Barrett student presenting their thesis to other students

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.

CourseTitleNumberTermLocationInstructor
HON 394Boredom and Anxiety in Nihilistic Times38318Spring 2026TempeIqbal
HON 394Sex, Race, and Victorian Science37904Spring 2026TempeAgruss
HON 394Famine in Art and Literature:37915Spring 2026TempeOvcharskaia
HON 394Transnational Migration and Mobility in the 21st Century37916Spring 2026TempeWheatley
HON 394The Men and Feminism: Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program38597Spring 2026 (A)VariousFedock
HON 394Anthropology of Cooking and Food Preparation37913Spring 2026TempeGraff
HON 394The Haunted House in Film and Literature37914Spring 2026TempeMack
HON 394Entrepreneurship and Free-Enterprise37919Spring 2026ASU SyncMartin
HON 394Entrepreneurship and Free-Enterprise37920Spring 2026OnlineMartin
HON 394Self-Awareness, Leadership and Career Management37921Spring 2026TempeKappes
HON 394Success, Purpose & Happiness26881Spring 2026West ValleySturgess
HON 394Success, Purpose & Happiness37922Spring 2026TempeKappes
HON 394The Human Sensory Event38541Spring 2026West ValleySellner
HON 394Hermeneutics, Shakespeare, Today26936Spring 2026West ValleyRamsey
HON 394Research Methods37929Spring 2026ASU SyncNiebuhr
HON 394Research Methods37930Spring 2026OnlineNiebuhr
HON 394Global Resolve24600Spring 2026TempeBriggs 
HON 394Global Leader Practicum26871Spring 2026TempeBriggs 
HON 394Topic: The History of (Radical) Zines38950Spring 2026TempeDombrowski
HON 394Food System Technology Innovations27239Spring 2026PolyManfredo
HON 394Global Development Agenda and Beyond31717Spring 2026TempeBriggs 
HON 394Compassion: Dialogue btwn Humanities/Sciences/Arts34731Spring 2026TempeMirguet
HON 394Russian Literature and the Revolution36060Spring 2026TempeHoogenboom
HON 394Population Health in the USA39133Spring 2026TempeBarr, Wilson
HON 394Rescuing Healthcare, A Role for Leadership39136Spring 2026TempeBarr, Cortese
HON 394International Healthcare Systems: What Can We Learn?39137Spring 2026TempeBarr, Smoldt
HON 394US Healthcare is a Complex Adaptive System39135Spring 2026TempeBarr, Cortese
HON 494Trash Talk31043Spring 2026ASU SyncFahs
HON 494Animals in the Anthropocene31687Spring 2026TempeLozinski-Veach
HON 494Business of Beer36059Spring 2026PolyManfredo, Richards
HON 494Holocaust, War, and German Memory37867Spring 2026TempeGilfillan

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
  • Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS)
  • Grand Challenges Scholars Program
  • Policy Design Studio & Internship Program
  • Center for Religion and Conflict

Humanities Lab

The Humanities Lab provides students with the opportunity to engage in hands-on research on compelling social challenges while working with others who are also invested in making a difference.

Honors credit is automatically awarded for all Humanities Lab courses, and with permission from at least one of the instructors, Barrett students may use their experience as the foundation for their honors thesis

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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