There are two primary mechanisms to perform undergraduate honors work in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering:
Graduation with Distinction in Electrical and Computer Engineering. This mechanism recognizes Senior Honors Thesis Research performed over multiple quarters, usually during the graduation year of the student. Students who maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.4 can perform a research project during their senior year under the supervision of a faculty advisor. Students who complete the requirements for the thesis project receive diplomas at graduation that include the phrase "with Distinction in Electrical and Computer Engineering" to denote that they have successfully completed a thesis project. Student may also include a Senior Honors Thesis Research project as the primary investigational component of the Graduation with Honors in Engineering program described below. In that case, the student graduates both with Distinction in Electrical and Computer Engineering and with Honors in Engineering.
In many cases, the Senior Thesis Research project can also serve as the senior design project (ECE 683H) required for all B.S.E.C.E. students. For details of how to make your project meet both purposes, contact Prof. Bradley Clymer by email or at (614) 292-3477.
In general there are no deadlines for proposals to perform a Senior Thesis Project as long as it is submitted before Individual Study (ECE 683H and/or ECE 783H) credit are scheduled which would be applied toward the project.
There is an annual competition for scholarships and internships among students pursuing Senior Honors Thesis Research projects in the College of Engineering. Students who wish to compete for these financial aid packages from the College of Engineering must submit a proposal package to HI 122 by the first Friday of Spring Quarter the year before expected graduation. For details, inquire at Hitchcock Hall, Room 122 for a Senior Honors Thesis package.
To find an advisor, we recommend that you:
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Check the homepages of the individual ECE faculty to see the areas of research of each professor in the department; and
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See faculty whom you have had in classes for recommendations about projects.
Prof. Clymer will have a seminar early in Winter Quarter to answer questions student and faculty have regarding the Senior Thesis projects and the annual scholarship and internship competition. The seminar for 2004 was held January 12 and the slides used can be downloaded here in PDF format.
View some example abstracts of current Senior Honors Thesis projects.
Graduation with Honors in Engineering. This is a comprehensive multiple year undergraduate honors program that began in Autumn 2003. In this program, students plan an individualized honors plan that includes an honors coursework component, an investigational component and a leadership component. Students generally initiate a plan in consultation with a College of Engineering Honors Advisor, the departmental honors coordinator, Prof. Bradley Clymer, or the student’s undergraduate ECE advisor. Senior Honors Thesis Research projects can be used to help satisfy the investigational component of this program.
