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.

* Courses marked with an asterisk indicate that the instructor is open to students developing an honors thesis based on course topics. Students should work with the instructor to define a thesis and, once committed, enroll in HON 492 (typically Session B) to submit a prospectus by semester’s end. The following semester, they will enroll in HON 493 to complete, defend, and submit the thesis.

Course	Title	Number	Term	Location	Instructor
GER 446 / SCL 446	Weimar-Era German Film *	85484	Fall 2026	Tempe	Gilfillan
HON 494 / WST 444	Gender, Bodies, Health *	87938	Fall 2026	Sync	Fahs
HON 494 / WST 444	Gender, Bodies, Health *	87941	Fall 2026	Online	Fahs
HON 394	Urban Arts & Culture *	85405	Fall 2026	Downtown	Sandoval
HON 394	Poetry and Medicine *	87103	Fall 2026	Downtown	Dombrowski
HON 394	Screen Witches *	85798	Fall 2026	Tempe	Ostling
HON 394	Birth of the Quantum *	87073	Fall 2026	Tempe	Foy
HON 394	Craft and Conscience: Learning from James Baldwin's Nonfiction *	88618	Fall 2026	Tempe	Meloy
HON 394	US Healthcare: An International Perspective *	87053	Fall 2026	Tempe	Barr, Smoldt
HON 394	Nikolai Gogol's Fantastical World *	87328	Fall 2026	Tempe	Jakubczak
HON 394	Honors Entrepreneurship	87575	Fall 2026	Tempe	Martin
HON 394	Self-Awareness, Leadership and Career Management	88404	Fall 2026	Tempe	Kappes
HON 394	Success, Purpose & Happiness	88405	Fall 2026	Tempe	Kappes
HON 394	Money and Meaning	88578	Fall 2026	Tempe	Suk
HON 394	Can Medicine Heal Itself	88528	Fall 2026	Tempe	Barr, Cortese, Freeman
HON 394	Global Resolve	73259	Fall 2026	Tempe	Briggs
HON 394	Global Leader Practicum	75078	Fall 2026	Tempe	Briggs
HON 394	Statecraft and Diplomacy: Middle East and North Africa	85690	Fall 2026	Tempe	Briggs

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

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.