NEUR Honours Project FAQ

What if I don’t meet the Major CGPA requirement for NEUR 4907 or NEUR 4908?

Meeting this requirement by the time of application (mid-March for the upcoming September start) is ideal, however if you’re on the cusp and know your Major CGPA will realistically go up once fall grades are in, then you can proceed with submitting an application.

For the projects that require preliminary acceptance by a supervisor, you need to be honest with them about your GPA, as some will entertain applications from students just below the threshold and some won’t.

NEUR 4908 is the most competitive project because it involves physically being in a lab that requires training, collaboration with other lab members, and use of other resources. Part of the reason the GPA requirement is higher for this project is because the department needs to limit the amount of applications based on limited space. However, the more you work to arrange potential supervision with a supervisor outside of the department, the greater potential there is to proceed with a NEUR 4908 even if you’re not above the GPA threshold. That said, students with significantly lower GPAs may not be permitted to proceed with a NEUR 4908 for other reasons, including the reality that the project is intended to prepare one for research-based master’s programs which typically have very high GPA requirements for admissions.

TLDR: In general, the students who do well in a research thesis and are eligible candidates for research graduate studies tend to have high grades. There are some exceptions, so if you’re hovering around the Major CGPA requirement, reach out for academic advising. If your Major CGPA is nowhere near the requirement, then it’s most likely you’ll do a different project. You’re also welcome to reach out for academic advising to strategize on ways to increase the Major CGPA by repeating/replacing classes and extending your timeline to graduation.

What if I don’t meet the Major CGPA requirement for NEUR 4905?

The Major CGPA requirement for this projects aligns with what’s needed to be in good standing to graduate from the program. Therefore, if you do not meet this requirement, you’ll need to consider that a program change might be required and you should reach out for academic advising about what that entails.

Will winter grades be taken into account?

The application process is set up to mimic many post-undergraduate admission processes wherein the initial review and decision is based on fall grades only because those are the only ones available at the time of application. Generally speaking, students maintain a similar GPA after the winter semester, but in some cases things can go awry. In this case, it could be that acceptance into a project (namely NEUR 4908) is retracted based on the Major CGPA after winter semester, but this would probably be in situations involving other factors requiring academic advising.

What if I don’t have 4th-year standing at the time of application?

Most students won’t have 4th-year standing at the time of application (mid-March) but will by the time the project begins (September). What’s primarily being reviewed upon application is as follows:

• Major CGPA exceeding or extremely close to the requirement
• Completion or current enrolment in any course prerequisites
• Preliminary discussions already had with potential supervisor(s) where applicable
• That the project is being completed toward the end of one’s degree instead of early on

How does being in Co-Op impact the completion of an Honours Project?

Being in Co-Op adds one year to the degree timeline and you need to complete the degree on a study term. This means that most students finish up all their Co-Op work terms and then register in their honours project for their final year of study.

According to the rules of the Co-Op program, you can technically be registered in 0.5 credit of courses per semester that you’re on a work term, so it’s possible the NEUR 4905 or NEUR 4907 could be completed alongside, however this would be a rare circumstance and not generally recommended. You would still need to complete your degree on a study term (i.e. take a few courses in your final semester).

You can discuss pathways to graduate based on your particular work/study sequence scenario with the Undergraduate Advisor.

Can I do my project in summer or outside the fall/winter pattern?

All projects are worth 1.0 credit and typically take place over a consecutive fall and winter period. The NEUR 4905 Workshop is not offered in any other format.

The NEUR 4907 Essay can be done in summer, granted a supervisor is willing to oversee the project. This means there is four months (May thru August) to complete the work instead of eight (September thru April) and this is more feasible with the NEUR 4907.

The NEUR 4908 is possible over summer if a supervisor can be secured and the work informally begins in winter term. A summer NEUR 4908 is not recommended due to the condensed timeframe, but if you have a supervisor confirmed you’re welcome to contact the department for permission to register.

In any case, be sure to contact the Undergraduate Chair or Undergraduate Administrator before March registration to discuss your particular scenario.

Can I take other courses at the same time as my project?

Yes, students typically take other courses alongside their capstone. The project’s 1.0 credit is split into 0.5 credit in fall term and 0.5 credit in winter term, so you can treat it like one course per term in that way. Some people take four other courses (i.e. 2.0 credits) alongside the project and some prefer to reduce their course load and take three other courses (i.e. 1.5 credits) or less. It depends on the person’s situation and variables such as the nature of the project, the content of other courses, timeline to graduation, non-academic commitments, etc.

What kind of time commitment is required for the projects?

Students in all projects are expected to attend the almost weekly Neuroscience Colloquium.

NEUR 4905 is offered as a scheduled class three hours a week. Generally speaking, it’s appropriate to spend at least one hour of work outside of class for each hour of class time.

For NEUR 4907 or NEUR 4908, you can expect to dedicate at least 15 hours per week on the project, but due to the nature of the research-based NEUR 4908, hours are usually much less flexible. Depending on the nature of the research and whether it involves data collection from animals or humans, the schedule of the experiments will ultimately determine time spent in the lab. Most lab work occurs between 9am and 6pm to comply with lab safety procedures, for which you must complete training, and you must follow the timeline of the research, which can vary greatly from project to project.

Outside of the lab is when you’ll be writing your thesis in successive drafts, to be reviewed by your supervisor prior to the final submission deadline. NEUR 4908 is basically equivalent to a part-time job in terms of schedule and prioritization.

If you have a job, are involved with several extra-curricular activities, or have a very full/heavy course load and other commitments, you may want to consider projects other than the NEUR 4908 because there is no lab training involved, and overall there is more flexibility as you are working on your own schedule even though you have to adhere to checkpoint deadlines as listed in your syllabus.

Do I have to develop my own NEUR 4908 hypothesis?

No, in most cases an undergraduate student joins a research project that is already taking place. This is part of why it’s recommended to speak to several potential supervisors so you can get a feel for what kind of project you might join. Remember, an undergraduate thesis is sometimes the first research experience an undergraduate student will be taking, and expectations are in alignment with that level of comprehension.

The NEUR 4905 Workshop contains a variety of mini-projects that involve choosing a topic or theme, and the NEUR 4907 Essay involves choosing an area of research on which to focus the literature review.

How do I apply?

Submit this form by 11:59pm ET on Sunday, March 15, 2026.

What if my questions are not answered here?

You can check out this video for more Q&A related to the 2026-27 application cycle (timestamps below) or email neuroscience@carleton.ca or request an advising session.

Video timestamps:

01:00 Intro

03:24 Course prerequisites

05:55 Demystifying CGPA values

10:20 What if I don’t meet the CGPA cutoff?

16:10 Tangent about motivations for research grad studies

20:12 By when must I meet the CGPA requirements?

21:10 Is 4th-year standing important?

22:33 When must I complete the capstone within my degree progression?

23:31 How does Co-Op fit in with this?

26:48 How do I find a supervisor (4907 & 4908)?

32:27 Approval of topic

34:36 Who can supervise?

38:11 When do I need a co-supervisor and how do I get one?

40:16 When is the deadline to secure a supervisor / submit my application?

41:48 Some common mistakes to avoid when contacting potential supervisors

49:23 What are the types of projects?

50:00 Is there a limit on the number of students accepted each year?

51:54 Can a project be done alongside other courses?

53:11 Can I do a project before the final year of my degree?

54:28 Importance of communications if away for a year (exchange, co-op, etc.)

55:29 Do I have to apply for the NEUR 4905 Workshop?

57:23 What is the time commitment for each project?

01:01:15 Can I do my project in the summer?

01:03:14 Where to find relevant resources