Undergraduate Honors in the Discipline

First-term Bouvé Honors students choose from a set of seminars that cut across the healthcare professions to highlight significant contemporary issues and to connect students with experts in the field, within and beyond academia.  Small class size fosters student interaction with senior faculty members.  Examples of previously offered Honors interprofessional seminars are as follows:

Honors students are encouraged to do a Junior/Senior project, conducted with the support of a faculty member/researcher. The Junior/Senior project offers students the opportunity to conduct research or complete a project as part of a course or directed study over two semesters. (Exceptions can be discussed with your academic advisor.) A student who successfully completes a project as specified by college requirements will receive Honors in the Discipline upon graduating. Students who are on track to earn a BS and stay for a clinical doctorate must have the honors designation awarded before completing their BS degree. Students interested in completing a Bouvé Junior/Senior Honors Project must complete the Bouvé Honors Project Proposal and Approval Form.

The goal of the Bouvé Junior/Senior Honors Project is to foster creativity and exceptional scholarly work and assimilate students’ educational experiences. Bouvé Honors projects provide students with the opportunity to explore their chosen discipline in greater depth, with guidance from a faculty mentor. While the specific format and requirements for the projects vary by major, all share the goal of reflecting the challenges, opportunities, and measures of excellence most centrally associated with that discipline. The project will allow Bouvé Honors students to develop a deep and critical understanding of the methodology, theory, and policy aspects of the discipline, while also relating it to significant problems in healthcare

Students who have excelled academically but did not enter the Northeastern University Honors program are encouraged to submit a proposal and complete a Junior/Senior Honors project, allowing all Bouvé students the opportunity to graduate with College Honors Distinction.

The selection of a Research Project Advisor for the project is generally based on a student’s interest in a faculty member’s research area or past experience in a class with that professor. The Research Project Advisor is responsible for assisting with project design, assessing progress, advising, and submitting the project grade. Faculty members who are available to work with students on Honors research projects are listed in the Bouvé College Research Compendium.

For more information regarding the Junior/Senior Honors Project, students should contact the Bouvé Honors Faculty Coordinator specific to their majors to explore possibilities for their projects.

Nature of the Project:
The Junior/Senior Honors Project is expected to be completed with faculty guidance.  A student may join a professor in his/her active research or create an independent research project under the mentorship of a faculty member whose expertise will support his/her project.

Project Time:
Students in semesters 5 – 10 may engage in their Honors project.

Scope of Project:
Honors projects are completed over a 2 semester period of time.

Form:
Students will conduct research or complete a project as part of a course or directed study over two semesters, often as part of a capstone project.  To be eligible for College Honors Distinction, a student must earn a minimum of a B and approval from the Bouvé Honors Committee.

Student Eligibility: 

Menu of Junior/Senior Honors Projects that students may select:

A faculty member who agrees to supervise a student’s project expects (1) genuine commitment to the research or creative project, (2) background knowledge of the subject, and (3) demonstration of initiative and independence.

The faculty member who agrees to be a student’s Research Project Advisor will offer expertise and direction in (1) developing a research question and building upon the student’s knowledge of research methodology, (2) completing a literature review and developing a bibliography, (3) narrowing the topic, (4) developing an outline and timeline, and (5) preparing the final draft by reading the project carefully, critically, and in time for the student to make final revisions.

Throughout their time at Northeastern, faculty and advisors encourage and challenge Bouvé Honors students to develop their scholarly interests and to evolve as independent thinkers. Resources include the following:

Q: How can I earn College Honors Distinction if I’m not in the University Honors program?
A: By submitting a proposal for a Bouvé Junior/Senior Honors project, you are also applying to graduate with College Honors Distinction.  Once you have successfully completed your honors project, you will have earned College Honors Distinction.

Q: What defines a scholarly work?
A: The definition of scholarly work will depend on the type of Honors project.  All of the projects will conclude with results that can benefit the healthcare community.  All students will need to complete a paper of at least 10 pages, though traditional research papers will need to be longer in length in order to answer the necessary research questions.  Students doing other types of scholarly work, such as beginning a non-profit organization, doing service work abroad, or other creative projects, will need to provide evidence of research conducted to prepare for the project, the main objectives, and the end results.  Simply acting as a teaching assistant for an Honors course, studying abroad, completing clinical work, or completing a service trip is not enough to qualify for an Honors project.  There must be a scholarly work produced at the end of the project.  For more information on what constitutes a scholarly work, students can speak with their academic advisor.

Q: Can I complete a Bouvé Junior/Senior Honors project and also complete a minor or concentration?
A: This will depend on students’ majors, minors, and credits earned.  If you have questions regarding how Honors will affect your curriculum plan, please visit your Academic Advisor in Bouvé’s Office of Student Services.

Q: If I’m doing an interdisciplinary project with a student outside of my major, how will we be advised?
A: Students will need to find a Research Advisor who agrees to advise their project.  This may mean that students both find one faculty member specializing in that interdisciplinary field or students might have different faculty members advising them who agree to work together in their mentorships.