The Department of History encourages eligible students to undertake an undergraduate thesis which, if successfully defended, earns the student the Research Distinction designation. Non-honors students must complete a minimum of 60 graded hours at Ohio State, submit an application at least one term before graduation, complete at least four semester credit hours of History 4999, successfully defend the thesis, and be graduated with at least a 3.0 overall GPA.
Honors students must submit a thesis application to the ASC Honors Office, complete at least four semester credit hours of History 4999H, successfully defend the thesis and be graduated with at least a 3.4 overall GPA. Questions should be directed to your ASC honors advisor.
Prof. Peter Mansoor discusses the role of a research mentor and his views on undergraduate research:
Hear what our students say about their thesis research experiences:
"MATT S."
During the summer of 2016, "Matt S." (History & Geography double major) traveled to South Africa to engage in undergraduate research. In this video, Matt describes his experiences in Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Undergraduate Honors Thesis Research
KELSEY MULLEN
The American investigation of Hitler's death was the focus of Ohio State history alum Kelsey Mullen's undergraduate honors thesis. In this video, Kelsey and her thesis advisor, history professor Alice Conklin, discuss Kelsey's research. Kelsey is currently a law student at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. (Kelsey's thesis is available at: http://hdl.handle.net/1811/62554)
RACHEL ARMSTRONG
While an undergraduate history major, Rachel wrote an honors thesis about Basque terrorism in the 1980s. In this video, Rachel and her thesis advisor, Professor Nick Breyfogle, discuss her research discoveries. (Rachel's thesis is available at: http://hdl.handle.net/1811/68972)
ADRIAN YOUNG
Adrian double majored in history and international relations at Ohio State. He went on to receive a Masters and PhD from Princeton. This video highlights Adrian's time at Ohio State including his experiences researching and writing a senior history honors thesis.
ANNA FAKLER
Anna is a history and psychology double major from Cleveland, Ohio. She decided to write an honors thesis and worked with Assoc. Professor Birgitte Søland to select her topic. She then sought research funding to travel to London. Anna received an Undergraduate Research Scholarship from the College of Arts & Sciences Honors Committe and an International Research Grant which will enable her to visit the Wellcome Institute in London and examine the archives of Marie Stopes, a leading birth control advocate.
MAGGIE ECHOLS
Maggie was a History major from Charlottesville, Virginia. In May 2015, she graduated with a B.A. in history with minors in Spanish and political science. While a student, Maggie completed an honors thesis, "A History of the Virginia Democratic Party, 1965-2015". Professor David Stebenne served as her advisor during the process. She received funding to travel to Virginia and the Washington D.C. area to research the subject. Maggie has since been admitted to the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Law. Update 1/30/17: Maggie has been accepted into UVA law school's joint program in law and legal history, leading to a J.D. and an M.A. in history. The joint-degree program is popular at UVA because it helps students in obtaining judicial clerkships after graduating, which is an important professional credential. UVA Law is currently ranked eighth in the nation and it also has a distinguished graduate program in history.