Student showing her thesis

Topic exploration and examples

Finding a thesis topic

Most things a student does while they are at ASU and Barrett can be something that piques their curiosity and forms the basis for their honors thesis. We encourage students to think early on in their college career about exploring these options with intention and focus. One of the first things a student might want to do is to think about what type of honors thesis they would like to do. Barrett has five honors thesis pillars that highlight the types of projects people complete.

Honors thesis pillars

Barrett encourages students to respond to the challenges of the world through independent and collaborative scholarly activities which culminates in the honors thesis. Students complete projects that are grounded in our mission, vision, and values, centering on research; creative activities; community enrichment and service; transformative travel and global experiences; and personal and professional development. These five pillars represent the variety of outcomes students achieve with their honors thesis. In many cases, students combine several of these outcomes.

Search the Honors Thesis Collection

Barrett proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing a collection of past projects exclusively with the ASU community in the thesis repository. You can search for particular types of projects using the Barrett Thesis Pillar key terms: research; creative project; community service; community engagement; travel; global engagement; personal and professional development.

View these projects online

Take a thesis topic exploration class

Courses, programs, and hands-on learning opportunities such as research projects and internships that provide students with a foundational sense of a topic and its possibilities for a future thesis development.

CourseNumberTermLocationInstructor
HON 394: Bollywood Nation86748Fall 2024TempeBhattacharjya
HON 394: Chinese Poetry for Creative Writers88274Fall 2024TempeKlein
HON 394: Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise86952Fall 2024TempeMartin
HON 394: Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise86953Fall 2024ASU SyncMartin
HON 394: Food & Culture: The Mediterranean Lifestyle in Italy85208Fall 2024TempeTabusso-Marcyan
HON 394: Global Leader Practicum80910Fall 2024TempeBriggs
HON 394: Global Resolve77400Fall 2024TempeBriggs
HON 394: Guilty Pleasures: Investigating Our Indulgences86751Fall 2024TempeLevin
HON 394: Honors Research and Writing87284Fall 2024ASU OnlineNeibuhr
HON 394: Honors Research and Writing86747Fall 2024ASU SyncNiebuhr
HON 394: Infinity and Paradox86749Fall 2024TempeHines
HON 394: Myth and Mysteries of the Tarot68052Fall 2024TempeGiner
HON 394: Myth and Movies: American Multicultural Film74214Fall 2024TempeGiner
HON 394: Natural Disasters: Environmental & Cultural Resilience80861Fall 2024 (A)TempeDel Martello
HON 394: Poetry in Medicine86164Fall 2024TempeDombrowski
HON 394: Poetry in Medicine86165Fall 2024ASU OnlineDombrowski
HON 394: Self-Awareness, Leadership and Career Management86955Fall 2024TempeKappes
HON 394: Self-Awareness, Leadership and Career Management86956Fall 2024TempeKappes
HON 394: Self-Awareness, Leadership and Career Management78068Fall 2024West ValleySturgess
HON 394: The Shape of Solitude: Loneliness in Literature86752Fall 2024TempeHopwood
HON 394: Zen Buddhism is Not What You Think86750Fall 2024TempeSchmidt
HON 494: African Diaspora: Brazil85267Fall 2024TempeBezerra
HON 494: Art in Exile: Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov80876Fall 2024TempeKanungo
HON 494: Global Resolve Lab77407Fall 2024TempeBriggs
HON 494: Italian Ecocinema76831Fall 2024TempeFerrando
HON 494: Narrative and Embodiment in Cinema87091Fall 2024TempeOlenina
HON 494: Weimar-Era German Film85160Fall 2024TempeGilfillan
HON 498 Data-based Analysis and Decision-Making88532Fall 2024 (B)TempeSerrato
SST 301: Mixed Research Methods for American Communities85221Fall 2024TempeVega

 

This list is not exhaustive! If you like the work you did in any class, ask the instructor what it would take to expand that work into an honors thesis. Perhaps an honors contract can turn into a more sustained thesis project with the instructor’s approval. You could also do a thesis pathway.

Additional opportunities

Other unique thesis topic exploration opportunities

  • Barrett College Fellows 
  • JEHN 
  • Study Abroad Opportunities

Attend a thesis defense

Honors thesis defenses are open to the ASU community. Attending a defense is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of fellow Barrett students and to observe the process firsthand. Visit the Barrett Defense Calendar to view upcoming defenses.  

Visit the Celebrating Honors Thesis Symposium

The Celebrating Honors Thesis Symposium is a Barrett signature event that highlights the many exceptional presentations designed by students to exhibit their honors theses. The displays include posters, video projects, built objects, art work, and presentations.

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Barrett, The Honors College

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