senior thesis barnard

Senior Research Seminar

Environmental Science, Environmental Biology, Sustainability and Environment & Sustainable Development

Eesc bc 3800/3801, eeeb un 3991/2, eesc un 3901.

• Guided, independent, in-depth research culminating in the senior essay. Weekly seminar to review work in progress and share results through oral and written reports.
• All senior majors are required  to write a senior thesis and participate in the Environmental Science Senior Seminar. The senior seminar can be taken in the fall/spring sequence of the senior year, or in the sequence spring (junior year)/fall (senior year). The goal of the first semester is to write a thesis proposal, that of the second to complete the thesis. We strongly encourage students to consider a summer internship between junior and senior semester.
• Prerequisites: Junior & senior majors
• Credits: 3 points
• Hours: Thursdays from 4:10 to 6:00 pm, fall of 2023 (usually 530 Altschul)
• On mobile devices this page is best viewed if you turn the screen sideways.
• Credits: Besides the current instructors, Catherine Cook, Stephanie Pfirman,  Leslie Raucher, Dallas Abbott, Bill Hahn, Hugh Ducklow, Kim Kastens, Gareth Russell, Don Melnick, Gisela Winckler, Brian Mailloux, Joerg Schaefer, Jeff Shaman, Jenna Lawrence, Meredith Nettles, Spahr Webb, Natalie Boelman, Bill Menke, Suzanne Macey, Jim Simpson, Logan Brenner, Elizabeth Cook, and many others contributed to the material on this web site.

Research Design - Senior Thesis

Here is the presentation we will be covering today. 

Here is a link to a senior thesis we will be looking at briefly. 

Senior Thesis Funding

Barnard and columbia students:.

• Earth Institute Travel Grant "...funding to support travel for current Columbia University students who are engaged in research projects dealing with issues of sustainable development and the environment." "The maximum travel grant award is up to $750 per person." 

Barnard College students:

Tow Fellowships "...support travel related to research for the senior thesis. Candidates apply to the Committee on Honors (CoH) in the spring of their junior year to seek support for travel that will take place during the summer between the junior and senior years. The awards generally range from $1,000 - $4,000."

Lucyle Hook Travel Grants "provide funding for travel related to research for the Barnard senior thesis... The award amount varies, but normally ranges from $100-$500. Candidates apply to the Faculty Committee on Honors, which typically awards four or five grants each year.  

• Student Climate Action Grant   "to support student(s) or student group(s) in developing and implementing a project relating to sustainability, climate action, or human interactions with the environment. The intention of this grant is to give students the resources to be a part of creating positive changes here on our campus, and/or piloting solutions that are applicable in New York City and beyond. Grants awarded will range from $500-$1500."

Columbia College students:

• Columbia College Senior Thesis Funding "Columbia College is able to provide a small research fund to students conducting approved research for their senior theses. Once approved you may receive, on a reimbursement basis, up to $500 towards the costs of undertaking your research."

General Studies students:

• General Studies Senior Thesis Funding "The School of General Studies offers a small stipend ($250) to defray associated expenses for GS seniors working on a senior thesis or honors project."

Art History Written Senior Thesis

All Art History Majors with a concentration in Art History write a substantial research paper in their senior year. There are two options for fulfilling this requirement: Seniors have the option of doing a year-long thesis, or reworking and developing a seminar paper into a thesis through a one-semester participation in the Senior Thesis Seminar. The Senior Thesis Seminar would function for those interested in working on a thesis over the course of a year, but those deciding for the option of expanding a seminar paper would only join the course in the second semester. The intent is to offer an alternative to those with less interest in a major writing project.

WRITTEN SENIOR THESIS OPTIONS

• Students interested in participating in the year-long Senior Thesis Seminar should write a brief (one-page) description of their thesis topic and submit it to the appropriate adviser within the first two weeks of the fall semester. The potential adviser will determine the feasibility of the study in question and accept or decline to become the student’s adviser. Such a thesis should ultimately be approximately 30-50 pages long.
• Students interested in expanding and enhancing a seminar paper will find a faculty adviser, preferably the professor with whom they wrote the original paper, willing to help them in its transformation into a thesis. They will then join the Senior Thesis in the spring semester of their senior year. In this context they will have an opportunity to present their ideas to the rest of the graduating class as well as members of the faculty so as to receive comments and suggestions as to how to develop their arguments. These created by these means should aim to be approximately 30 pages long.

GRADES Two grades will be awarded in connection with your work on the finished thesis. One will evaluate the way in which you have fulfilled the requirements of the Senior Research Seminar. That is, your participation and attendance in the Thesis Colloquium, the energy you have put into the research, the effort you have made in producing an original and challenging argument as well as a solidly constructed and polished piece of prose. Since the course is yearlong, students will receive a grade of Y (indicating year long course) for the fall semester and will receive their grade at the end of the spring term for the year. This grade will be assigned in the usual A through F spectrum. The other grade will be awarded on the basis of the evaluation of the thesis itself. This evaluation will consider whether or not the aims of the project were met: was the research sufficient to warrant the conclusions, is the argument of the thesis original as well as coherent and convincing, was the writing adequate to the ideas that had to be expressed? Very often the instructor will ask another member of the faculty to comment on the paper as well. This grade will either be a Pass with Distinction, a Pass or a Fail.

