American Studies Program
Senior Special Projects & Senior Honors Theses
All American Studies majors must complete a capstone project that integrates or expands upon some aspect of the theme of their interdisciplinary cluster. The required American Studies Senior Seminars, AMER 198 and AMER 199, are designed to help students master the intellectual and methodological components of their capstone projects and, at the same time, to build a collegial and supportive community of independent scholars. The final grade for AMER 198 and AMER 199 will be determined by the student’s committee. The AMER 198 and AMER 199 Instructor, however, will provide committee members with written evaluations of the student’s performance in the seminar (e.g. attendance, participation, and completion of assignments), which will be taken into consideration in determining the grade for the course. HT students’ progress will be assessed in early December by their primary reader, the AMER 198/199 instructor, and AMER Program Steering Committee. Failure to complete AMER 198/199 assignments and make adequate progress on research and preliminary writing will result in an HT becoming an SSP.
The differences between AMER 198 and AMER 199 are as follows:
Senior Special Project (AMER 198)
The Senior Special Project is semester-long senior seminar for one credit which will result in a capstone project or paper integrating the student's interdisciplinary cluster. If written as a research paper, it will be a minimum of 35 pages, although other media are acceptable for part of the 35 pages, e.g., a film, play, artwork, photography, musical production.
Senior Honors Thesis (AMER 0199)
The Honors Thesis covers two semesters and earns 2 credits. Students wishing to do an Honors Thesis rather than a Senior Special Project must submit a tentative proposal for their Honors Thesis to the American Studies Program by the end of their junior year. In addition to registering for AMER 0199, students must complete the Thesis Honors Candidate Form and submit it to Dowling Hall by mid-November of their senior year. University rules state that students must have been on the Dean's List at least twice in order to undertake an Honors Thesis (See the Bulletin of Tufts University.); A student must have been on the Dean's List twice (campus policy) and have a 3.4 GPA (AMER policy) at the time of registering to qualify to write an honors thesis. Students who do not have a 3.4 when registering may, with the support of his/her advisor, petition the American Studies Steering Committee for permission to write a thesis.
As of 2008 the University requires only two committee members for an Honors Thesis, although interdisciplinary research may benefit from an optional third member. At least one of a student's HT/SSP readers must be an American Studies faculty affiliate. In exceptional cases, a student may petition the director for a waiver to this policy.The subject and scope of the Honors Thesis, agreed upon in advance by the student and his/her advisers, are substantially greater than those of the SSP. For example, if the Honors Thesis is in the form of a research paper, the length of the thesis is a minimum of 75 pages, instead of 35 pages for the SSP. The defense of the Senior Honors Thesis must take place before the final exams begin in May. The defense may take place shortly before or during the Reading period. It is the duty of the graduating senior to submit his or her completed Senior Honors Thesis manuscript to Digital Collections and Archives in Tisch Library and the American Studies office before May Commencement. Theses may be submitted electronically or in traditional bound form and should adhere to Tisch Library archival submission guidelines posted at http://dca.tufts.edu/ua/policies/senior.html.
At the recommendation of the student's thesis committee, the
senior thesis may merit honors — Honors in Senior Thesis; High Honors in Senior Thesis; or Highest Honors in Senior Thesis — which will be read aloud at Commencement. These honors are distinct from the Latin honors based on overall academic performance (cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude).
NOTE: Tisch Library offers an 8 week, 1/2 credit class designed for students who are planning to write a senior thesis.
The course is Research 4 Success: Using the Library for Thesis and Capstone Projects (EXP 19). Please visit http://www.library.tufts.edu/tisch/ for more information.
IMPORTANT: The AMER faculty will only consider recommending students who have completed Honors Theses for graduation with summa cum laude honors. This recommendation is not automatic, however, even if a student meets the GPA requirements and has written a thesis. The faculty will also consider the quality of the students' work and their contribution in the classroom and to American Studies. Earned Latin and/or thesis honors appear on the student's transcript.
The following forms must be completed and turned in as specified below:
Senior Special Project Progress Report and Checklist To be completed by student after initial meeting with your committee, signed by First Reader, and returned to your instructor.
SSP/HT Cluster and Proposed Project Information To be completed by AMER 198 students within two weeks of beginning their SSP semester and returned to the American Studies office.
Seniors Honors Thesis Progress Report To be completed by the first week of December, signed by First Reader and returned to your instructor.
American Studies Grade Sheet To be completed at the end of your SSP or HT semester.