Thesis FAQ

Below are some commonly asked questions about senior theses. For more details look at the Senior Thesis Manual.

How do I register for the thesis course?

For permission to register for the Humanities thesis course, upload a one page proposal in the thesis portal.  You will also need to enter your supervisor's EID.  When your supervisor approves your proposal, you will be given access to register for the first half of the thesis course.  You will need to get your second reader to approve your proposal in order to register for the second half of the thesis.  Most students line up their second reader about a month after starting their thesis.

Why isn't there a scheduled meeting time for the thesis course?

The Humanities program coordinates biweekly meetings for majors to discuss their thesis research with each other.  The meeting time will be arranged once the semester starts so we can accommodate everyone's course schedule.  These meetings are mandatory, but this requirement may be waived if a course for a stundet's contract conflicts with the meeting time.

How long should a thesis be?

Each discipline will make different guidelines for the length of its honors theses.  One-semester theses are often thirty to fifty pages in length, and two-semester theses are usually fifty to eighty.  

Can my research include human subjects, interviews?  

Any student using research with human subjects must receive the approval of the Office of Research Support and Compliance.

Can I get funding for thesis research?  

There are various research fellowships and scholarships to help with undergraduate theses. The Humanities Program has scholarships that will support thesis research. The Liberal Arts Honors Program sponsors the Rapoport-King scholarship which awards both the student and supervising professor. You can apply for these scholarships through the College of Liberal Arts Scholarship portal.

Who can supervise a thesis?

The student is responsible for securing two readers. Your thesis supervisor (first reader) must be a member of the UT Austin faculty. Usually, your supervisor should be a professor with whom you have previously worked. The second reader is also faculty member, but may be someone that you do not know as well. Some second readers will be very involved in the thesis writing process, while others will give feedback only on the final draft. Make sure you talk to the first reader and second reader about how often you want to meet to make sure that you can work well together. A successful student-supervisor match is one of the most important elements for a successful thesis.

Are there style guidelines to follow?

Follow the guidelines in the Senior Thesis Manual above. Upon completion, submit a copy of your thesis with the original signature page to the Humanities Honors program. You should also, as a courtesy, provide a bound copy to each of your readers.