Guidelines & Procedures for Senior Essays & Theses
2011-2012 Essay and Thesis Deadlines
- Fall 2011 Essays (700/701) due Friday, December 9, 2011
- Spring 2012 Essays (700/701) due Monday, May 7, 2012
- Fall/Winter Theses (710/711) due Friday, February 3, 2012
- Fall/Spring Theses (710/711) due Monday, April 23, 2012
- Winter/Spring Theses (710/711) due Monday, April 23, 2012
- Spring/Fall Theses (710/711) due Friday, November 30, 2012
All majors in English and American Literatures will write a senior essay (one semester) or thesis (two semesters) as a requirement for graduation.
Senior Essay
An ENAM senior essay is a one-semester writing project undertaken in the fall or spring semester of the senior year. Critical research essays (ENAM 700) are normally around 40 pages long. Creative writing essay projects (poetry, fiction, or non-fiction) (ENAM 701) have a scope and length determined in consultation with the project adviser.
A senior essay earns one course credit. Students writing critical essays will also be registered for ENAM 700Z, the workshop/seminar connected with the writing of critical projects.
Senior Thesis
An ENAM senior thesis is a two-semester writing project undertaken in fall/spring, fall/winter, winter/spring or spring/fall. Critical research-based theses (ENAM 710) are normally around 80 pages long. Creative writing thesis projects (poetry, fiction, or nonfiction) (ENAM 711) have a scope and length developed in consultation with the adviser, generally 25-30 poems, or 75-100 pages of prose. A two-semester thesis project receives two course credits.
Students writing critical theses will also need to register for ENAM 710Z, the workshop/seminar connected with the writing of critical projects. A student must make significant progress in the first semester of a thesis project in order to receive permission to register for the second semester.
Senior theses have two readers in addition to the project adviser, and are subject to a one-hour oral defense. At least one thesis reader must be from outside the ENAM department, and may be from outside the College. Therefore, theses are due two weeks before the end of the fall or spring semester, or the last day of winter term.
ENAM Departmental graduation honors will be determined on the basis of the grade point average of courses counting toward the major and the grade for the essay or thesis. A thesis grade counts as two-thirds of the honors average; an essay grade counts as one half. Honors will be awarded for course work and essay/thesis grades of 3.33-3.5; High Honors, 3.51-3.75; and Highest Honors, 3.76-4.0. The minimum GPA required to qualify for honors is 3.33; the minimum essay/thesis grade is B+.
2011 -- 2012 Senior Work Guidelines
2012 -- 2013 Senior Work Guidelines
Revised 16 December 2011