DHI Thesis advisors must be tenured, tenure-track, or full-time faculty members at Thiel College. Finding an advisor is an important part of the process and should not be put off to the last minute. Ideally, your advisor should be someone who can help you formulate an expert-level question, guide you through the relevant literature, provide useful feedback, and encourage you to do your best work. Choose an advisor who can guide you through the process of carrying out a thesis. This means your advisor should be well-versed in the methods you will bring to the thesis. In other words, choose an advisor based on your methodology rather than your topic or subject.
Begin thinking about who might serve as an advisor while you are considering different questions. You do not have to wait to have a complete prospectus! Just the opposite: the advisor’s input will help you shape a worthwhile and manageable project. If you are unsure, share your ideas with other faculty members and students. They may be able to point you in the right direction. Talk with others around campus about your thesis plans–you never know what ideas or resources they may be able to share with you.
Keep in mind that faculty vary in their willingness to advise outside their area of expertise and in the number of advisees they take on each year. You may not be able to work with the advisor you had in mind. In this case, think creatively about who else might serve in this role. It may involve tweaking elements of your project.
Students produce a thesis prospectus (a plan for the thesis) at the end of HONS 330. In order to pass this assignment, you must have the signature of a faculty member who has agreed to serve as your advisor.
Below is a sample email in which a student approaches a faculty member about serving as an advisor for her thesis.
Sample Advisor Email
Opening: Use a formal opening. Make sure you use the correct title.
Dear Dr. _______,
Introduction: Explain who you are and why you are writing to them. Include a line on why you would like them to serve as your advisor. It might be related to the content of your thesis or it might be related to the methodology (like oral interviews). (If the prof already knows you, you can leave out the first two sentences.)
I am a biology major finishing my junior year. You might remember me from ENSC 222 last fall. I am writing to ask if you would be willing to serve as advisor for my DHI thesis next fall. I am planning to write my thesis on sustainable transportation. Your expertise on climate change would be very helpful as I work on this project.
Research Question/Methodology. Elaborate on your topic in this paragraph by explaining your research question, why it matters, and your methodology.
My research question is: How much would new bike paths in Greenville reduce carbon emissions? I chose this question because Greenville is considering adding new paths around campus. I would like to know if paths like these in a small town would have an impact on carbon emissions. In order to answer this question I will try to estimate how many car trips the bike paths might eliminate. To do this I will survey the local population about how they would use the paths, review the studies the town has done, and calculate emissions based on EPA data.
Timeline. Show your potential advisor you have already thought through your plans. This communicates to them that you won’t be the kind of student they will need to chase after!
I will begin my research this summer and write my thesis in the fall semester, when I’ll be taking HONS 340. I’ll present my thesis in December at the DHI Research Symposium. This summer I will review Greenville borough records and Record-Argus articles related to the bike paths to see what estimates the town might have done. This summer I will also design a survey for Thiel students and local residents (to be distributed in the fall). I will also review and take notes on the literature related to bike paths and carbon emission reduction.
At the start of the fall semester I will distribute my surveys. I hope to survey local residents via a Facebook group for Greenville residents. In September I will analyze data and by October I hope to be drafting my results.
Reading list. Attach a preliminary reading list to your email. Make sure it is formatted correctly and that citations are complete. Remember, you are trying to impress!
A preliminary bibliography is attached to this email. I would appreciate any feedback or suggestions you might have for this project. I would look forward to working with you. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Truly G. Student
