Why do an undergraduate thesis?
Completing an undergraduate thesis in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln gives students the chance to work closely with SNR (or other) faculty on hands-on research that tackles real-world environmental and natural resource challenges. The experience builds critical thinking, research, and communication skills while helping students clarify career goals and stand out for graduate school or professional opportunities.
Who is an undergraduate thesis for?
Are you a UNL Honors student?You should follow Honors' guidelines while using our suggestions for how to get started!
Are you a CASNR student who might graduate with a GPA > 3.75? Completing a thesis may help you graduate with distinction from CASNR.
UNL Honors Guidelines CASNR Guidelines
We encourage anyone with interests in research to consider a thesis, regardless of GPA! Read on for guidelines on how to approach your thesis project successfully.
How do I get started?
We encourage SNR students to start pursuing a thesis two to three years before graduating, and as early as their freshman or sophomore year. The first step is to identify a faculty advisor. Many SNR faculty are interested in having students participate as part of their larger research projects and creative projects, or mentoring students as they pursue completely independent questions. You may meet faculty members in the courses they teach, by responding to call for a job on the job board, or just by emailing them.
Theses take time to develop. You must indicate that you are completing a thesis the semester prior to the semester of your graduation. See CASNR prospectus form guidelines: https://casnr.unl.edu/graduating-distinction/ However, you should plan to start the work on your thesis with your thesis advisor well before the semester prior to your graduation.
What is a thesis?
SNR follows the CASNR guidelines for a thesis. The thesis should be substantially more extensive than a term paper and must be the result of independent thought and intellectual curiosity. In some instances, a narrow definition of “thesis” may not be possible or appropriate. In those cases, a “comparable creative effort” is a possibility. “Comparable creative effort” projects may be varied in design and final product format (paper, video, and website are just a few examples) but should include a reflective narrative and/or abstract. However, such projects should require the time, effort, and creativity that would be expected in a traditional thesis.
In SNR we also require undergraduate students to follow additional requirements (that are aligned with the Honor’s thesis). This includes:
- Students who have undertaken a creative activity, civic engagement, educational outreach, or other non-traditional project need some documentation of the creative endeavor or engagement/outreach action, such as a video/audio recording, photos, URL to a website, etc., as appropriate to the individual project. These types of senior projects/theses must also be accompanied by a substantive written document explaining how the research/work the student undertook informed the act of creation for the project.
- Uploading the completed thesis to the Digital Commons with your advisors’ permission.
How is a thesis different from an independent research project?
You may seek a UCARE, Cabela's Apprenticeship, ARD Undergraduate Research, or First Year Research Experience (FYRE) or another source for funding, which support student research in different ways. For example, UCARE only pays a stipend, while other forms of support may allow purchase of supplies and equipment needed. Explore these options with your research advisor. However, you do not need to have funding; you may also conduct a thesis for independent credit or voluntarily. Completing an "independent study" research experience (if taken for credit, NRES 496) is not the same as creating a thesis, as an undergraduate thesis requires a written product. However, independent study may be a good way to learn about a portion of the research process and build toward an undergraduate thesis.
What are some supports for getting an undergraduate thesis started and completed?
It is helpful to work with the SNR Advising team to create connections when looking for a thesis project. Courses that you may wish to consider while you work with your research advisor: NRES 496 Independent Study, NRES 499 Thesis Research, or NRES 499H Honors Thesis. You might also want to consider a set of courses taken over two semesters to guide you through the thesis process: ENVR 489 Environmental Studies Senior Thesis I and ENVR 499 Environmental Studies Senior Thesis II (open to all majors).