Major Requirements for Students Pursuing Latin Honors
BSE 2001H Introduction to Biology, Society, and Environment Honors
Science and Math Courses:
CHEM 1071/75H Honors Chemistry I and Lab (Fall)
CHEM 1072/76H Honors Chemistry II and Lab (Spring)
CHEM 2331H Honors Organic Chemistry I (Fall)
MATH 1571H Honors Calculus I (Fall)
PHYS 1401V Honors Physics I (Fall)
Bioscience Courses
BIOL 1009 Honors General Biology (Spring)
ANAT 3658H Principles of Human Anatomy with Cadaver Laboratory for Honors Students
CHEM 2332H Honors Organic Chemistry II (Spring)
CHEM 2312H Honors Organic Chemistry Lab (Fall) (See note below)
Science and Society Courses
ANTH1003V Understanding Cultures: Honors
PSY 3801H Honors Introduction to Psychological Measurement and Data Analysis (FALL ONLY)
PSY 3001V Honors Introduction to Research Methods (SPRING ONLY)
GWSS 3002V Honors Gender, Race, and Class in the U.S
HCOL 3101H or HCOL 3102H
All students must take BSE 3991H as a capstone course. Honors BSE majors also will complete an Honors Thesis on a topic consistent with the major and that fulfills the expectations outlined by the University Honors Program. Students seeking additional credits associated with their thesis work have the option to take directed study credits through BSE 3994 (Directed Research) or through the Directed Study Designator in the Thesis Advisor's department.
- All Honors BSE majors complete an honors thesis on a topic consistent with the themes of the major. Cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude honors theses must meet the criteria specified in the UHP Thesis Requirements and Evaluation Criteria.
- Only students completing a summa thesis are required to give a public presentation. There are many options for fulfilling this requirement. Some examples include: presenting a poster at the U's Undergraduate Research Symposium, presenting a poster at an academic conference, giving a presentation to your thesis advisor’s research group, giving a presentation in your thesis advisor's departmental colloquium, or giving a presentation at a community forum.
- The BSE Honors thesis committee consists of the main thesis advisor and two readers. One member of the committee (not necessarily the advisor) must be the BSE Honors Faculty Representative or their designate. Expectations of Students and Advisors are available in a document prepared by the BSE department.
- A typical BSE cum laude or magna cum laude thesis may be 15-20 (double-spaced) pages in length. A typical summa thesis may be 25-40 (double-spaced) pages in length. Word- or page-length expectations will differ depending on the nature of the project. Projects focusing on data analysis often (but not always) are shorter than those that involve archival research or focus on analyzing and interpreting existing literature.
Some suggestions for finding a thesis advisor are included below. If you need additional help with this process, contact the BSE major adviser for assistance:
- reaching out to the instructor of a course that piqued your interest
- reading up on the research being done in a department that aligns with your interests
- searching Experts@Minnesota for people doing research in your area(s) of interest
- if you have a job in a lab or on a research project, ask your supervisor about whether you can expand on that work for your honors thesis