HEALTH AND SOCIETIES (HSOC) SENIOR HONORS THESIS

 

OVERVIEW

A senior honors thesis in the Health and Societies (HSOC) major is a substantial independent research project completed over the course of a year (or two consecutive semesters) – during the fall or spring of the senior year, after completion of an HSOC capstone course. This thesis, or analytical research essay, must be researched and written under supervision of an advisor and should be 12,500 to 20,000 words, plus bibliography. An appropriate thesis will be historically grounded and may use historical, anthropological, and/or sociological methods and approaches. For this reason, students must have an advisor in the HSSC department but may also have a co-advisor in another department*. Students who successfully complete all the requirements will earn the distinction of “honors” upon graduating from Penn.

 

All students who wish to write an honors thesis must first complete a capstone research paper. This introduction to a research project helps students figure out if they like doing this kind of work. It also helps students learn their strengths, weaknesses, and interests as researchers. Students accepted into the honors program enroll in an independent study with an HSOC faculty advisor that need not have been the capstone instructor.* During the independent study, students are required to meet with their faculty advisor, to submit assignments and drafts, and to meet regularly (once or twice per month) with peers in the HSOC honors program. The exact final form that the honors thesis takes is ultimately up to students to work out with their advisors, but the norm in HSOC has been for students to write a thesis in the form of three substantive chapters that total ~80 pages (or approximately 20,000 words). This style of thesis has been successful for our program, with many of our students going on to win prestigious awards for their thesis work and getting pieces of their research published in both popular and scholarly outlets.

 

*If no one on the HSOC faculty has the expertise you need to help you with your project, you may request a co-advisor. Please reach out to the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies for more information on how co-advising can work.

 

 

 

APPLICATION INFORMATION

 

Application Deadlines

Fall completion. Applications from students in the spring of their junior year are due by no later than 11:59 p.m. on the date of Penn’s Commencement (May 20, 2024). Students will be notified by early June about their status.

 

Spring completion. Applications from students in the fall of their senior year are due by no later than 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the fall semester (Dec. 19, 2024). Students will be notified about their status in early January, after the capstone final grade has been submitted.

 

 

Eligibility and Application Requirements

·      Students must have at least a 3.6 GPA in the HSOC major and a 3.3 GPA overall.

·      Students are eligible to apply only in the spring of their junior year or the fall of their senior year.

·      Students must earn an “A” or higher in their HSOC capstone course completed during the spring of their junior year or the fall of their senior year.

·      Students must obtain written letters of support from their capstone instructor AND an approved HSOC faculty advisor (they do not need to be the same person, but they can be). If a student plans to have a co-advisor outside of the History and Sociology of Science department, then they will also need them to submit a letter of support.

·      Students must submit a five-page thesis proposal along with a completed capstone paper. The proposal should include: (1) the project title (2) project description (3) a discussion of how the work relates to the capstone paper (i.e. Will it expand on the capstone? Head in a different direction? Etc.) (4) a timeline and plan for completing the research and writing of the thesis and (5) a two- to three-page bibliography that includes the key primary and secondary sources.

 

Application materials

·      A one-page letter of interest that explains why you want to do an honors project. Please include your GPA and grade requirements in this letter.

·      Your thesis proposal.

·      Your capstone paper.

·      Your letters of support from your capstone instructor and your advisor(s) (if this is the same person, you will only need one letter). Recommenders email these letters directly to the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies.

 

Selection process

All applications will be reviewed by a departmental committee. Acceptance into the honors program will be based on the following criteria:

·      Applicants meet all eligibility requirements.

·      Applications are completed as per the instructions outlined here and submitted by the deadline. (No late applications will be considered)

·      The project described is carefully planned and fits within the goals and parameters of the HSOC major, and the applicant demonstrates a convincing ability to complete it successfully in the time available.

·      The applicant has the enthusiastic support of their capstone instructor and advisor.

·      If funding or other outside research support is required (i.e. the project requires travel, IRB approval, or participant enrollment), the applicant can provide evidence that this support has been—or will most likely be—secured.

 

Additional considerations

Please note that, while it is possible to complete an honors project during the fall and spring of your senior year, it may be more challenging because you will not have the summer months to work on it. There are only a few short weeks between the end of the fall semester and the beginning of the spring semester. For this reason, the selection committee will need to be convinced beyond all doubt that fall applicants are well-positioned to complete their project in the time available.

