Honors Program Checklist

Checklist for Students in H196A

BE CLEAR ABOUT EXPECTATIONS: At the beginning of the semester, you will discuss your project with your Research PI and MCB faculty sponsor and obtain their signatures on your H196 form. Take this opportunity to discuss end-of-semester expectations and deadlines. What is the method by which your MCB sponsor will evaluate your progress before grades are assigned? If your PI is not your MCB sponsor, how and when will he/she communicate confirmation of progress to your MCB sponsor? This should be done no later than five working days before the last day of finals. If you are not sure about this process, speak with your MCB faculty sponsor.
STUDENT SUMMARY: Provide your MCB faculty sponsor with a short summary of your project, 2-4 pages in length outlining the goal of your research, the proposed experiments to test your hypotheses, your progress to date, and your future plans. It is helpful to include references to published material where applicable. If your research PI is not your MCB research sponsor, allow extra time for your research PI to read and comment on your progress report, so that you have time to incorporate his/her comments and suggestions before submitting the report to your MCB sponsor.
FOLLOW-UP: It is incumbent upon you to know what steps you need to take in order to ensure a grade of P, so please actively pursue answers to the questions posed above if you are unsure of them. A submission of a student summary to your MCB faculty sponsor at the end of the semester with a reminder to him/her that you signed up for units is a good idea. If your PI is other than your MCB faculty sponsor, remind him/her to email your sponsor to recommend either a P or an NP grade. Find out if either your PI or MCB faculty sponsor are planning to travel at the end of the semester and factor that into your planning.

Checklist for Students in H196B

BE CLEAR ABOUT EXPECTATIONS: At the beginning of the semester, you will discuss your project with your Research PI and MCB faculty sponsor and obtain their signatures on your H196 form. Take this opportunity to discuss end-of-semester expectations and deadlines. What is the method by which your MCB sponsor will evaluate your progress before grades are assigned? If your PI is not your MCB sponsor, how and when will he/she communicate confirmation of progress to your MCB sponsor? This should be done no later than five working days before the last day of finals. If you are not sure about this process, speak with your MCB faculty sponsor.
TIMELINE: Here's a timeline for H196B honors for the current semester.
THESIS: You must submit an Honor’s Thesis. Your thesis should be of significant length to fully describe the project aims and results. Some general guidelines for thesis writing can be found here: http://mcb.Berkeley.EDU/undergrad/images/stories/forms/mcb_thesis.pdf. Traditionally, the thesis is in the format of a research paper with abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, and references. Your MCB faculty sponsor and/or research mentor, if they are not the same, may have additional requirements for your thesis, which you should discuss with him/her well ahead of the due date. If your research mentor is not your MCB sponsor, the thesis must be submitted to your research mentor for comments and revision before submission to your MCB faculty sponsor. A hard copy of your thesis must be submitted to your MCB faculty sponsor.
MCB HONORS THESIS APPROVAL FORM: All students who have completed honors research in MCB must submit an MCB Honors Thesis Approval Form to the UAO by the by the last weekday of final exams, the semester in which you have completed honors. First it must be signed by your PI and then your MCB faculty sponsor, if your PI and MCB faculty sponsor are not the same. Many faculty prefer that the student give them the form when they hand in their thesis; once thesis review is completed, the sponsor can sign the form and contact the student to arrange pick up. Check the end of semester travel dates of either your PI or MCB faculty sponsor so that you have factored these dates into your planning. Download the form here.
MCB HONORS POSTER SESSION VS. HONORS SYMPOSIA: The presentation of your research in an approved forum is a required component of the MCB Honors program. Students who are completing their honors work in fall will present at an Honors Poster Session. The MCB department offers two types of events to present your research during the spring semester: the divisional symposia or the poster session. All H196B students must present at either event, or be approved to present at another scientific meeting by the head faculty advisor of your emphasis.

The symposium presentation requires that you present your research in a 10-15 minute PowerPoint-style talk, followed by a 5-minute question & answer session from the audience. You may apply only for the symposium for your major emphasis, regardless of your research lab affiliation/field. Faculty select presenters based upon a review of your abstract and your GPA. If your application for the symposium is not selected, you are then expected to present at the poster session.
The poster session is a department-wide event open to all undergraduate MCB majors in which participants present research in poster format. Over the course of two hours, you will discuss your project, often one-on-one, with attendees and answer their questions. You are expected to be able to present a clear and concise 2-3 minute summary of your research for your audience so that they are able to get a snapshot of your endeavors.