https://honors.fsu.edu/honors-major
If you are interested in pursuing an Honors in the Major Thesis (HITM) in the Department of Sociology, here are some initial steps to take.
1. First, go on the HITM website and read through the requirements and look at all of the main links on the site including the admission requirements, committee composition and timeline among other important information.
2. If you qualify you will next identify a general topic of interest to you on which you might write a thesis. This can be a general idea such as: Whether race/ethnicity affects choice of job or job satisfaction.
3. You need to choose a faculty thesis advisor (“Director”) to guide you through the process. So the next step is to identify a faculty member with whom you would like to work on a thesis.
- You would ideally consider a faculty member with whom you have had a course (or more than one course) that stimulated your interest in the topic. You might also consider someone with whom you have done some research or had as a mentor or advisor for a successful Directed Independent Study.
- You may also look at the research and teaching areas for each faculty member on the Department of Sociology website and identify someone with whom you might like to work based on their areas of expertise.
- Note: The thesis chair must be a full-time faculty member (not a temporary or adjunct instructor and not a graduate student instructor).
4. Once you have identified one or more possible faculty members who might serve in this role, contact them via e-mail or set up an appointment to meet with them during office hours to discuss whether they might be available and willing to serve as director.
5. You may also contact Dr. Teresa Roach (troach@fsu.edu),, the Director of Undergraduate Studies if you would like advice about selecting or approaching a possible thesis director.
6. Once a faculty member agrees to direct your thesis work, you should identify other committee members, often with help from your thesis director including: another faculty member from the Department of Sociology and an outside member from any other department.
7. Contact those other members to determine if they are available and willing to serve.
8. Before you can enroll with a professor officially or for credit you must submit your application and be approved for HITM. The application process includes filling out an HITM signature sheet for committee members to sign. This contains the following information:
- Thesis title (this can change as the work evolves)
- Semester in which you will begin (you may take up to 9 credit hours toward the thesis spanning up to three semesters in a row).
- Thesis Chair/Director’s signature
- Department Chair’s signature
- Departmental Liaison’s signature
9. Please email Michelle Bravo (mbravo@fsu.edu) to get registered for HITM credit.
10. Make sure to check http://canvas.fsu.edu for your HITM course once registered.