 

We advise students to take no more than three courses in addition to the thesis independent study. Previous HSOC thesis writers have also advised against courses that require substantial in-class time each week and classes in which there is a heavy research/writing commitment at the end of the semester.

 

Completing an honors thesis can be a wonderful experience. However, please note that in addition to our eligibility and application review guidelines outlined above, acceptance into the honors program will necessarily be limited by the resources of our small department. Although HSOC is one of the largest undergraduate majors in the College of Arts and Sciences, we have a relatively small faculty and program staff. Please keep this in mind as you begin your application process.

 

 

 

SENIOR HONORS THESIS WRITING PROCESS

 

Overview

A student will receive honors after completion of a successful and high-quality written thesis and participation in Senior Research Symposium (typically scheduled in late April or early May, during or near the spring term Reading Days). Your thesis can build on material from your capstone, but you cannot simply submit a revised draft of your capstone paper. Your capstone might turn into a chapter of your thesis, for example, or you might decide to break your capstone paper into smaller topics which you then research and delve into more thoroughly, turning one paper into a more extensive and fully developed, three-chapter thesis. Alternatively, you may decide that your honors thesis takes you in a new direction altogether and has relatively little overlap with your capstone. Any of these options are fine, as long as you are able to complete the thesis in the time that is available to you, it is original, and it shows substantial and significant work that distinguishes it from your capstone paper.

 

It takes two consecutive semesters to complete an honors thesis in HSOC. In your first semester, you enroll in and complete a capstone seminar. Towards the end of your capstone course, you will decide if you want to expand or build upon what you learned through your capstone research and write an honors thesis. If you are accepted into the honors program, then the following semester you will enroll in an independent study directed by your thesis supervisor. During your independent study semester, you will be expected to meet at least once/month with your thesis advisor for regular check-ins. You will also be expected to meet once/month with your cohort to discuss your progress, trouble-shoot, and provide feedback on drafts. Along the way, there are deadlines for specific deliverables that MUST be adhered to. Failure to meet deadlines during your independent study semester will negatively affect your ability to successfully complete the honors program.

 

Students who apply to the program in the spring of their junior year are also expected to utilize the summer for research, idea development, and planning. Students who apply to the program in the fall of their senior year must begin research over the comparatively shorter winter break and do not have the benefit of these additional summer months.

 

Honors Determination

Honors will be determined both by the grade given by your advisor and through a review by the senior thesis committee. Generally, a thesis needs to earn a grade of A- or above to be considered for honors.

 

Timeline and deliverables

You must meet at least three times with your advisor and at least three times with your cohort during the semester of your independent study.

 

September (after Labor Day)/January (within the first 10 days of the semester)

by no later than Sept. 10, 2024 or Jan. 29, 2025

(1)  first advisor meeting

(2)  first cohort meeting

 

Make sure you meet with your advisor first, prior to your cohort meeting, so you can discuss these questions with them and obtain their signature:

1.     A one- to two-page write-up that answers the following questions:

a.     What research have you completed?

b.     Is there any research you still need to complete?

c.     What writing have you completed?

d.     What is your timeline for completion?

 

2.     During your first meeting with your advisor, develop a list of appointment times for the semester and a calendar for completion as a contract signed by your advisor. Bring this to the cohort meeting.

 

October (after Fall break)/ February (last week of the month)

by no later than Oct. 11, 2024 or Feb. 28, 2025

(1)  advisor meeting

(2)  cohort meeting

 

Make sure you meet with your advisor before your cohort meeting to discuss the following materials and obtain your advisor’s approval:

1.     A one- to two-page document that includes

a.     A thesis statement

b.     A brief outline of thesis chapters

c.     One paragraph stating what has been completed, what remains to be done, and dates for completing those chapters, signed by your advisor.

 

November (before Thanksgiving)/April (first full week)

by no later than Nov. 22, 2024 or April 11, 2025

(1)  advisor meeting

(2)  cohort meeting

 

Please make sure you have done the following at least one full week before your meetings:

by no later than Nov. 15, 2024 or April 4, 2025

1.     Submit a full draft (introduction, all chapters, conclusion) of your thesis to your advisor

 

December/May

A copy of the final draft of the thesis and of your original capstone paper are due by email to your advisor and to the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies by 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the semester (Dec. 19, 2024 or May 13, 2025). There are NO extensions and NO incompletes. Failure to turn in these materials by this deadline means you will not be eligible to receive honors.

The final, polished, formatted, printed version (one bound copy each for you, for your advisor, and for the HSSC department) is due to your advisor and to the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies by 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 1 or June 1.