Genetics, Cell and Developmental Biology (SOLS)

About this opportunity

In the BS program in biological sciences with a concentration in genetics, cell and developmental biology, students gain an understanding of the intricacies of life. They investigate:

• Developmental changes organisms undergo throughout life
• DNA sequence and gene expression
• How genes and the environment interact
• The machinery of life enclosed within the boundaries of cells
• The relationship between cell life and diseases

In addition to coursework, students gain hands-on experience by working with world-renowned faculty with opportunities to engage in independent research projects and internships.

Thesis

Honors theses in GCD vary widely, but they typically require a student to pose a novel scientific question, design a way to answer it, carry out their design, and then report the results in a formal scientific document. The research typically involves laboratory experiments, but may instead center on field work, computational modeling, or theoretical studies. The thesis itself often takes the form of a scientific journal article; hence students must learn how to write this kind of document. 

Thesis Committee Guidelines: An honors thesis committee is comprised of a Thesis Director and a Second Committee Member who collaborate with their student(s) to help them set project expectations, guidance throughout the thesis process, and evaluation of their final work. 

Thesis Director: Any member of the ASU faculty with professional expertise in the project area. This excludes graduate students.

Second Committee Member: A member of the ASU faculty or staff, including graduate students, or a qualified local professional who the student and Thesis Director decide is appropriate to serve based on their professional expertise in the project area. 

Third Committee Member (Optional): Any individual with sufficient expertise or experience relevant to the project area as determined by the student and Thesis Director.

In addition to the standards listed above, an honors thesis committee member may not be an undergraduate peer or direct relative of the student. 

Academic Preparation

The most important preparation is to get involved with research early. This is the best way to identify novel questions and to learn the techniques needed to answer them. Students should consult the SOLS Undergraduate Student Research web page to find out about research opportunities throughout the school. They can identify potential thesis directors by reading the profiles and web pages of SOLS faculty. The GCD Faculty Honors Advisor can help students find specific faculty mentors whose research matches their interests.

Recommended Timeline

Years 1 & 2: Students should read and think seriously about research areas that interest them. They should identify and contact potential thesis directors. Their FHA can give advice on how best to do this. Ideally, they will find and commit to a thesis director by the end of their second year.

Year 3: Students should expect to do the bulk of their thesis research in this year. They should work with their director to make and execute a clear plan. Ideally, they will write and submit a prospectus by end of this year. They should also identify a second reader; if desired, a third reader can be selected now or in the following year.

Year 4: In this year, students will complete their research, write the thesis, and defend it. Because writing takes time, they will ideally have finished all or most of the research itself before this year. Typically, students take BIO 492 in Fall and BIO 493 in spring; however, it can be a good idea to shift this earlier by one semester, taking BIO 492 in the spring of the third year.

Other Honors Opportunities

Most SOLS undergraduate courses can be taken with an Honors Enrichment Contract. Interested students should contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to discuss the requirements. Activities for an Honors Contract might include attending discussion groups, developing lab exercises, writing papers, preparing class material, or giving presentations. SOLS also offers BIO 394 honors sections for BIO 345 (Evolution), BIO 353 (Cell Biology), and BIO 340 (General Genetics). Students who aim to continue with a graduate degree may want to consider the Accelerated Bachelor of Science / Master of Science program. This gives students a head start on the MS degree while they complete their BS degree.