What is the senior honors project? Why is it significant?
The senior honors project is the capstone requirement in the honors program and is a major accomplishment in a student’s academic career. Similar to a master’s thesis, the project represents a significant body of research or a creative endeavor in which the student works independently throughout the final three semesters at JMU on a topic related to their major discipline, under the guidance of a faculty mentor and a faculty committee. Successful completion of the senior honors project entitles the student to graduate with “distinction”, a designation that is included on the diploma and transcript. Because the project demonstrates advanced work, gaining extensive knowledge of certain aspects of a student’s major discipline, students who choose this kind of academic challenge tend to be stronger candidates when applying for graduate schools or professional jobs following graduation.
