Senior Thesis

One of the requirements for students who wish to graduate with honors is to write a senior thesis based on original student research. Writing a thesis allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor and helps you build research and writing skills that will be especially useful if you go on to graduate school. After the thesis is written, you will defend it before a faculty review board. A copy of your thesis will be publicly available in the North Carolina Collection at the Wilson Library.

Students who wish to write a senior thesis need to begin planning during their junior year. Consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies early in your junior year so that you can be paired with a thesis advisor, a faculty member who will help you select a research project.

General tips for writing the thesis are available from the Writing Center.

Students may want to talk with their thesis advisors about applying for an Honors Undergraduate Research Award. This competitve award provides up to $500 to help cover research expenses.

Sample Senior Theses in Religious Studies:

The Fourth Oracle of Balaam: A Study on the Historical Context of Numbers 24:15-19
Brian O. Sigmon, 2004

The Liberty of a Captive Conscience: Martin Luther's Views on Holiness
Todd Gwennap, 2005

"When God Created Man She Was Only Joking": Lesbian Christian Images of the Divine
Allison McNeill, 2005