"Transferring to MCLA was one of the greatest decisions I ever made. Being able to learn from and connect with the faculty and staff equipped me with greater networking capabilities/skills and the opportunity to use them outside of the institution, preparing me for the road ahead. Taking part and engaging in different clubs and organizations on campus helped to shape and guide me for countless opportunities."
Brandon Pender ’07 Research Analyst, Office of State Rep. Daniel E. Bosley ’76
GUIDELINES Senior Year Capstone / Thesis Project
to meet the graduation requirement for a
"Commonwealth Scholar"
To graduate as a "Commonwealth Scholar," a student will need to have completed six Honors courses with a grade of "B" or better and to have earned an overall GPA of 3.4. Further, the student will finished a capstone project (a thesis or creative project) in the senior year.
Each thesis or capstone project will be formally directed by a full-time member of the MCLA faculty in an appropriate discipline and presented in public before an evaluation committee of faculty. Co-advisors are permitted if necessary. A student with a history major, for instance, might wish to do a thesis that deals with the literary trends of a particular historical period (e.g., the Restoration, the French Revolution). In such a case, the student could have a primary advisor from History and a co-advisor from English. In another case, a student might have a double major -- e.g., Psychology and Political Science -- and might wish to do the thesis on a topic that uses methods drawn from both areas.
As a general matter, however, a student will have a single advisor in his/her major discipline who will, the help of the Honors Director, judiciously choose faculty members who will serve as official judges of the oral defense (or public presentation). The advisor should be not only a person knowledgeable about the area the student wishes to explore but also one with whom the student has a reasonably good working relationship. In some cases, a student may know the general topic he or she wishes to explore and will search for an advisor who is an expert on that topic; in other cases, the student may wish to work with a particular advisor, whatever the topic, and will ask that person for guidance in selecting a specific topic. Many faculty members, understandably, will not take on the direction of a thesis/project for a student whom they have not had in class or have not directed in previous independent study. Some advisors will allow the student wide choice of topic; others may prefer that the student join an ongoing research project already undertaken by the faculty member.
THE PROPOSAL FOR A THESIS OR CAPSTONE PROJECT
The thesis proposal is a formal document which sets forth the parameters of the intended work. Some care, therefore, should be given both to its content and its appearance. The proposal should be literate, it should have substance, and it should be neatly prepared in accordance with standard academic conventions (typed, single-spaced, one-inch margins, citation of sources). It should reflect a carefully thought-out approach to the subject with sufficient elaboration to enable the advisor, the Honors Advisory Board, and the Honors Director to know what the student intends to do. Proposals that do not meet these minimal criteria will not be approved.
The process of drafting the proposal could take a number of paths. In general terms, the first articulation of the proposal will probably develop out of close consultations with the advisor. The advisor may choose to ask the advice of member of the Honors Advisory Board or seek guidance from the Honors Director. After the proposal reaches an adequate level of definition, it should be submitted by the middle of the Spring term to the Honors Advisory Board for comment. Following that review (and possible revisions), Honors Director will then approve or disapprove the proposal.
PUBLIC PRESENTATION
A public presentation is required of all students as a condition of completing the project and graduating as a Commonwealth Scholar. The public presentation should include some statement or demonstration by the student of the main ideas in the thesis, and it should make provision for feedback and questions from the faculty judges.
The public presentation will be limited in length to one hour. The first fifteen minutes will feature the student's statement (some flexibility will be reserved for artistic projects such as a musical composition or dance). The balance of the time will involve discussion of the thesis, including questions from the faculty panel and questions from members of the audience.
The panel of four faculty judges will be selected by the student and the faculty advisor, with the assistance -- if needed -- of the Honors Director. Names of the panel members must be submitted to the Honors Director at least a month in advance of the date for the public presentation. Important: the thesis advisor will serve as chairperson of the faculty panel, and he/she will moderate the event. The panel might include a faculty members from the student's major department, a faculty representative from outside the discipline but in a related area, and a faculty member from the Honors Advisory Board.
Ideally, the public presentation will occur at least thirty days prior to the student's graduation date. Allowances should be made for potential scheduling conflicts and for ample time for revisions to the thesis after the public presentation. In the case of a thesis, the faculty panel should receive copies at least two weeks prior to the public presentation to allow them adequate time to read the document.