NOTE ON SENIOR THESIS FOR DOUBLE AND COMBINED MAJORS Please note the distinctions between the Double Major, the Double Major with a Single Essay, and the Combined Major. In the Double Major students will do all of the required course work for both majors and write two different Senior Essays that fulfill the requirements of each department. In the Double Major with Single Essay students do all of the required course work for the two majors and write only one essay read by an adviser in each major field. In the Combined Major students follow the requirements for coursework for a combined major and write a single senior essay also read by an adviser in each major field. To do a combine Art History and another major you will need to obtain a special form from the Dean of Studies office. The form needs to be signed by both department chairs. On the form you will need to list the sponsors from both departments along with the 6 courses from each major you plan to count towards the combine major. Any questions, please contact the Art History office.

Boston College Libraries

The Answer Wall

Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library

I’m so stressed about senior thesis submission :-(

Yes, thesis submission can be stressful for sure. But remember you’ve got this. A few tips when feeling overwhelemed can be to make a plan and strategize, practice some breathing exercises, or (what I think is usually most helpful) take a little break and then come back. You’ve got this!

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Trust the Process: The 2024 UMA Senior Thesis Exhibition

Charles danforth gallery jewett hall, university of maine at augusta may 4 – may 23, 2024.

Opening Reception and Artist Talk in the Danforth Gallery ,

Immediately following Commencement on May 4, 2024, at Noon

The graduating Art students of the University of Maine at Augusta will exhibit their senior thesis artwork in the Charles Danforth Gallery on UMA’s Augusta campus in an exhibition entitled Trust the Process . The exhibition includes the work of seven artists and will open at noon with a public reception immediately after Commencement on Saturday, May 4.

Trust the Process reflects the evolution of each artist’s concepts and work over the past semester, using the tools of self- and faculty-critiques. Exhibiting artists include Emily Allen, Julia Dry, Des Dumais, Bruce Forbes, Donald L. Patten, Sophia Reyes, and Jared Winslow.

Trust the Process is on view from May 4 – May 23, 2024, and the public is welcome to visit the gallery in Jewett Hall, which is open on Mondays through Fridays from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The UMA community and the general public are invited to the opening reception and artist talk on May 4 at noon.

Follow the Danforth Gallery on Instagram and Facebook , and on their website: danforth.uma.edu .

Artist Biographies

Emily Allen (Gardiner, Maine) : Emily Allen is an aspiring illustrator who works primarily in 2-dimensions with media ranging from graphite and paint to digital drawings. Over the past three years, Emily developed a story that she is translating into a graphic novel. Several completed pages for this novel, along with a myriad of her preparatory sketches for this work are on view in the exhibition. After graduation, Emily will pursue a master’s degree in illustration, eventually publishing her complete graphic novel.

Julia Dry (Hallowell, Maine) : Julia Dry is a mixed media artist who primarily works with sterling silver, enamel, and copper to create sculptures and jewelry pieces. While the subject of her work is often changing, her love for color has stayed consistent. Julia’s process centers experimentation and research to better understand her chosen materials. She hopes to pursue a master’s degree after graduation.

Des Dumais (Fort Kent, Maine) : Des Dumais is a tattoo artist. She moved from Fort Kent to Augusta to pursue her dream of being a tattoo artist. Her fine arts education has given Des the tools and knowledge to excel in her career. Des creates tattoos that not only adorn the skin, but also resonate with the spirit within. Each session is an opportunity to forge a connection, leaving a mark that transcends the physical and becomes a part of the wearer’s identity.

Bruce Forbes (Philipsburg, Pennsylvania) : Bruce Forbes is a photographer who moved to Augusta long ago for work reasons. He focuses on portraiture, but also engages in landscape photography, especially scenes from the Kennebec River and the city of Augusta. Bruce also pursues street photography during warmer weather. He brings his training in composition and color to his photographic work. In addition to his portraiture and landscape work, he hopes to photograph a series centered upon truck stops this summer.

Donald L. Patten (Belfast, Maine) : Donald is a draftsman, oil painter, and ceramicist. In the past, old master painters would depict historically significant disasters that happened to them to cope. A student of the old masters, Donald has made a series of drawings that represent his pandemic experiences by referencing past masterpieces that depict the embodied experience of trauma. After graduating, he will display oil paintings and ceramic artworks at several art markets around Maine before pursuing an MFA degree.

Sophia Reyes (Houston, Texas) : Sophia is an interdisciplinary artist residing in Maine. The Houston, Texas native primarily works with photography, digital art, and printmaking. With photography being her first love, she centers her printmaking practice on captured memories using the aid of digital tools and traditional printmaking techniques to bring these images to life. Her work explores the themes of home and identity through the navigation and reflection of personal narratives and experiences of a first generation Mexican American.

Jared Winslow (New Sharon, Maine) : Jared is a mixed media artist who works primarily with inks, gouache and watercolor to create fine drawings and illustrations. Jared’s works feature a wide range of subjects, but one consistent theme is his passion for nature and plant life. His artistic process involves finding inspiration by immersing himself in natural environments, sketching intricate details, and then experimenting with compositions. His approach allows him to layer materials. After graduation, he hopes to pursue his master’s degree.