Senior Thesis Program

The Senior Thesis Program is the capstone of the History concentration, and its successful completion asks students to combine the skills and interests that they have developed throughout the concentration. In conversation with advisors, students create their own project; and plan, research, write (and rewrite!) it. Its genesis differs from student to student. For some, the thesis provides students with the opportunity to develop a project that they first conceptualized in an earlier history course and explored more deeply in archives during the summer before senior year. For others, the thesis provides the opportunity to explore a long-held passion project. No matter the pathway, the department provides students with the support they need to take pride in their work.

Two complementary advising tracks support students throughout senior year. Each thesis writer is paired with an advisor whose own research interests typically overlap with the themes and topics of the project. Faculty and upper-level graduate students can serve as thesis advisors. Thesis writers also enroll in History 99, the Senior Thesis Tutorial, which provides students with: a set of best practices for the thesis; a community of fellow thesis writers; a timeline for the thesis and a timetable of related deadlines; and regular opportunities for additional feedback on their work. Click here for a sample syllabus for History 99 and here for a list of recent thesis titles.

Every year approximately half of all history concentrators choose to write a thesis. Rising seniors who wish to write a thesis must meet two prerequisites: they must have a B+ average in the concentration (3.3+ concentration GPA) and by the end of junior they must submit a 20-page seminar research paper (that receives a minimum of a B+). Students who do not meet these standards may petition the ADUS for admission to the program. In order to enter the thesis program, interested students must submit the thesis program application during junior year spring registration. There is also a thesis option for off-cycle students, please contact the ADUS for further information.

Undergraduate theses in the History Department are typically between 85 and 120 pages, though there is always some variation to these numbers. The thesis entails considerable primary- and secondary-source research, and the goal is to make an original contribution to historical knowledge. Most thesis writers complete an analytical thesis, though there is an option for creative multimedia theses. For more information about the latter, including successful examples of multimedia theses, please contact the ADUS. Theses are due at 5pm on the Wednesday before spring break.

Each thesis is then evaluated by one faculty member and one graduate student. These readers assign an evaluation on the English honors scale (highest honors, highest honors minus, high honors plus, high honors, high honors minus, honors plus, honors, or no distinction) and write a substantive report detailing the strengths and weaknesses of the thesis. If a student whose GPA qualifies them for Highest Honors (3.85) receives one highest-level reading, the Undergraduate Office will automatically assign them a third reader. Additionally, any thesis may be sent to a third reader when the first two evaluations are three or more distinctions apart (e.g., one high honors plus and one honors plus). Joint concentrators will always receive a third reading from their allied field.