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Senior Honors Thesis
Definition
The thesis involves significant research and writing, culminating in a substantial paper on a research topic of the student’s design. Such an effort requires that the student possess an excellent understanding of the subject area, its theoretical assumptions, and its research methodology. The student must also be able to think critically and comprehensively about the topic, and must be able to advance a well-formulated argument.
Components
The indispensable elements of a thesis are these:
1. a clearly framed argument (not a simple narration of facts)
2. substantial, pertinent evidence to support the argument
3. a sustained, persuasive, and polished presentation
Completing a senior thesis not only draws on a student’s past academic experience, it also requires considerable independent thinking and creativity, self-discipline, and effective time management. The student is responsible, with the advice of the faculty adviser, for the investigation of sources, the accumulation of information or data, the selection of pertinent material, and the preparation of the thesis in acceptable form. There is a wide range in choice of topics and in variety of treatment (e.g., historical, statistical, philosophical, literary, scientific), which is coupled with rigorous standards of research, argument, and presentation of information.
Rationale
A thesis is an opportunity to explore a topic of your own choosing in depth, honing skills that you have learned in previous classes and learning new skills as well. Unlike a term paper for a class, the thesis is a substantive work that you will create over an extended period of time. As such, you will likely have special feelings of pride for going through the process of preparing a thesis. A thesis is excellent preparation for graduate and professional schools and should be highlighted in applications for additional education.
Recent Senior Thesis Titles* (many theses are stored in the library’s archives) The Elephant Problem: Can Elephant Populations be Sustained in Captivity? Angels in Satanic Mills: Parliamentary Imposition of Middle Class Ideals on Victorian Working Women Teaching Place Value to Elementary School Students: Why the Exploratory Method is More Effective Misconceptions of the Cold War: Why the Creation of NASA Was Not a Response to Sputnik Brown v. The Board of Education : America’s Failure to Equalize Education “Whudafxup” with Truth® Commercials?: An Evaluation of an Anti-Smoking Campaign Ancient Perspectives on Poverty Public Relations Use and Reception: Student Perceptions of Proactive and Reactive Public Relations Use Beowulf and Post-Alfredian England: The Late Date of English’s First Native Epic Beluga Babysitting: The Nature of Allomothering in Delphinapterus leucas Can Changing Gene Cluster Parameters Change the Clusters? Building a Homestead: Parallels Between Indigenous Women’s Writing and Feminist International Relations Theory Averting a Genetic Apocalypse: A Look at Eugenic Efforts to Improve the Human Gene Pool Modernity and Proto-Feminism in Titian’s Female Nudes Income and Quality of Education: Is Educational Equity Possible? Economic Disparity in Drug Generation for Neglected Diseases and Vaccines Fighting Hegemony by Bursting the Suburban Bubble: A Close Look at a Four-Year Service Learning Sequence in the High School Classroom From Indifference, to Hatred, to Friendship: Japanese-American Relations Before, During, and After World War II The Home-Schooling Alternative Patriarchalism in the Politics and Writings of James VI and I Rewriting Conrad’s Heart of Darkness : Fashioning Nigerian Humanity in Chinua Achebe’s Foundational Trilogy The Economic Implications of Derivatives-Based Strategies in Risk Management Student Leadership: Perceptions, Skills, Training, and Experience The Nature of Redemption in The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings Holding No Child Left Behind Accountable Considering the Poems as Poems: The Craft of Sylvia Plath Faust: Falling and Failing, the Sin of Knowledge Making Oranges Out of Lemons: Prospects for Post-Revolutionary Ukraine Feeling the Heat: A Case for Immediate Action Against the Effects of Global Warming The Rise of Suburbia: A Contributory Force in the Decline of Central Cities A Judicial Battlefield: The History of Habeas Corpus during Wartime and its Implications on the War on Terror Marshal Philippe Pétain: Patriot, Collaborator, or Scapegoat? Stem Cell Research and Governmental Policy: Taking a New Look at Both the Dollars and the Sense of It All Puritanical Kerouac: Form, Symbol, and Theme in the Major Works of Jack Kerouac and Jonathan Edwards Persuasion in Advertising: Exploring the Weapons of Influence Most Frequently Used to Attract Young Women Consumers through Magazine Advertising Odysseus Reborn: Homeric Parallels in Ulysses and The Hobbit Imperialism and Literature: Exploring a Modern British Preoccupation Tradition, Rebellion, and Compromise: Jane Austen’s Manipulation of 18th^ Century Conduct Book Ideals in Pride and Prejudice Eco-Terrorism: Exotic Militancy in International Relations
Guidelines for Senior Honors Thesis
- If at all possible, Senior Honors theses should be written in the fall semester. By signing up for thesis in the fall, students will be able to get a running start on their research in the preceding summer and begin writing in mid-to-late September. Theses written in the fall (but not in the spring) can be submitted for/with (a) national awards, such as Fulbrights and the St. John’s University Finance Essay Contest, (b) graduate or professional school applications, and/or (c) employment applications. Students writing in the spring semester sometimes suffer from senioritis and the inevitable distraction of looking to the future, especially to begin their careers or to plan for the next stage of their formal education.
