Senior Project

The CMS Senior Project is an original project intended to draw together a student's communications and media studies experience at Tufts.

For the minor in Mass Communications and Media Studies (MCMS), the project should deal with important and substantive issues in the field of communications.  The project may take different forms, from a more traditional scholarly research paper or thesis, to less traditional formats, such as a magazine or newspaper series, filmmaking, program treatments, recorded sound, web sites, live performance, computer programs, or other interactive or audio-visual forms.  All projects, however, require a critical and self-reflective written component.

For the minor in Film Studies (FS), the project should deal with important and substantive issues in the area of film.  The project can be a scholarly paper or thesis in film studies or a creative work using one or more forms of film media (film, video, or screenplay).  The focus of the work will be a critical exploration of film in the past, present and/or future.  All projects, however, require a critical and self-reflective written component.

For the minor in Multimedia Arts (MMA), the project should be an original work that reflects an understanding of and facility with one or more expressive and/or conceptual disciplines associated with multimedia (e.g. animation, filmmaking, photography, music, text, drawing, graphic design, software development, website construction). Collaborative projects are strongly encouraged.

A committee of two to three faculty members advises the senior project.  This committee should be formed no later than the end of the fall semester senior year. Students should select faculty who have some interest in and competence relative to the proposed topic.  In some instances, one committee member may be a faculty member from another university or an appropriate communications/media professional (such as someone teaching a relevant course in the Experimental College, a filmmaker, a professional journalist, or a Tufts media alum). One committee member is designated as the Project Director. The Project Director must be a Tufts Faculty member!  The CMS Director approves project committees.

The senior project may be undertaken for either a half or one full credit, except Multimedia Arts projects, which must be taken for a full credit.  The assigned credit is determined at the discretion of faculty members directing the Senior Project.  Credit for the project is given at the end of the spring semester (EXP194CS).  Seniors graduating in the fall semester will receive credit at the end of this semester (EXP194CF).

All senior project students also are required to take the CMS Senior Colloquium (EXP190CF). The colloquium meets in the fall semester of senior year. This colloquium is designed to assist seniors in framing their projects, finding appropriate faculty advisors, and setting reasonable parameters for their senior projects.  The colloquium earns a half credit, pass/fail, awarded in the fall semester of the senior year.

Information
• CMS Senior Project Guidelines
• CMS Senior Project Resource List
• Doing a Literature Review for the CMS Senior Project
• CMS Senior Project Checklist

For the 2009 Senior project list, click here.
For the 2008 Senior Project list, click here.
For the 2007 Senior Project list, click here.
For the 2006 Senior Project list, click here.
For the 2005 Senior Project list, click here.
For the 2004 Senior Project list, click here.

Right: The scene at Ballou Hall, site of the annual CMS Senior Celebration, where students showcase their senior projects.

Option Course

Instead of completing a senior project, MCMS and FS students have the option of taking an additional approved CMS course during the first or second semester of senior year and submitting a paper (minimum 15 pages) written in conjunction with the course.  Minors in Mass Communications and Media Studies must take a media-related course and write a paper on a media-related topic.  Minors in Film Studies must take a film studies course and write a paper on a film-related topic. Students pursuing this option to the senior project must get prior approval from the CMS Director. The paper must be approved, advised, and graded by the course instructor. The instructor determines whether the paper is one regularly assigned for the course, an extension of one written for the course, or an additional paper.

Information
• Option Course -- Guidelines for Seniors
• Option Checklist
• Option Course -- Guidelines for Course Instructor

Forms to Submit
• Senior Option Course Agreement Form
• Senior Option Course Completion Form