Thesis Writing (UGST 405) is a 1-credit hour seminar course offered only in the spring semester exclusively for students participating in the Undergraduate Research Scholars (URS) program. Enrollment in the class is not required for participation in the program, but is a great opportunity for any Undergraduate Research Scholar who needs writing instruction or would like assistance with thesis preparation. The course also serves to satisfy one credit of writing-intensive (W) course requirements for graduation. Note: Enrollment priority will be given to seniors who need a writing-intensive (W) course to graduate. Limited seats are available in the course.
The most up-to-date information about this course will be found in Howdy.
This course is available to students on the COLLEGE STATION, GALVESTON, MCALLEN, and QATAR campuses.
The COLLEGE STATION course will be taught by a LAUNCH staff member and features topics such as:
GALVESTON, MCALLEN, and QATAR students interested in registering for the Thesis Writing UGST 405 course should contact their Campus Representative for more information about the course.
The most up-to-date information about this course will be found in Howdy.
This course is available to students on the COLLEGE STATION, GALVESTON, MCALLEN, and QATAR campuses.
The COLLEGE STATION course will be taught by a LAUNCH staff member and features topics such as:
- Thesis Writing
- Academic Publishing
- Copyright and Digital Citizenship
- Research Presentations
GALVESTON, MCALLEN, and QATAR students interested in registering for the Thesis Writing UGST 405 course should contact their Campus Representative for more information about the course.
Course Objectives
In this course, Undergraduate Research Scholars will learn how to:- Access information and search the scholarly literature
- Cite and document sources properly
- Prepare a formal research thesis
- Make scholarly presentations (poster and oral)
- Utilize this information to complete the Undergraduate Research Scholars Thesis and Presentation
Syllabi for previous Thesis Writing classes are available on Howdy.
Required Texts
Undergraduate Research Scholars Thesis Manual and the Thesis Example, available for download on our resources page.Recommended Texts
Style guide of your choice (e.g. American Institute of Biological Sciences Style Manual; ACS Style Guide; Publication Manual of the APA; The MLA Handbook; Style Manual for Biological Journals; or The Chicago Manual of Style).Software
RefWorks or EndNote bibliographic software are available for free to TAMU students through the University Libraries.
To achieve a Satisfactory grade, students must:
Thesis Writing is graded as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) and successful completion of the the course is largely based on meeting the basic requirements for the Undergraduate Research Scholars program. Students must complete final theses to receive credit for the course.- Attend all class meetings (with a maximum of one unexcused absence)
- Complete and submit all class and URS program assignments on time (Installment and Progress Report Submissions with reflections)
- Make a public presentation according to requirements for the URS program and submit the Public Presentation Report by the specified deadline
- Revise thesis drafts according to URS faculty advisor suggestions to satisfy the W requirement
- Complete and upload a thesis deemed satisfactory by LAUNCH: Undergraduate Research and your research advisor in April
- No extensions will be granted for unexcused absences. No late work will be accepted without an excused absence. Students must follow all rules for excused absences and missed assignments. See full Student Rules.
NOTE: Please note that if you do not attend class, do not submit all assignments on time, do not attend all mandatory events, do not make a public presentation/submit the presentation report, or fail to finish your thesis you will not receive satisfactory W credit for this course. No partial credit will be given. This may prevent you from graduating if this is one of your required W courses. To pass this course you must pass the W component.