Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of doing a Henry Rutgers Scholars Project?

The Henry Rutgers Scholars Project is designed as a graduate level experience for outstanding undergraduates. The thesis teaches the scholar skills which are otherwise neglected during the undergraduate years. The student must learn how to work closely with an advisor, how to conduct intensive original research, how to budget time and money, how to produce and edit a significant body of work, and finally, how to present this work to experts in the field. These skills become invaluable in graduate school. Much of the work in graduate school will be individualized research of the same type as the Henry Rutgers Scholars Project. Through the Henry Rutgers Thesis the student learns how to gain access to the tools of advanced research in a particular field. Whether it be perfecting a technique in the lab, consulting the latest professional journal, or developing a new analytical perspective, the thesis will expose the scholar to knowledge which will be vital in graduate school.

The benefits of the Henry Rutgers Scholars Project are not limited to graduate school. The skills, self-discipline and confidence that result from completing and presenting the thesis are also of great value in the professional workplace.

How does a student qualify for the Henry Rutgers Scholars Program?

To qualify, the student must be entering the senior year at Rutgers College and have a cumulative average of 3.4 (in the major and overall) at the second semester of the junior year. The student must also be enrolled in their major's departmental honors program (if the department has an honors program). The Henry Rutgers Scholars Project consists of 12 credits, six of which normally count toward satisfaction of the major and six toward electives. Prior completion of at least 18 credits within the major is required. Only students intending to graduate the following May upon completion of two more semesters are eligible.

How do I register? Are there any restrictions on registration?

Students can enroll in the Henry Rutgers course during the registration period prior to being accepted in September:

Course number: 01:090:485-486
Index number for Fall 2007: 33170

Because writing a thesis is a serious undertaking that requires appropriate time commitment, students are not permitted to register for another independent study/research/internship course while pursuing Henry Rutgers research.

Students may not receive a credit override to participate in the Henry Rutgers program, because additional coursework detracts from research pursuits: the maximum number of credits in which a student may be enrolled during a Henry Rutgers semester, including the 6 credits for the Henry Rutgers Scholars program, is 20. However, we prefer that students register for no more than 18 credits.

How does the Project differ from Departmental Honors?

The Henry Rutgers Scholars Project is a 12-credit course that constitutes a major commitment in terms of time and energy. As such, it is not for every senior. The student must be highly motivated and prepared to take risks. Over the course of the year, the scholars will learn how to budget time and financial resources. The student will be expected to produce a thesis that reflects twelve credits of work. Departmental Honors usually consists of 6 credits and often involves taking an honors seminar within the major discipline.

Students completing a Henry Rutgers Scholars Project must also be enrolled in Departmental Honors. The student should consult the undergraduate director in the major department to find out the requirements for Departmental Honors. In either case, only twelve credits may be applied upon completion of the project. Several departments require that Henry Rutgers students also register for their departmental honors research course in order to be eligible for departmental honors. In these cases, students register for 3 credits of Henry Rutgers and 3 credits of Departmental Honors Research per semester.

Please check with your major department to determine the requirements for you.

What is the role of the advisor?

The choice of an advisor is one of the most important aspects of the Project. As in graduate research, scholars will be expected to work closely with an advisor during the progress of the Project. Periodic meetings between the student and advisor are essential to the successful completion of the thesis. A good advisor should maintain a healthy rapport with the scholar while at the same time offering challenges. An advisor should provide guidance during every stage of the thesis process. Therefore, scholars should select advisors with whom they feel comfortable as well as someone whose work they respect. Here are some guidelines that may be helpful in selecting an advisor.

How does the student decide on a topic?

In choosing a topic, the emphasis should be on personal interest and scholarly creativity. The student should keep in mind that a year will be spent researching and writing about this topic. A topic should intrigue as well as offer opportunity for substantial original research. It is very likely that the student will have only a general idea of a topic at the beginning of the year. This is why it is important that the student discuss the topic with the advisor as quickly and thoroughly as possible. The topic of the thesis will undergo a considerable amount of refinement during the course of the year, so the scholar should not be overly concerned with focus at the beginning.

How is the amount of financial assistance decided?

The student may submit a budget along with the thesis proposal to the Henry Rutgers Scholars Program Committee. The budget may include such expenses as photocopying, supplies, and travel. A sample budget is provided on the Henry Rutgers application. The Committee decides the stipend awarded based on the quality of each application and the availability of funds. Scholars are notified of the stipend amount when their thesis proposal is accepted. The student will receive a check for that amount from the Office of Academic Services. Students should not expect to receive more than $500 in stipend support.

Are scholarships available to Henry Rutgers Scholars?

Several research awards are made to outstanding Henry Rutgers students based on the quality of the thesis proposal and overall academic record. These awards include the Jerome and Lorraine Aresty Undergraduate Research Scholarship, the Franklin J. Marryott Undergraduate Research Award, and the Alan Marc Schreiber Memorial Undergraduate Research Award. The application for these awards is available here, and should be submitted with the program application.

What are the main deadlines?

The importance of deadlines in such an unstructured program as the Henry Rutgers Scholars Project cannot be minimized. There are only two formal deadlines in the Project:

The initial proposal is due to the Office of Academic Services no later than September 14, 2007. Early submission is strongly recommended. Most successful scholars have formulated an initial idea for a proposal during the second semester of the junior year. All signatures and approvals are required by September 14, 2007. Individual departments may have earlier deadlines; students should check with their departments to confirm.

The final written thesis, including a summary of the thesis defense outcome, is due April 15, 2008.

Absolutely no exceptions are made to these deadlines - really!

Aside from the formal deadlines, however, each scholar should create other deadlines in conjunction with his/her advisor. This practice ensures that enough time will be left for each stage of the thesis process.

How long should the written thesis be when it is finished?

There are no requirements for maximum or minimum length of the thesis. We do require, however, that the thesis be the product of extensive research and thought. The individual advisor may have some suggestions as to length, but the quality of the thesis is the primary concern. An average suggested length is between 50-75 pages.

How are grades determined in the Henry Rutgers Scholars Program?

At the end of the first semester, we will ask the advisor to submit a written evaluation of the scholar's progress. If the scholar is progressing satisfactorily, we will submit a grade of "H", which permits the 6 credits to be applied to the student's record, but no contribution is made into the GPA. When the final grade is determined, the "H" grade of the previous semester will be replaced by the final letter grade earned for the Project.

The final grade is determined by the advisor and thesis committee on the basis of the written thesis and an oral defense. The student and the advisor confer on the selection of one additional faculty members to sit on the defense committee. The faculty committee members are given a draft of the thesis to read at least one week prior to the oral defense. The procedure of the defense differs slightly depending on the discipline. In general, the defense consists of presenting conclusions and answering questions posed by the committee. The scholar will have the guidance of the advisor in preparing for the oral defense and should be reasonably equipped to answer difficult questions after one full year of research.

After the defense, the committee will determine the final grade in seclusion. The student is then informed of the thesis grade. Subsequently, the advisor submits a form to the Office of Academic Services notifying the program of the decision.