- The paper should be a fresh piece of work that has not been submitted for previous credit. The All-College Honors Program will accept papers that are simultaneously being written for departmental honors, PROVIDED these papers are submitted to Honors as theses, i.e., meet the terms of an All-College Honors senior thesis.
- Fundamentally, a thesis requires the formulation of an argument or problem that must be thoroughly investigated and then answered. Without a plainly identified and well supported argument, the paper does not satisfy Honors requirements.
- The paper should be an ambitious, in-depth study that is at least 35 typed pages (double-spaced) in length (at least 250 words/page). This page length does not include the title page, table of contents, thesis statement, graphs, illustrations, appendices, citations, or bibliography.
- The project involves extensive library, internet, museum, and/or laboratory research. Internet sources should be subjected to careful scrutiny for their reliability. A well-researched paper should involve a large number of pertinent sources chosen from a wide variety of materials, e.g., memoirs, lab results, artifacts, professional journal articles, interviews, conference proceedings, authoritative secondary books, archival documents. Thesis students are permitted to check out Canisius library materials for the entire semester. Perk: Honors students writing their thesis may borrow Canisius library books for the semester.
- The paper should be cogently argued; i.e., your thesis should be carefully defended with a substantial amount of pertinent evidence from primary and secondary sources that is smoothly worked into the paper.
- The paper should be clearly and fluently written, free from stylistic, typographical, and mechanical errors.
- Documentation (statistical tables, citations, bibliography, etc.) should follow a correct form as defined by any standard sheet. The MLA (Modern Language Association) Style Sheet is a preferred form, but several others are acceptable, e.g., APA (American Psychological Association), ACM (American Chemical Society), and Kate Turabian’s Chicago Manual of Style. Whichever stylistic form is chosen, it should be used consistently throughout the paper.
- The senior thesis should be worked on diligently throughout the entire semester. It cannot be done well if rushed or worked on sporadically. To make sure that steady progress is made toward completing the thesis, students should meet frequently and regularly with their advisers. Remember that the thesis is not an independent study, wherein a student writes a paper on his/
her own. Work out a schedule of face-to-face meetings with your adviser early in the semester and stick to this schedule. When students get to the writing phrase, it can be useful to submit sections in advance of upcoming meetings, so that the adviser can review and comment on them. The Honors director will contact advisers for intermediate reports on thesis progress.
- Students who do not attend the group thesis meetings, which are held about once a month on Friday afternoons, must see the Honors director individually. It is up to the student to make arrangements for these individual conferences.
- The completed thesis must be submitted in hard copy to the faculty adviser, second reader, and Honors director, and the cover sheet must contain the names of all three evaluators, as well as the thesis title, the author’s name, and the date of submission. Because the theses will be digitized, each student must also submit his/her thesis to the Honors director in one document by email attachment.
