Honors Program
The Honors program in Biology is research-based and requires students to complete a substantial piece of original biological work which they describe in a formal Thesis and present at the departmental Achauer Honors Research Symposium and through the Biology Virtual Showcase website.
The program offers a unique opportunity for independent research, creativity, and achievement. The Department of Biology is very proud of the achievements of our undergraduate researchers and of the fact that so many of our students take advantage of this opportunity (typically between 50-60% of our students write Honors Theses each year!). Honors research also offers a chance to interact more closely with faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and fellow undergraduates.
Beginning with the class of 2025, Honors in Biology will be one of the options for completing a capstone for the Biology major.
In addition to the information available on this page, the Honors Handbook is an excellent resource. Whether you're a freshman just starting to think about participating in research, a senior gearing up to write your thesis, a PI mentoring a Biology Honors student, or a second reader on an honors thesis, this guide is for you!
Jump to:
Requirements
How to Apply
The Thesis
Honors Symposium
Presentation of Your Work
Firestone Awards
Requirements
Major GPA of 3.0 or higher
You must have a minimum GPA of at least 3.0 within the major by the time you graduate. This includes every course on your degree progress checklist (including foundational breadth). The only courses excluded from your GPA are research courses (BIO 199/X or BIOHOPK 199H).
10 Units of Research
10 units of BIO 199 or 199X or BIOHOPK 199H from your Honors lab completed in junior and senior years.
If this poses a financial challenge, we will consider exceptions on a case-by-case basis only for students who have completed comparable experience through federal work-study for up to 4 units.
Honors Proposal
An approved Honors proposal, submitted according to the deadlines listed below.
Thesis
A PDF of your Honors Thesis, which should be read and approved by at least two Academic Council members (the Research Sponsor/PI and a designated Second Reader, at least one of whom must be from the Department of Biology).
Presentation of Your Work
Presentation of your research (oral presentation or poster) at the Achauer Honors Research Symposium and on our Biology Virtual Showcase website.
How to Apply
First: Join the Honors Canvas Site
If you will be applying to the Honors program in the 2023-24 academic year, please fill out this form, so that we can add you to the Honors Canvas site. We use this site for communication as well as for the submission of your Honors application.
If you have any questions, please email the Director of the Honors Program, Dr. Jamie Imam (jamiec@).
Honors Proposal Form
Honors Proposal Form with signatures from:
- Research Sponsor/PI
- Second Reader. If your PI is not a Biology faculty member, your second reader must be.
- Third Reader, if applicable. This is required if your PI is not a member of the Academic Council.
- Biology Department Faculty Advisor. Your Faculty Advisor may also serve as your Second Reader, but must sign twice - once as Second Reader and again as Faculty Advisor.
GPA Criteria
You must have a GPA of at least 3.0 within your major courses (including BIO 80-series, lab, and STEM requirements) excluding additional research units not counted toward electives by graduation.
Written Proposal
Include your 5-6 page proposal using the format indicated on the Honors Proposal Form (fillable). Proposals longer than 10 pages will not be accepted.
In order to meet the honors proposal deadline, students should submit these documents to faculty at least 1-2 weeks ahead of the deadline to allow enough time for review and revision!
Proposal Deadlines
Deadlines
Honors proposals deadlines for upcoming cohorts:
- Spring 2024 graduates: Thursday, October 12, 2023, 11:59pm
- Spring 2025 graduates: Thursday, February 29, 2024, 11:59pm
- Spring 2026 graduates (tentative): Thursday, February 27th, 2025, 5:00pm
If you will be graduating in a quarter other than Spring, please reach out to the Student services office or the Honors director to discuss your plans and the deadline you should follow.
It is your responsibility to obtain the necessary signatures on the proposal form. Many faculty travel extensively, so make sure your Research Sponsor, Readers, and Faculty Advisor will be on-campus to read your proposal and sign your form well ahead of the deadline.
