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294 High Street, 115 Downey House
Tel: (860)685-2070
Fax: (860)685-2089

The Department of Classical Studies

Senior Thesis Proposal Requirements

All students majoring in the Department of Classical Studies who intend to write a Senior Thesis are required to submit a thesis proposal to the Department by April 15 of the junior year.

A successful Senior Thesis will deal directly with primary sources, in the original language to the extent possible and where appropriate, show knowledge of and critical engagement with current scholarship on the subject, and present an original thesis developed in response to these sources.  The topic for a Senior Thesis might grow out of an oral presentation given in a class, a visit to a monument or site during an overseas study program, or a desire to study in greater depth a set of texts already encountered in a classroom setting.

The thesis proposal should be a clear and concise statement of the aims and scope of the project as envisioned in the spring of the junior year. It should include a description of the central topic or the question to be explored, the main primary sources to be considered, and a bibliography of major secondary sources that will be consulted.  The student should also outline the analytical method to be used and any theoretical approaches that may be brought to bear on the topic under consideration.  The proposal should be no more than 2-3pp. in length.

The student must include in the proposal the name of the faculty member who has agreed to serve as advisor for the thesis.  Students on foreign study programs in the spring of the junior year should identify an advisor as soon as possible to ensure timely submission of their proposal.

Proposals will be considered by the departmental faculty.  If the project is deemed appropriate in scope, depth and sophistication for a senior thesis, it will be approved.  The student will be informed of the facultyÕs decision by May 1.  Appeals of that decision will not be considered, so it is extremely important that students work with a faculty member well in advance of the April 15 deadline to develop a suitable project.