Deadlines for submission of thesis proposals and final thesis copies
| Graduation Semester | Thesis Proposal Due in Biology Major Office1 | Submission Form & Final Copy of Thesis Due in Biology Major Office2 | Thesis Due in UF Library3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer C 2024 | February 2, 2024 | July 5, 2024 | See UFLIB webpage |
| Fall 2024 | May 31, 2024 | November 8, 2024 | See UFLIB webpage |
| Spring 2025 | September 20, 2024 | March 28, 2025 | See UFLIB webpage |
CALS Honors Thesis Proposal Form
CLAS Honors Thesis Proposal Form
11Please submit the thesis proposal form to biology-major@ufl.edu. Once your proposal has been reviewed and approved, you will receive the Undergraduate Coordinator’s signature. If you are a CALS student, you must also submit this form to CALS-Honors@ifas.ufl.edu. For CLAS Honors Thesis Proposal Guidelines see here and for CALS Honors Thesis Proposal Guidelines see here.
2Please submit thesis and thesis submission form as PDF attachments to biology-major@ufl.edu. CALS students must also send their thesis and submission form to CALS-Honors@ifas.ufl.edu.
If you are in CLAS, use this form here: CLAS Honors Thesis Submission Form
If you are in CALS, use this form: CALS Honors Thesis Submission Form
3After you are notified of your final distinction (Summa/Magna), please submit your work to the UF Library. Students will need to submit electronic copies of their thesis to IRManager@uflib.ufl.edu
Comparison of honors requirements for BIO and BLY.
| Major | Distinction | Min. Upper Division GPA | Thesis | Research Credits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO (CLAS) | Laude | 3.5 | Not required | Not required | |
| Magna | 3.5 | Required | 6 | Research credit hour requirement may be waived for students who have completed equivalent research hours as a volunteer. Thesis advisor recommends level of distinction to the Major. | |
| Summa | 3.5 **Starting Spring 2026, Summa Cum Laude will require a minimum 3.75 GPA at the time of graduation application.** | Required | 6 | Research credit hour requirement may be waived for students who have completed equivalent research hours as a volunteer. Thesis advisor recommends level of distinction to the Major. | |
| BLY (CALS) | Laude | 3.5 | Not required | Not required | |
| Magna | 3.75 | Required | Not required | ||
| Summa | 3.85 | Required | Not required | ||
| BLY (CALS Honors) | Laude | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | |
| Magna | 3.75 | Required | 3 | ALS 3923 Honors Orientation and two upper-level course contracts required. |
|
| Summa | 3.85 | Required | 3 | ALS 3923 Honors Orientation and two upper-level course contracts required. |
At UF there are three levels of honors distinction; cum laude, magna cum laude (high), and summa cum laude (highest).
A minimum upper-level GPA of 3.5 is all that is required to receive the cum laude distinction. For the high and highest distinctions you must accomplish undergraduate research and write a thesis.
If you are a biology major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences you are required to have a minimum upper-level GPA of 3.5 and complete the equivalent of six credit hours of undergraduate research. The high or highest distinction is determined by recommendation from your thesis supervisor, confirmation by faculty on the Biology Major Executive Committee (BMEC), and the Undergraduate Coordinator.
If you are a biology major in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences you are required to have a minimum upper-level GPA of 3.75, register for undergraduate research and submit a thesis for the high distinction, or a minimum upper-level GPA of 3.85, register for undergraduate research and submit a thesis for the highest distinction. For additional resources pertaining to Graduation with Honors in CALS, please check here: https://cals.ufl.edu/getinvolved/honors/honors-resources/
In a nutshell writing a thesis requires that you first maintain a minimum 3.5 upper-level GPA, find a thesis or research supervisor who will mentor you in undergraduate research, submit a thesis proposal, complete the equivalent of two semesters of undergraduate research, work with your research supervisor to develop a thesis and then submit a final draft of your thesis along with the thesis submission form to the Biology Major, your college, and UF Libraries. The thesis must be a single author document written by the student.
Biology Major and University Deadlines for Honors Theses
Please note that the department deadline listed below may differ from the college deadline listed elsewhere.
Deadlines for submission of thesis proposals and final thesis copies
| Graduation Semester | Thesis Proposal Due in Biology Major Office1 | Submission Form & Final Copy of Thesis Due in Biology Major Office2 | Thesis Due in UF Library3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer C 2024 | February 2, 2024 | July 5, 2024 | See UFLIB webpage |
| Fall 2024 | May 31, 2024 | November 8, 2024 | See UFLIB webpage |
| Spring 2025 | September 20, 2024 | March 28, 2025 | See UFLIB webpage |
2Please submit thesis and thesis submission form as PDF attachments to biology-major@ufl.edu. CLAS and CALS requires the submission of the “thesis submission form”, the Biology Major Office will submit this on your behalf.
If you are in CLAS, use this form here: CLAS Honors Thesis Submission Form 2
If you are in CALS, use this form: CALS Honors Thesis Submission Form
3After distinction are sent, students are required to submit their work to the UF Library. Students will need to submit electronic copies of their thesis to IRManager@uflib.ufl.edu.
Comparison of honors requirements for BIO and BLY.
| Major | Distinction | Min. Upper Division GPA | Thesis | Research Credits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO (CLAS) | Laude | 3.5 | Not required | Not required | |
| Magna | 3.5 | Required | 6 | Research credit hour requirement may be waived for students who have completed equivalent research hours as a volunteer. Thesis advisor recommends level of distinction to the Major. | |
| Summa | 3.5 **Starting Spring 2026, Summa Cum Laude will require a minimum 3.75 GPA at the time of graduation application.** | Required | 6 | Research credit hour requirement may be waived for students who have completed equivalent research hours as a volunteer. Thesis advisor recommends level of distinction to the Major. | |
| BLY (CALS) | Laude | 3.5 | Not required | Not required | |
| Magna | 3.75 | Required | Not required | ||
| Summa | 3.85 | Required | Not required | ||
| BLY (CALS Honors) | Laude | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | |
| Magna | 3.75 | Required | 3 | ALS 3923 Honors Orientation and two upper-level course contracts required. |
|
| Summa | 3.85 | Required | 3 | ALS 3923 Honors Orientation and two upper-level course contracts required. |
Thesis Guidelines
Given the variety of journal styles within the broad field of life science the student is encouraged to inquire from her/his thesis advisor regarding the format and style the thesis should take. Most likely the advisor will recommend that you follow the Instructions to Authors from a life sciences journal.
University Guidance for Graduating with Honors
To find the proposal and final thesis submission deadlines for BLY CALS students, click here for the BLY CALS Honors Program.