Students are free to select an Honors thesis advisor of their choice. Sometimes the fit is obvious because a student is already working with a faculty member in a lab, in the field, or on a project. Other times, a student might identify a potential thesis advisor based on his/her academic work and approach him/her to discuss the thesis project idea.
When looking for an advisor, students might consider the following questions:
- Do I enjoy working with this faculty member? Do we communicate effectively and have a good rapport?
- Is this faculty member in my field of study? Will s/he be interested in my project and able to guide me through this research process?
- Will this faculty member be on campus? Is s/he able to commit to this role right now?
Some of these questions will be best answered by going to the faculty member’s office to have an informal conversation. It can be helpful to bring a copy of the thesis advisor handout, so faculty understand what that role entails. We recommend having these conversations as early as sophomore year.
If students have no idea who might serve as a suitable thesis advisor, they might try:
- Attending Creative Collaborations, USD’s undergraduate research conference, in the spring. Explore projects in your field/s and ask students about their research experience. Who was their advisor? How did they meet? Then connect with those faculty.
- Visiting faculty in their major department during office hours to learn about their research. Many faculty members are working on an exciting project and looking for student researchers.
- Browse the Honors thesis library in Maher 264. Flip through projects in your field to see which faculty members advised students. Then connect with those faculty.
- Talk to the Honors Director and other faculty about your interests; they may be able to offer suggestions.
Students should solidify their advisor-advisee relationship with their Honors thesis advisors no later than the spring semester of their junior year.