have the following components, though not necessarily in sequential order:

  1. A working title that is descriptive of the project in its entirety
  2. A clear descriptive statement of the goal of the project
  3. The significance of the project and why it matters to the field of study, the student, the community, and/or the broader society
  4. Any necessary background information for understanding the topic of the project and how the project contributes to this.
  5. Description and inclusion of data, information, theory, or research that is relevant to the project and to which the project is contributing. This should be substantive and demonstrate the student’s preliminary knowledge of the topic. It should be formatted in the style relevant to the student’s field, typically APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, or IEEE.
  6. Discussion of the student’s research methodology and a projected timeline, including a) the student’s role in the realization of the project (especially if part of a collaborative group project); b) documentation of student’s training and ability to carry out the project (coursework, experience); c) the resources and materials necessary/available to the student in order to carry out the project.
  7. A projected timetable or schedule for realizing different portions of the project.

The Senior Honors Capstone Project should realize exemplary and mature work reflective of honors designation in the student’s chosen field. It is vital that the direction and support provided by the faculty mentor be closely engaging and effective. It is important for faculty mentors to recognize that Senior Honors Capstone projects demand a level of intellectual maturity that is new
or more advanced than other student projects, and that they may be uniquely challenging for honors college students. Each Honors Capstone Project faculty mentorship will equate to one credit-hour of faculty load.

The following guidelines are provided to help students and faculty understand what the Honors College expects of mentors of students doing Senior Honors Capstone Projects:

A faculty member mentoring a Senior Honors Capstone Project:

  1. recognizes that the Honors Senior Capstone Project experience is unique to each student and the mentoring provided must be tailored to that unique student’s needs;
  2. develops students’ intellectual independence and understands that the scholarship/research/creative activity is very different from the typical classroom experience;
  3. helps students progress from being receivers of information to being original authors and contributors. To this end,
    • It is the faculty mentor’s responsibility to provide an environment in which the students can grow in this process.
    • The faculty mentor serves as a guide to the student at the outset (during development of the proposal and early stages of investigation), suggesting sources, approaches, and other tasks to help set the student on an appropriate course.
    • The mentor should help the student understand that the proposal is an agreement between the mentor and student, and should set out clear, mutually-agreed upon expectations and assessment criteria. These criteria should be clear at the time the proposal is submitted. The Honors College does not have rubrics for Honors senior projects; the mentor should convey to the student if specific disciplinary rubrics will apply.
    • The mentor should help students understand the complexity of research, namely that the subject/project is not as complete and finished as the student might have thought, that there are new questions to ask and answer, and known results to extend.
    • In the latter stages of the program, students should be able to work with more independence on original work.
  4. Exposes students to the tools and/or methodologies of the discipline or interdisciplinary endeavor, for example: problem/topic selection, literature searches, background reading, knowledge, experiments, creative practice, etc.
  5. Guides the student in ethical research practices regardless of discipline, recommending appropriate workshops or training and assisting in any approval process necessary for human subject research.
  6. Provides effective and meaningful student-faculty interaction. To this end,
    • Students should maintain a thorough understanding of their specific responsibilities, and the tools and resources available to successfully fulfill those responsibilities.
    • Faculty mentors hold frequent and regularly scheduled meetings with the students and are available as often as needed. Expectations set out in the proposal should be held to as closely as possible (and the mentor may need to remind the student of this).
  7. Provides a cooperative and supportive environment in which the students can learn and engage in active scholarship;
  8. Provides experiences and information that can help students make decisions about their futures in their field or interest area;
  9. Provides direction to enhance and reinforce the students’ discipline-specific or interdisciplinary methodology and skills;
  10. Enhances honors student’s social and communication skills through
    • opportunities for students to share their work in oral and written forms so as to build their confidence and independence;
    • robust feedback, including the evaluation of progress, comments/suggestions on writing and oral presentations, discussion of the potential or future aspects of the project;
  11. Encourages students to establish collaborations with others interested in or involved with their research/topic/creative project;
  12. Learns and respects students’ personalities and styles of work, understands their expectations, and is transparent with them about what the work is going to be like.

While the faculty mentor will determine the letter/course grades for the work conducted in the course of the Senior Honors Capstone Project, the Honors College Director and the student’s faculty mentor will jointly determine the project’s worthiness of the honors designation. The faculty mentor and committee will consider, in their assessment of the final project, the process of its production as well as the final project results.

The Honors College Director will evaluate the project on a pass/fail basis using the following evaluative criteria:

Formal recommendation of the honors designation for the completed project by the faculty mentor;

  • Demonstrable completion of project purpose and goals;
  • Demonstrable work-ethic and timely completion of work;
  • Adherence to expected academic standards of the academic field, college, and Honors College program;
  • Adherence to the expected formal standards of professional writing, research, and communication;
  • Clarity of project purpose, organization, research methods, results, and overall presentation;
  • Adherence to the expected formal standards of source citation and style formatting;
  • Clear, proper, and complete documentation of sources, data, components, or artifacts used in the realization of the project;
  • Evidenced achievement of high-quality work that demonstrably exceeds common standards and thus warrants honorable designation.

The Senior Honors Capstone Project will fail if the project does not get submitted before the deadline, the submitted project is demonstrably incomplete, or the submitted project is presumably complete, but it

  • does not have a (strong) reflection essay;
  • reflects poor or no research or creative work on the part of the student as evidenced in the essay or accompanying components/artifacts;
  • is not submitted electronically;
  • is submitted electronically but Faculty Mentor/Honors College Director does not have full access to the project elements;
  • is poorly designed or disorganized;
  • is poorly written (many typographical and grammatical errors, little evidence of proofreading or revision).

*Please note that if the Senior Honors Capstone Project is also part of the requirement for the major or degree-granting program, the project must satisfy the program’s requirements before it can be considered for the Honors College.

Upon the completion of the Honors College Senior Capstone Project, the Honors College Director will share the finished project with the Honors College Committee for their records and will also request 10 copies be printed, one of which will be archived in BSU’s W.B. Robertson Library and the other in the Office of International Initiatives, Honors College, and Service-Learning. The remaining 8 copies will be the property of the Honors Scholar.