HDS Honors and Senior Thesis Program

While admission to the HDS honors program is by invitation, students may still be eligible to join either the HDS Honors Program or The HDS Senior Thesis Program via our selective admissions process.

Selective Admission to the HDS Honors Program

To Apply for Admission to the HDS Honors Program:

• Have achieved a major GPA of 3.5 or higher at the time of application
  • Students with less than a 3.5 major GPA who show promise of exceptional research skills can still be considered for admission the the honors program. A statement of support from the students proposed faculty advisor must accompany the application.
• Complete HDS 181 before the Honors Thesis Year
• Meet with an HDS advisor prior to applying to the program
• Identify a faculty advisor for your honors research, and submit an Honors Advisor Agreement before Fall of Senior year. 

Selective Admission to the HDS Advance Research Senior Thesis Program

To Apply for Admission to the HDS Senior Thesis Program:

• Have achieved a major GPA of 3.2 or higher at the time of application
• Complete HDS 181 before Senior/Thesis Year
• Meet with an HDS advisor prior to applying to the program
• Identify a faculty advisor for your research, and submit an HDS 193 Application, indicating a 2-term project.

Fall Quarter - Thesis proposal and Project Outline
While receiving 4 units of academic credit in HDS 199, honors students develop a detailed research proposal and project outline that guides the development of their thesis project, in direct consultation with their honors faculty advisor.

Winter Quarter - Data Collection
During winter quarter, students meet regularly with their faculty advisor and start on the research portion of their thesis while receiving 4 units of academic credit under HDS 193. This may include designing research tools (ie. surveys, questionnaires), observing research subjects and collecting data, writing field notes, and reading additional relevant literature.  Most of the data collection for an honors theses occurs during winter quarter, but may continue during spring quarter

Spring Quarter - Writing the Thesis
During Spring quarter, while receiving 4 units of academic credit under a second term of HDS 193, honors candidates will meet regularly with their faculty advisor and begin writing the drafts of their honors thesis.  All Honors students are required to present their thesis during an oral presentation, usually at the UCSD Undergraduate Research Conference in 5th week of spring.

Submission of the final thesis by end of spring quarter concludes the student's participation in the HDS Honors Program.

Successful Completion of the HDS Senior Thesis Program

1. Completion of one term of HDS 199 and two terms of HDS 193 with a grade of B or higher
2. An oral presentation of the final thesis presented to the HDS Executive Faculty or at the UCSD Undergraduate Research Conference. 
   
3. Approval of final thesis by the faculty advisor and the Human Developmental Sciences executive faculty.

Completion of a year-long research sequence in HDS is acknowledged under HDS's Advanced Research Program Senior Thesis. Senior Thesis candidates are presented with a certificate of completion by the program.