Thesis Grades
Final grades for senior Honors theses must reflect the standards of the Honors Program and will be determined by three readers: (a) the faculty adviser (b) the second reader (c) the director of the Honors Program Grading criteria for senior thesis (descending order of importance) a. The frequency and quality of meetings with your faculty adviser b. The thoroughness of the paper’s research c. The persuasiveness of the evidence used to support the thesis argument d. The accuracy, clarity, and fluency with which the thesis is composed e. The quality of work handed in throughout the semester to the adviser and director f. Attendance at Honors group meetings It obviously takes a great deal of effort to complete the thesis, but hard work alone does not guarantee an “A” grade. While the faculty adviser should certainly consider the amount of work that went into the thesis under review, in the final analysis, all three readers will judge the final draft on its own terms, i.e., how good is the thesis in its conception and execution. Penalties *Students who do not meet with their adviser at least 4 times during the thesis semester will receive a “D” or “F” and be ineligible to graduate with All-College Honors distinction. *Theses that do not meet or exceed the minimum length of 35 pages of text—does not include the title page, table of contents, thesis abstract, photographs/illustrations/diagrams/statistical tables, notation, or bibliography—will be penalized at least one full letter grade. *Students whose theses are found to have been plagiarized will receive “F’s” and will be dismissed from the Honors Program. *Theses that are submitted after the manuscript is due will be penalized at least a half-letter grade, unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as debilitating illness, bodily injury, serious family problems, and the like. The decision as to what constitutes such circumstances rests with the faculty adviser and the Honors director. If the faculty adviser and the second reader of a senior honors thesis do not submit written grade reports to the Honors director, that thesis will be given an incomplete until such reports are received. Thesis advisers, but not second readers, should also submit an Honors thesis rubric, which is designed to assess the Honors Program as a whole. Any student whose thesis receives a “D” or an “F” will be ineligible to graduate with All-College Honors. Incompletes Thesis incompletes may be assigned in cases when (a) students present documented evidence of serious illness, injury, or family emergency, (b) faculty members are (temporarily) unable to complete thesis advisement, or (c) the thesis is taking much longer than anticipated. When such conditions exist, a reasonable period will be granted to complete the thesis, ordinarily February 1 st. An incomplete for a thesis written in the spring semester means that the student in question cannot graduate with All-College Honors that semester and may not be able to graduate at all.
Thesis Orientation
Because the senior thesis is an important and unique research & writing assignment in the Honors curriculum, the Honors director will hold an introductory meeting about it. At this meeting, the following questions (among others) concerning the thesis will be discussed: *What is a thesis? *What is the difference between senior thesis and independent study? *What are the benefits of tackling senior thesis? *How long should the thesis be? *Who should my adviser be, and what role does the adviser have in completing thesis? *When should a student begin working on the thesis? *How much research should be done? In advance of the meeting, thesis eligible students should consult the Honors website (canisius.edu/honors) under “Requirements,” then “Senior Thesis.” Orientation meeting: F FEB 26, 2010 (2:30 pm) OM 223
Meetings & Deadlines for Senior Honors Thesis*
Fall 2009
1 st^ Meeting (TBA) Student submits THESIS APPLICATION to Honors director F AUG 28 (2:30 pm) 2 nd^ Meeting (TBA) Student submits PROSPECTUS to Honors director F SEP 11 6 (2:30 pm) The 3-page (minimum) typed prospectus should include these components: *Date of submission *Your name, your faculty adviser’s name, and the name of your second reader *A working title (can always be revised later on) *A clear statement of a tentative thesis, i.e., the idea you wish to develop in your paper *A careful introduction to the thesis and an explanation of it *A description of the approach (strategy) that you intend to use to support your thesis *A simple outline of your planned thesis (can be revised as your work proceeds) *A preliminary bibliography with at least 25 sources (annotated) Please staple (no paperclips) your paper-copy prospectus in the upper left-hand corner 3 rd^ Meeting (TBA) Student submits HALF of the 1st^ DRAFT to the faculty adviser F OCT 16 (2:30 pm) & Honors director (email attachment only) The half draft should contain these elements: *Title page with working title, student’s name, adviser’s name, second reader’s name, date *Tentative table of contents *At least 15 typed pages of text *Works cited/bibliography (in progress) [ After this meeting, students may wish to see the director individually to discuss their developing theses ] 4 th^ Meeting (TBA) Student submits ENTIRE 1st^ DRAFT to faculty adviser & F NOV 13 (2:30 pm) Honors director (email attachment only) Thesis Submission Student submits FINAL DRAFT to: F DEC 4 (a) faculty adviser (b) second reader (c) Honors director (hard copy & PDF email attachment) Grade Submission Faculty advisers & second readers submit THESIS GRADE M DEC 14 to Honors director (preferably by email) (earlier, if possible) *Students who cannot attend these thesis meetings must see the Honors director individually.
