EPPS Undergraduate Honors Program
The Undergraduate Honors Program in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences provides eligible students with the opportunity for recognition at the program level for outstanding scholarly performance in degree programs within the school.
In order to earn EPPS honors, a student must:
- Graduate with an overall GPA of 3.500 or higher.
- Graduate with a GPA of 3.750 or higher in their major program of study.
- Students should contact an academic advisor for an application.
- Students must apply no later than 30 semester credit hours prior to graduation and no earlier than 60 semester credit hours prior to graduation. Students should contact an academic advisor for an enrollment form.
- Register for three to six Senior Honors semester credit hours with a faculty supervisor or mentor and complete the honors thesis.
- The Honors paper must be submitted to a faculty mentor or supervisor at least three weeks prior to the last day of classes for the term. It is then critiqued by the mentor and returned to the student for revisions and must be resubmitted by the last day of classes of the term. At that point, a second reader is asked to evaluate the paper. The academic advisor will submit the final paperwork to the Registrar’s Office.
What does an Undergraduate Honors thesis entail?
An Undergraduate Honors thesis is a substantial academic project that serves as the capstone experience. It provides an opportunity for students to conduct independent research and demonstrate mastery of their discipline. However, it does not necessarily require a contribution of new knowledge to the field.
EPPS Senior Honors Process
- Student completes the program application to do a Senior Honors thesis/project and returns it to the advisor.
- Application is sent to program head for approval.
- Student completes the permission form to be enrolled in the Senior Honors class and returns it to the advisor.
- Permission form is sent to faculty sponsor for approval. Once approved, student is enrolled in the class.
- Student to provide the name of the project second reader and the official title of the thesis/project.
- At the end of the semester, the faculty sponsor, second reader and associate dean will sign off on approving the student to receive major honors.
- After final grades are posted, the advisor will complete and send a recommendation form to the Registrar’s Office.
As a reminder, students awarded major honors must have minimum GPAs of 3.500 overall and 3.750 in the major.
How To Find…
A Research Topic
Read academic journals in your chosen field of study and consult with faculty members to refine and select a focused research topic.
Data
Free datasets are widely available online through various reputable platforms, including government websites, nonprofit organizations, and research institutions. You can also explore datasets shared in academic research papers or by faculty members in your field of study. Some popular sources include:
- Government Databases: Such as data.gov for U.S. data or equivalent platforms in other countries.
- Open-Source Platforms: Like Kaggle, Google Dataset Search, Harvard Database, ICPSR or Open Data portals.
- Research Repositories: Many journals or institutions host supplementary datasets alongside published research.
- University Libraries and Resources: The EPPS library liaisons may provide access to specialized databases or archives.
When sourcing data, ensure it is relevant, credible, and aligns with the requirements of your research project.
A Faculty Advisor and Second Reader
Find a faculty member that specializes in your selected area of research and ask them to guide you throughout the semester.
EPPS Honors Theses Archive
Investing in the Plate: Exploring the Nexus of Microfinance and Global Hunger
By Nada Iqbal, B.S. in Economics
Date: November 14, 2023
Advisor: Professor Dong Li
View: PDF File