Students wishing to receive a BA in Cognitive Science with honors must carry out an independent research project that culminates in an honors thesis.

Application for Honors

To be eligible for consideration of honors status, students must

• • submit a research proposal (no more than three pages) by the end of the fifth week of the third quarter before the student graduates (canonically Autumn Quarter of the fourth year)
  • submit the Honors Thesis Advisor Agreement Form, with signatures from the student and advisor(s)
  • have an overall GPA of 3.25 or above by the time of proposal submission
  • have a GPA of 3.5 or above in courses counting towards the Cognitive Science major by the time of proposal submission

Research proposals should explain the project and its significance and document the student’s preparation for the work. Proposals should be approved by the student’s thesis advisor(s), and students are required to submit completed Honors Thesis Advisor Agreement Forms as part of their honors applications. Students are strongly encouraged to identify co-advisors from distinct disciplines.

Research funds

The Cognitive Science Program offers limited funding for undergraduate student research, including funds needed for honors thesis projects, fieldwork, lab work, access to collections or archives, or attendance at conferences or workshops. See the undergraduate research funds page for more details.

Honors with a second major

This program may accept an honors thesis or project used to satisfy the same requirement in another major with the consent of both program directors. Students should consult with the relevant program directors by the earliest BA proposal deadline, or by the end of their third year if neither program publishes a deadline. The Petition to use a Single Bachelor’s Paper for Two Majors form, to be signed by both program directors, must be completed and returned to the College adviser by the end of Autumn Quarter of the student’s year of graduation.

Final Thesis submission

The final thesis must be submitted by the fifth week of the quarter in which the student plans to graduate (typically Spring Quarter of the student’s fourth year). Theses should be emailed as PDFs to the Program Coordinator, Prof. Melinh Lai (melinh@uchicago.edu), and to the Faculty Director, Prof. Chris Kennedy (ck@uchicago.edu).

Upon submission of the the final thesis, advisors will be asked to evaluate the thesis for its merits as an Honors project and to complete the Certification of Honors Thesis Acceptance for the Cognitive Science major.

Recommended timeline for completion of an Honors thesis (canonical to graduation in Spring Quarter of Year 4)

1. Pre- to early Autumn Quarter of Year 4 – Contact potential thesis advisors
   1. Students may find the list of Affiliated Faculty or research labs to be good places to start
2. Week 5 of Autumn Quarter – Submit thesis proposal and a completed Honors Thesis Advisor Agreement Form to the Director and Program Coordinator of the Cognitive Science Program
3. Weeks 6-9 of Autumn Quarter – Continue developing thesis project
4. Winter Quarter – Continue thesis project; Write early drafts/sections of thesis document
5. Early Spring Quarter – Complete thesis document
6. Week 5 of Spring Quarter – Submit final thesis document to the Director and Program Coordinator of the Cognitive Science Program
7. Week 6 of Spring Quarter – Thesis advisors submit their evaluations via the Certification of Honors Thesis Acceptance