Meetings & Deadlines for Senior Honors Thesis*
Spring 2010
1 st^ Meeting (OM 223) Student submits THESIS APPLICATION to Honors director F JAN 22 (2:30 pm) 2 nd^ Meeting (OM 223) Student submits PROSPECTUS to Honors director F FEB 5 (2:30 pm) (hard copy & email attachment) The 3-page (minimum) typed prospectus should include these components: *Date of submission *Your name, your faculty adviser’s name, and the name of your second reader *A working title (can always be revised later on) *A clear statement of a tentative thesis, i.e., the idea you wish to develop in your paper *A careful introduction to the thesis and an explanation of it *A description of the approach (strategy) that you intend to use to support your thesis *A simple outline of your planned thesis (can be revised as your work proceeds) *A preliminary bibliography with at least 25 sources (annotated) Please staple (no paperclips) your paper-copy prospectus in the upper left-hand corner 3 rd^ Meeting (OM 223) Student submits HALF of the 1st^ DRAFT to the faculty adviser F MAR 12 (2:30 pm) & Honors director (email attachment only) The half draft should contain these elements: *Title page with working title, student’s name, adviser’s name, second reader’s name, date *Tentative table of contents *At least 15 typed pages of text *Works cited/bibliography (in progress) [ After this meeting, students may wish to see the director individually to discuss their developing theses ] 4 th^ Meeting (OM 223) Student submits ENTIRE 1st^ DRAFT to faculty adviser & F APR 23 (2:30 pm) Honors director (email attachment only) Thesis Submission Student submits FINAL DRAFT to: F MAY 7 (a) faculty adviser (b) second reader (c) Honors director (hard copy & PDF email attachment) Grade Submission Faculty advisers & second readers submit THESIS GRADE M MAY 17 to Honors director (preferably by email) (earlier, if possible) *Students who cannot attend these thesis meetings must see the Honors director individually.
Honors Thesis Grant
For Undergraduate Students in the All-College Honors Program
The Honors Program offers summer awards ranging from $100 to $500 to Seniors who are working on an Honors thesis. Support of this program has been budgeted at $1,000. The purpose of the award is to provide funding for expenses related to successful completion of the thesis. Applicants must submit completed forms either by email attachment to the Honors director (dierenfb@canisius.edu) or in hard copy to the Honors office (CT 607), no later than June 1st. Award decisions will be announced within one week of the application deadline. Applications are available on-line.
