高级项目
荣誉论文:一般指导方针
荣誉学院的每个毕业生都要完成一篇荣誉论文，通常超过两篇 高年级的学期. 通常情况下，学生会成功提交和答辩 a thesis that reflects creative- or research-based project based in one or multiple 学科.
荣誉学院已经组织了课程和项目来帮助学生 establish necessary research contacts, to find a research project, and to find a mentor. In particular, students will begin exploring research options in HON 101 during their 第一年，找到一个可能的导师，并开始考虑在HON 201期间的项目 their second year, develop a fully executed mentor/mentee contract prior to the start 在HON 301中写一份招股说明书，通常在他们的第三年. The 荣誉学院 holds events to help students meet possible faculty mentors and to network with students and faculty; urges students to attend lectures and special events across the University; and supports student applications for Summer Undergraduate 研究奖学金(SURF)，研究支持和会议旅行.
During the research and writing of the thesis, students work with a three-person committee, consisting of a mentor and two readers (commonly called committee members) to create knowledge and culture in their major or minor, or in another other discipline in which 他们已经展示了专业知识. 项目通常遵循部门的指导方针 论文学科优等生.
Through these projects, students may earn up to six (6) hours or credit toward their 学位要求. 要获得荣誉学院学分，每篇荣誉论文包括 substantial written scholarship, reflection, and, if disciplinarily applicable, creative works—with appropriate literature review and/or reflection—that meet the 需求 所代表的学科以及荣誉学院. 每个学生都参与 在与委员会的介绍和对话中，被称为“辩护”.“在这里 meeting, the student defends the thesis according to 荣誉学院 and Departmental 需求. 高年级学生还会在荣誉学院高年级学生展示会上展示他们的作品.
该委员会
Each project must have a mentor and two readers, otherwise known as committee members, 组成由三人组成的论文委员会.
- 导师: the mentor is usually a full-time, undergraduate faculty member in the discipline
研究，并在该领域的论文专家. 通常，导师有一个终端
学位(如. 该学科博士，硕士). 在专业执照等领域，
导师必须拥有不受阻碍的执照.
导师s provide the primary guidance for the student by supervising the prospectus, 项目目标，正在进行的研究进展，以及论文的撰写. 学生可能 develop their own independent project, or participate in an existing research project, field of study, or laboratory of the mentor, but the student must have their own identifiable 以及导师专业领域内的实质性研究项目. 指导 要求定期与学生会面并参与论文答辩. Typically, the mentor is the instructor of record for the 6 credits of thesis work, 然后提交成绩. 如果6个学分分两学期修完，导师 是否会为每学期分配的分数制定明确的指导方针——学生必须这样做 第一学期不得给予不完整或留级的成绩. - 读者/委员会成员: readers/committee members add another layer of insight to the thesis project, and
通常是在与论文相关的领域. 至少有一个读者应该这么做
be a member of the faculty or academic staff of the University, with an appropriate
终端学位. 论文委员会的其他读者可能来自外部
University, as long as they have the requisite professional, academic, or research
经验.
The mentor and the student will work together to identify the two readers/additional committee members, generally from within the discipline(s) of the thesis or related 学科. 导师将是项目的主要顾问，但读者/委员会 members will provide input at crucial points in the process, such as assisting with literature, methods, the review of drafts, offering suggestions or required changes (与导师协商)，参与论文答辩. 完整的 committee is approved by the Dean of the 荣誉学院 in consultation with the departments 在学生专题中有所表现.
读者/委员会成员为论文提供额外的指导，并可能提供 不是导师提供的专业知识. 读者/委员会成员也提供第二 验证学生的研究和论文专业知识. 这种情况贯穿始终 the process of research and writing, but appears primarily through two major points 给学生的反馈. 首先，所有论文委员会成员，包括读者， 评估项目并提供建设性和实质性的反馈 学生的专业知识和他/她/他们的作品的展示. 这种解读发生了 至少在辩方之前有一次. 第二，委员会成员出席辩护 and ask questions relevant to the project, including its aims, procedures, conclusions, 演示和/或未来方向.
整个委员会——导师和两个读者/委员会成员——一起工作 to make sure the student achieves expertise in their project and understands how it 适合围绕该主题的更大的学术机构的工作. 这也会 确保学生准备好辩护.
国防
The defense is an opportunity to probe the student learning 经验, suggest further areas for growth, and to validate the work of the student—through questions that challenge 在适当的层面上，还要肯定勤奋和创造性的工作. 在剧院演出 答辩通常是学生第二学期期末成绩的一部分 论文作业.
A defense is not an argument, but instead is an opportunity to be sure that the student 已获得专业知识，并了解该领域和项目.
每次防御持续大约60到75分钟，包括四个要素
- 学生报告他/她/他们的作品(20 - 35分钟)
- 委员讨论及提问(15至30分钟)
- 委员间闭门执行讨论(10 ~ 15分钟)
- 与委员会成员和学生的私人会议(10 - 15分钟)
The presentation of student work may proceed as a public presentation, or as a closed-door 由学生及委员会邀请嘉宾参加活动. 荣誉学院必须 有代表出席. 委员会成员将优先处理问题， and should probe the aims, procedures, conclusions, 演示和/或未来方向 与学生作业相关的内容. 这些问题通常是开放式的 学生批判性地思考他们的工作. 客人也可以提问， 如果时间允许的话.
It is important that the student, and not the mentor, respond to the questions and thereby illustrate their expertise, understanding, competence, and accomplishments.
After the question period, the defense must include a closed-door executive session to evaluate the student performance, to determine what adjustments are required in the final product, and to determine if the student passes, passes with restrictions, 或失败. 执行会议结束后，学生重新加入委员会成员 来听听结果. 通常情况下，委员会确实会要求修改，但很少会要求修改 论文可以不修改就通过.
论文
最后的论文是一篇正式的，由学生单独撰写的论文 大量的原创性研究和分析，或大量的创造性工作. 作为两届总统， six credit project, the thesis should reflect intensive research and/or creative endeavor, including relevant background and literature review, and the effort to write the thesis 在专业、正式的术语中.
Thesis formatting follows the guidelines provided by the 研究生院 at the University 南阿拉巴马州. 论文将包括由导师、委员会、 以及荣誉学院院长.
While length varies by discipline, most thesis projects will include about five pages of front matter (title page, copyright page, acknowledgements, dedication, and table 内容)，三十至五十页双倍行距的正文，以及五页的 背景材料(如参考书目).