OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
Open search box
Stage 4 supports you through writing your thesis and preparing for your defense. In this stage you may ask:
This stage of the process typically takes two terms to complete. You must complete Stage 4 no later than the term you graduate. If you have questions, please contact an HC academic advisor.
If your plan has changed, update your Thesis Map.
Register for HC 408 Stage 4: Compose & Complete
OR
Complete Stage 4: Compose & Complete tasks independently
☐ Write a full draft of the thesis
Note: The thesis draft can be completed in HC 408 Thesis: Stage 4 - Compose & Complete.
The HC does not provide guidelines for formatting the body of your thesis. Follow the style guide of your discipline to format the text of your thesis. However, there are specific requirements for formatting the pre-text pages, including the flyleaves, abstract, copyright page, title page, and signature approval page. Refer to our Formatting Your HC Thesis page and templates.
Begin by writing a rough draft that brings the sections of your project together and allows your committee to see your progress as well as provide feedback. The content of the rough draft and how many revisions are to be made are determined by you and your mentor.
It is critical during the drafting process to give yourself plenty of time to follow recommended writing techniques, including “cool-downs” and targeted proofreading.
Throughout the process, work with your mentor to determine what revisions need to be made for the final draft of the thesis. You can utilize the Graduate Writing Center for additional help. Schedule a Writing Center appointment.
All graduates are required to prepare a poster for public presentation. Please follow the criteria outlined in the HC Thesis Fair Poster Printing Specifications. Note: Thesis poster creation and submission of the completed thesis can be completed in HC 408 Thesis: Stage 4 - Compose & Complete.
Among other important requirements, the poster must:
display your name, your mentor’s name, and the project title
be 48 inches wide and 36 inches high.
fit in a 4-foot area (including additional materials)
be designed to hang on a wall (no tri-fold displays).
be of professional caliber, while also communicating clearly to a layperson.
Use the video tutorial for design assistance. The Student Multimedia Service team provides free personal design consultation and printing of the poster. Photos from previous Thesis Fair events can also be found on the HC photo gallery. After completing the poster, submit it for inclusion in the poster fair to bit.ly/S4Poster. Please submit it as a PDF.
Those completing their Honors degree in spring term are required to print and publicly display their poster at the HC Thesis Fair. Summer, Fall, and Winter graduates’ posters will be digitally displayed. This event, held every spring term, is an opportunity to display your work on campus and to the general public.
All posters displayed at the Thesis Fair will be judged by faculty in three categories (engineering; science; or humanities, social science, and business). One poster from each category will be selected to receive the Outstanding Thesis Poster of the Year award with a cash prize!
In coordination with your committee members, schedule a two-hour session. Identify a day, time, and location convenient for everyone, noting technology and accessibility needs.
To reserve a room in the HC, please contact the Honors College office (keep in mind that space is limited). To reserve a room in the Valley Library, your major department, or elsewhere, contact the appropriate administrator directly. Notify the HC of your scheduled thesis defense at bit.ly/S4Defense.
Once you have revised your draft in consultation with your mentor, prepare an examination copy. The examination copy should conform to all the formatting requirements of the Formatting Your HC Thesis page. Send one copy to each committee member at least ten days before your defense.
Carefully review the Thesis Defense Agenda Template and use it to create your own agenda for committee members. Organize a brief presentation of your thesis work and be prepared to answer questions from all in attendance.
Present your work to your mentor and committee members. Bring the HC Thesis Submission Approval Form for signatures from the committee members who approve your thesis at your defense.
Upon conclusion of the examination portion of the defense, the thesis committee will recommend either: pass, fail, or recess the examination until a later date. Alternatively, the committee may recommend a conditional pass if relatively minor modifications to the thesis or project are necessary.
Submit HC Thesis Submission Approval Form to the HC advising office (LInC 450) by 5 pm on the Friday of Week 10. Submission of the PDF of your thesis to Scholar's Archive is also due by 5 pm on the Friday of Week 10. These are absolute deadlines; you will not graduate with the Honors Baccalaureate diploma without submitting a completed thesis. If you are not able to submit your thesis by this deadline, you must immediately contact an HC academic advisor to discuss your options.
Please note that nearly every thesis needs revision after the defense. If your thesis mentor or committee have requested any revisions, update the examination copy with those edits.
Submit HC Thesis Submission Approval Form to the HC advising office (LInC 450) by 5 pm on the Friday of Week 10. Note: the honors office coordinator will obtain the Dean’s signature.
Submit one PDF file of your thesis, without the signatures, electronically to Scholar's Archive. The Honors College follows the Undergraduate Thesis Submission Instructions within the ScholarsArchive@OSU research guide. Please refer to this guide for assistance. In brief, you will (1) use Adobe Acrobat, (2) name the file: Last name, First name, Middle initial, and Graduation year – in this format: EdisonThomasA2014, (3) Create " Accessibility Tags" utilizing the Accessibility Submission Guide to include Descriptive Properties, and Language Properties, and (4) choose Creative Commons License or No Creative Commons License. You will now need to submit an HC Thesis Submission Approval Form after you upload it to Scholars Archive.
For those who wish to submit their thesis to the Honors College thesis library, follow the HC Bound Thesis Printing Specifications for specific requirements for printing and binding the thesis. Please follow these guidelines precisely as an improperly produced thesis will require reprinting and rebinding.
“Turning in [my honors thesis], I feel like I’ve accomplished something I never thought I would, and I am excited for the next challenge. I feel prepared.”
-Irene Ridgway, Honors College Class of 2003