All-College Honors Program Senior Honors Thesis Grant Application General Information Eligibility To be eligible, a student must be a rising senior in the All-College Honors Program completing an honors thesis to satisfy degree requirements for graduation with honors. Applications should be submitted well in advance of beginning the research. An application for a grant submitted after work has begun and expenditures have been made will be given lower priority than applications which are made for research planned completely but not yet undertaken. Deadlines There will be a competition at the beginning of every summer. The deadline for submission of applications is June 1st. In the event that June 1st^ falls on the weekend, the deadline is the next business day. Applications should be submitted to the Honors Office in CT 607. Amount and Number of Grants Awarded A student may request up to $500. Individual students will not always receive the maximum amount requested, and most grants will be smaller than $500. Honors anticipates awarding several grants each year. The grants will be awarded as reimbursements for expenditures, and students must submit receipts after expenses have been paid by the individual student. Notification Each grant recipient will receive a letter from the Honors Director that states the exact amount of the award and specifies how it can be used. Applicants should not make expenditures in anticipation of awards. Application Procedures Submitting all materials and following preparation instructions explicitly are essential to successful applications. All applications must be typed, legible, well organized, and written in clear, grammatical English. A complete application consists of the following materials: a grant application cover sheet an itemized budget sheet a proposal following the application guidelines a letter of recommendation from the thesis supervisor an unofficial transcript
Guidelines for Eligible Budget Expenditures Travel Long-distance travel by plane, train, bus, or automobile to a site for the purpose of research is eligible, but local travel within the metropolitan area is generally not covered. Mileage costs should be calculated at 35 cents per mile. Lodging Hotel bills related to research in another city or state are allowed, but not meals or tips for service. Photocopying Copying of interview forms is covered, but no funding is allowed for making multiple copies of thesis. Photocopying of unique materials, such as those in a private collection or a distant library, is eligible, but copying items that are obtainable within the Buffalo area is not covered. Computer Costs Computer costs not funded by a department may be eligible. Computer hardware, including home computers or modems, is not covered. Computer disks may be allowed if they are central to the project. Computer software is generally not covered. Audiovisual Equipment Rental of audiovisual equipment from the cheapest source and purchase of audio and video tapes are eligible, but this expense must be documented with special care. Conference Participation Funding covers payment of expenses for attendance at a conference or meeting if a strong case can be made that this experience is central or essential to the completion of the project. Research Subjects Payment of research subjects for human experimentation (as can be demonstrated as customary in the department or program where the thesis is being written) is eligible. Other Expenses Expense items such as telephone calls, postage, and literature searches are also eligible, but the relationship of these items to the project must be very clear. Questions about preparing the budget should be addressed to: Dr. Bruce J. Dierenfield Honors Program Director Canisius College 2001 Main Street Buffalo NY 14208- 716/888- dierenfb@canisius.edu
Senior Honors Thesis Grant Application Directions: Please TYPE (in BLACK INK) the information requested on this form, including your itemized Senior Thesis budget proposal. Then submit this to Dr. Bruce Dierenfield by the appropriate deadline. Absolutely NO LATE APPLICATIONS will be accepted! Student’s Name ______________________________________Soc. Sec. #: _________________ Student’s Major(s): __________________________________ E-mail
Faculty adviser’s Name:_______________________________ Adviser’s Dept. ______________ Senior Thesis Information (please TYPE in BLACK INK) Title: _________________________________________________________________________
Description: ___________________________________________________________________
Objectives: ____________________________________________________________________
Methodology (be brief): __________________________________________________________
Expected Benefit(s) or Impact of Thesis:
Itemized Budget Proposal: Please TYPE or PRINT (in BLACK INK ) your proposed itemized budget for your Senior Thesis with a grand total cost of all items requested. Please include a brief explanation of why the items for which you are requesting funding are necessary for your thesis. You may attach additional sheets, if necessary. [Remember that the purpose of this grant is to help you pay for extraordinary expenses (i.e., expenses students normally are not expected to pay for) which you expect to incur while pursuing your thesis. Examples of extraordinary expenses include, but are not necessarily limited to purchasing equipment, tools, laboratory rats, or viruses; renting exhibit space or rehearsal halls; paying for lodging or travel and mileage (in some cases); etc. Examples of items which are typically NOT funded include purchasing meals, books, periodicals, computer or typewriter ribbons, and computer or typing paper, typing of the thesis, and photo duplication. Any necessary expenses for postage and/or long distance telephone calls, as well as money you have already spent for your thesis, should also be included for consideration. Keep all receipts. Money you have already spent probably will NOT be refunded.] Items Cost
Grand Total: $ ______________ Senior Thesis Research Grant Application
