School of Communication Hosts Honors in the Major Info Session

Posted by Stephanie Vivirito on

This article was written by Jenny Ralph, a senior media communication studies student and School of Communication Director’s Ambassador.

On Wednesday, Sept. 30, FSU’s School of Communication will be hosting their very own Honors in the Major Informational Meeting at 4 p.m. (EST).

This virtual Q&A event will feature the School of Communication’s Honors Liaison, Dr. Jennifer Proffitt and Assistant Director for the Honors in the Major (HITM) program, Dr. Michael David Franklin. Kate Herron, the College of Communication and Information’s Career Liaison, will also speak on post-graduation plans and how students can position themselves for success.

“Honors in the Major is a wonderful opportunity to conduct an independent research and/or creative project, under the mentorship of a faculty member, about a topic that is important to the student,” Proffitt said.  “The skills students learn and develop through their Honors in the Major projects are valuable to employers and graduate programs and give students a competitive edge.”

More School of Communication students than ever are choosing to write an honors thesis than ever before. According to Franklin, 33 students in the School of Communication have completed an honors thesis since 2009. Of those 33 students, 14 completed their honors theses since Spring 2017 and nine students are currently in the HITM program.

Emma Moody, class of spring 2020, completed the HITM just last spring.

“Honors in the Major was one of the most valuable experiences of my undergraduate career and an opportunity that set me up well to pursue a graduate degree,” Moody said. “I would recommend Honors in the Major to anyone looking to gain experience conducting research, even if it’s your first foray.”

Under the guidance of a faculty committee, students select a topic, develop a prospectus, complete a written document based on their research or creative project, and defend their thesis orally before their selected committee.

The entire process of completing Honors in the Major normally takes students two to three semesters, during which they can register for six to nine hours of 4000-level thesis credit. Students do not need to be a member of the University Honors program to complete an honors thesis.

After the completion and successful defense of their project, students graduate “with honors” in their major, which is noted on their official transcript and announced during commencement.

“Honors in the Major is a great way to dive deep into a topic you’re already curious about, learn how original research is conducted in your field and come away with a finished project unique to you that can give you a competitive edge in whatever you plan to pursue after graduating from FSU,” said Franklin.

To RSVP for the informational Q&A event, please register on the EventBrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/communication-honors-in-the-major-informational-event-tickets-119126278907. A Zoom link will be sent out on Sept. 30 to all who RSVP.

For more information about the Honors in the Major program, admissions guidelines and application process please visit https://honors.fsu.edu/honors-major.