Honors Physics

Honors in Physics

• Complete the regular departmental requirements for a physics major.
• Must elect an additional six credits of physics from courses numbered 401 and above which are not otherwise required.
• Must also complete a senior honors thesis based on research done under the supervision of a faculty member. You may register for PHYSICS 496/497: Senior Thesis as part of the senior thesis work.     

Honors in Interdisciplinary Physics

• Complete the regular departmental requirements for an interdisciplinary physics major.
• Must elect an additional three credits of physics from courses numbered 401 and above which are not otherwise required.
• Must elect an additional three credit cognate course as part of the cognate program.
• Must also complete a senior honors thesis based on research done under the supervision of a faculty member. You may register for Physics 496/497: Senior Thesis as part of the senior thesis work. 

For students who declared their major in FA26 or later: students completing a Physics or Interdisciplinary Physics Honors major may use a maximum of three credits of independent study, such as PHYSICS 415, 496, or 497, towards the major requirements. This includes students pursuing an honors major. Honors majors should not elect PHYSICS 495 as it does not fulfill any requirements for the honors major.

For students who declared their major before FA26: A maximum of three credits of EITHER 496 or 497 may be used towards major/honors requirements. If 496 is used towards the Advanced Elective requirement, it may not also count towards the additional required honors credits.

Additional Information: Students complete a senior research thesis under the mentorship of a UM Physics faculty member. The research typically begins during the student's third year and takes place over several terms, sometimes including spring/summer. The skills gained, papers published, presentations given, and friends and colleagues made are among the many lasting rewards of such a deeply immersive experience.  The research frequently helps guide students toward their next stage in life, be it graduate school or a career in teaching, industry, government or elsewhere. Please note that, while you can work with faculty in other academic units, you must have a Physics faculty member sign the Honors proposal form as well as be the person who signs off on your final thesis.

To join the Honors program: Once you have made arrangements with a faculty member, sign up for a Physics advising appointment. You will discuss your plans with the Phyics advisor, who will then add the Honors subplan to your major. If you wish to earn credit for your Honors research, submit the "Honors/Senior Thesis Application for Course Credit" linked above in the Quick Links section. Applications for credit should be submitted as soon as possible before the add/drop deadline to allow for processing (at least one week). 

Awards:

• Students applying for Honors awards are required to complete their thesis approximately 2-3 weeks earlier than students who are not applying for awards. This is because more time is needed for the Awards Committee to read the theses and make decisions. 
• Students completing an Honors Thesis are encouraged to apply for the William L. Williams Thesis award. This generous prize provides an award of $5,000-$7,500. Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on the second Monday in March. Application information can be found on the Physics Scholarships and Awards page.
• Honors students are also eligible for the LSA Honors Awards. These awards require departmental nomination, including a letter of recommendation from the student's faculty mentor as well as the Associate Chair of the Physics Department. As such, students who wish to be nominated for an LSA Honors Award must also apply for the William L. Williams award mentioned above. You will be considered for both awards. This ensures the Physics Department has your materials with enough time to write the additional letter of recommendation that is required. If you are selected as the department's nominee for an LSA Honors Award, you and your faculty advisor will be notified. The LSA Honors Department makes the final decisions about these awards. 

Poster session: Honors students will be invited to present their reserach in an optional poster session at the end of the semester in which they are graduating. You will receive an email with more information during your last semester. 

Thesis deadlines: To submit your thesis, email it as a .pdf file to physics.sso@umich.edu, as well as to your faculty mentor.

Spring/Summer Graduates: 5:00 pm on the second Monday in August.

Fall Graduates: 5:00 pm on the last day of class.

Winter Graduates: If you would like to be considered for the awards described above, the deadline is 5:00 pm on the second Monday in March. If you do not wish to be considered for awards, the deadline is 5:00 pm on the last Monday in March. 

Winter 2027 deadlines: 

For award consideration - 5:00pm on 3/8/27

Without award consideration - 5:00pm 3/29/27