Q: What is an undergraduate thesis?

A:

The Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition offers two streams of undergraduate thesis courses; each is two semesters long and supervised by faculty within the department. The courses are typically taken in each of the fall and winter semesters of fourth year.

FRHD*4810 Thesis I and FRHD*4910 Thesis II are available to CYF and ADFW/ADEV majors.

NUTR*4810 Thesis I and NUTR*4910 Thesis II are available to AHN majors.

The first course involves planning and writing the proposal, including critical analysis of the research literature. The second involves conducting the research and analysis, writing the results in thesis format, and presenting the work in a suitable venue. You can get more information in the AHN Student Handbook, the Adult Development Student Handbook and the CYF Student Handbook.

Q: How do I find a faculty member who will supervise my undergraduate thesis?

A:

Check out the department website to explore faculty research interests. It is up to you to arrange to meet with one or more faculty members in your third year, to discuss research opportunities. A possible research topic is decided by the student in consultation with the supervisory faculty member before she/he may course select or register for the course.

Q: Are there other ways of getting research experience?

A:

Absolutely! If you are interested in gaining research experience but do not want to commit to a 2 semester course load (or 1.50 credits), there are other research opportunities available in the department. Please contact the faculty member whose research interests match your own interests and ask if this is a possibility.

Q: What type of student usually chooses to do an undergraduate thesis?

A:

Students who are interested in:

refining their research skills

applying to graduate school, in our department, at the University of Guelph or any other university

the research of a specific faculty member

developing a breadth of knowledge in a specific area of family relations or applied human nutrition

Q: Are there minimum requirements to do an undergraduate thesis?

A:

Although there are not official requirements for these courses, students who have shown an aptitude for research methods and applied statistics typically do best. Minimum grades of 75% or higher in each of FRHD*3070 Family Studies Research Methods and STAT*2090 Applied Statistics II are considered adequate preparation for an undergraduate thesis.

Q: What are the benefits of doing an undergraduate thesis?

A:

Direct one-one supervision with a faculty member

Enhanced learning in a particular topic area as well as the research process

The opportunity to discover if you wish to do further research at the graduate level

The potential to contribute to the development of knowledge

Q: What do students who have done an undergrad thesis in our department have to say?

A: "My individual experience was excellent and I learnt a lot about: conducting qualitative research, ethics, finding and interviewing participants ... my own work habits and whether or not research is right for me."

"Overall, my honours thesis was one of the highlights of my academic career at Guelph."

"My thesis supervisor was very helpful in guiding my project

development, implementation and analyses."

"Since completing my undergraduate thesis, I have gone on to do an M.Sc. and feel that my undergraduate thesis was key in this process"

Q:About how many hours per week should I expect to spend on my undergrad thesis?

A:

The easiest way to think of this is by looking at the credit weighting of each course. Thesis I is worth .50 credits (equivalent to one course). Thesis II is double weighted, worth 1.00 credits. In terms of hours per week, a .50 credit course translates to approximately 10 hours per week, and a 1.00 credit course translates to approximately 20 hours per week.

Q: How are students selected to do an undergrad thesis?

A:

Availability of the course depends on the student's research interests and the supervisor's availability and research program. In other words, students cannot do an undergraduate thesis if there is not a faculty member available to supervise them.

Q: What will each faculty member want to know when we meet?

A:

Although each faculty member may want slightly different information, it is always appropriate to provide a copy of your unofficial transcripts and a current resume. It is also helpful to share your post-graduation plans and goals.