Students in the Honours Program of ENVS can undertake honours thesis research. In addition to the course requirements for the Major Program in Environmental Science, the Honours Thesis program requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and additional honours courses for graduation (please consult the “Faculty of Science” and the “Environmental Science (ENVS)” sections in the Academic Calendar).
These courses are "ENVS 4599 Honours Research Project" (6 credit hours) and “ENVS 4799 Honours Research Frameworks” (3 credit hours). Thus, students can be registered in the Honours Program for their degree progression but would take ENVS 4599 and ENVS 4799 for only one of those years (usually the year in which the student graduates).
Finding a supervisor
As a first step for entering the Honours program, students must find a suitable Supervisor(s) for their thesis research and then enroll in ENVS 4599.
The Supervisor is usually a faculty member in the Department of Environmental Science or in another department at SMU. Students are advised to check with the Honours Program Coordinator about Supervisor regulations, such as the acceptability of part-time professors or of non-SMU faculty to serve as Honours thesis Supervisors; in certain circumstances, a Co-Supervisor might also be assigned to the project. It is highly recommended that a visit to the Science Advising Centre also be booked to review your courses, grades and transcripts at this time as well.
Co-supervisors
In certain cases, there may be a co-supervisor involved. This should be the exception and may occur when the research supervisor is not a SMU faculty member or if there is an equally shared oversight regarding the student project. In those cases, there must be a decision on who is the lead supervisor and who is the co-supervisor. The lead supervisor is ultimately responsible for the administrative processes, approvals and signatures. There cannot be more than 2 supervisors. This should be clarified very early in the process and communicated to the Honours Program Coordinator. If there are any questions or concerns, please contact the Honours Program Coordinator as soon as possible.
How to find a supervisor?
Environmental Science is a highly interdisciplinary program. As a result, ENVS has among the most flexible supervisor options within the Faculty of Science. Potential supervisors can be ENVS faculty, adjunct faculty, or / and faculty members of other SMU Science departments. Potential supervisors from government and nonprofit organizations who have environmental science expertise can also be considered. Do reach out to the ENVS Honours Program Coordinator to discuss.
This means that the options for designing the honours thesis are numerous. Even so, this flexibility can be overwhelming in some cases. Here are some ideas for consideration:
If you took a course with an environmental theme which interested you, you can approach the professor with your interest and explore the possibility of an honours thesis.If there is an SMU Science faculty member doing environmental research which interests you, you can approach the faculty member with your interest.If you enjoyed a summer job or a volunteer position immensely, that could provide a lead to an honours thesis project.If you have a project idea that you are interested in but have not found the right supervisor, it is possible to discuss this.
If you are interested in doing an honours thesis but have not found a supervisor yet / or still unsure of how to approach a potential supervisor, contact the Honours Program Coordinator. They can work with you on identifying a supervisor and developing an honours thesis.
Note that students may carry out projects based on field or laboratory work done during summer employment, but a substantial part of the project must not have been written prior to registration, as part of the employment. The student must explain in the written proposal how the work has been divided between employment and university study.
Fill out the Registrar’s Office honours application (https://www.smu.ca/academics/student-forms.html#honoursappl) and note on the form the name of the Honours Supervisor (s) and a brief 2-3 sentence summary of the thesis project.Email the completed form to tthe ENVS Honours Thesis Program Coordinator (emails above) who will review the information and discuss the proposed project idea with both the student and the supervisor(s).After the departmental review, this form is next sent to the Faculty of Science Advising Office as the Dean’s designates, then the approved form goes to the Registrar’s Office. Thereafter, if the application is approved, the Registrar's Office informs the student about acceptance into the ENVS 4599 and 4799 courses.
Honours in two subjects
It is possible to take an Honours Program in two science subjects (Environmental Science and Biology, Chemistry, or Geography, or Geology, etc.). This is known as "Double Honours". Note, however, that the thesis will be written in one or the other of the Honours subjects. If the other department does not provide a support course for their honours thesis program, ENVS 4799 must be taken as the support course.
Students intending to take double Honours should pay careful attention to the Academic Calendar regulations for both subjects, as well as to the Faculty of Science regulations in the Academic Calendar. Students must consult the Departmental Chair of the Environmental Science Department and the other appropriate department before applying for a double Honours degree.
Always consult the Academic Calendar first, and contact the Department Chair for guidance.