Tip: We recommend submitting your materials to your readers at least 1-2 weeks (though more notice is better!) ahead of these deadlines to give them adequate time for review.
The Thesis
Honors Thesis
The Honors Thesis is similar to a scientific paper, with the intended audience being a Biology faculty member or student who is not necessarily in your specific field. It must be at least 15 pages, not including data appendices and reference lists, but most theses are more than 20 pages. Use either 1.5 or double spacing and a 12-point font. More specific details can be found in the Honors handbook. Your Research Sponsor should also be able to provide specific guidance regarding the content and organization of your Thesis. Be sure to get your Sponsor's advice on early drafts. It is also advisable to keep in contact with your Second Reader, so they can see a draft in sufficient time to provide constructive feedback as well.
Please use this Word document as the template for your thesis. All items highlighted in yellow are meant to guide you through the format, and should be deleted for your final thesis!
Thesis Writing Support!
Bio199W is a course offered by the Biology department in the Winter quarter designed specifically to support you in writing your thesis. This course is not a requirement for completing Honors for Spring 2024 graduates, but it is strongly recommended, and fulfills WIM! Students completing Honors as their Biology capstone should plan to enroll in Bio199W during Winter quarter of their senior year.
Thesis Submission
The final step is to submit your thesis online using Stanford's Digital Repository. Your thesis should be in PDF format with the file titled "LastName_FirstName_BioThesis.pdf." The PDF should include a copy of your signed signature page (the Student Services Office can send you a scanned copy if needed). Detailed instructions for submitting your thesis are in the document linked below:
Instructions for Submitting Your Thesis to SDR
Your thesis must be uploaded by the thesis submission deadlines!
Thesis Deadlines
Thesis Submission Deadlines
Following are the deadlines for thesis submission for students graduating during the upcoming academic years:
- Spring 2024 graduates: Thursday, May 2, 2024, 3:00pm
- Spring 2025 graduates: Thursday, May 1, 2025, 3:00pm
The following items must be submitted to Canvas in addition to the upload to SDR:
- Signature page with verified electronic signatures from your readers.
- Thesis Release Form signed by you and your research sponsor.
Presentation of your work
The Achauer Honors Symposium
Honors students graduating in Spring Quarter are required to participate in the Biology Achauer Honors Research Symposium held from 10am-1pm on Friday, May 17, 2024.
All Honors graduates are expected to attend all of the oral presentations during the Achauer Honors Symposium, so as soon as you have finalized your Spring Quarter study list, make alternative plans for any class that meets during the symposium!
Poster Presentation
With the exception of students selected to give an oral presentation at the Honors Symposium, all honors students must create a scientific poster and short recorded presentation. For information on how to construct a poster, see the Poster Guidelines, visit VPUE's website for additional information about poster design and presentation, or check out examples of strong posters from recent years (webauth required). Poster files should be submitted on Canvas prior to the symposium.
Note: students must still submit their posters for printing separately (if the symposium is in-person) - the department does NOT handle this.
Oral Presentations
Most students will present their work via poster. In lieu of creating a poster, approximately 4-5 Spring graduates will be selected to give oral presentations at the symposium. If you are interested in giving a presentation, submit an application by April 25, 2024 (Thur, 3:00pm).
Virtual showcase website
Virtual showcase website
Students also share about their work on a project page on our Biology Virtual Showcase website. You can read a summary about each project, see the poster, and hear a short recording from the student. See projects from the most recent cohort, or browse prior cohorts under “Past projects.” Stanford login required.
Awards
Firestone Medal
Thesis readers may nominate their Honors student(s) for the Firestone Medal for Excellence in Undergraduate Research, using the Honors Thesis as the basis for the award. Students cannot apply for this distinction.
In order for students to be considered for the award, the reader needs to submit a nomination to Student Services by Thursday, April 25, 2024. Information about the nomination process will be sent directly to readers.
The Biology Department's nomination deadline is ahead of the University award deadline, to ensure adequate time for review before we have to submit award winner information to VPUE.