Philosophy

For questions and additional information please contact:

Honors Project Course Information

PHIL:490—Senior Honors Project in Philosophy (1–3 credits; may be repeated for a total of six credits)
Prerequisites: Senior standing in Honors Program or senior honors standing as Philosophy major, and permission of Philosophy Department Honors Preceptor.

Research leading to completion of senior honors thesis involving original work under faculty supervision. The Senior Honors Project in Philosophy consists of a substantial philosophical thesis, approximately 20–50 pages in length, including footnotes, references, and a bibliography. Three credit hours and a letter grade will be awarded for this course.

Procedures

Project Proposal

The first step is for the student to prepare a Project Proposal. Proposal due dates and the Project Proposal Form are available on the Honors College website. The student is to select a thesis Sponsor from the full-time faculty within the Philosophy Department, as well as a Committee comprised of the Sponsor and two additional University faculty members to serve as Readers.

Project Drafts

After the proposal is approved, the student meets with the thesis Sponsor to discuss the project and begin submitting drafts. Periodic meetings will be required and several drafts may be necessary before a final thesis is ready for submission to the Committee for approval and grading. Although it is the Sponsor who awards the final grade, be sure to keep the Readers up-to-date throughout the process. Send them copies of the thesis at regular intervals and expect revisions based on their comments.

Project Submission

The final project is to be submitted electronically via IdeaExchange. For details go to the Honors College website.

General Guidelines

• You must receive a grade of "B" or higher on your Honors Research Project to graduate as an Honors Scholar. If you do not achieve this grade you may still meet the requirements to graduate as an undergraduate student in your major. Please contact your Honors Advisor for more information.
• When there are multiple students involved in an Honors Research Project, each student should be included as authors on the final report, even if they are not part of the Williams Honors College. Every student should receive the proper recognition for thier contributions.
• Every committee must be composed of a Sponsor and two Readers. More information on these roles is available here.
• Students expecting to work on an honors project involving the use of human subjects should be aware that such projects may need to be evaluated by the University of Akron Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB reviews all proposals for research involving human participants to insure appropriate ethical and safety standards are observed. Depending on the nature of the proposed research, IRB review and approval may be required prior to moving forward with your study. In the same way, any research involving live animals will require review by the University of Akron Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUC). Please communicate with your project sponsor regarding the need for IRB or ACUC consideration as it relates to your specific project. Information concerning research applications and review procedures can be obtained via the University of Akron Office of Research Administration (ORA).