An ES thesis is a two or three term project, undertaken during the senior year (fall-winter-spring or fall-winter or fall-spring or winter-spring; for February graduates: spring-fall-winter or spring-fall or fall-winter). A student can undertake one of two types of theses in ES:
(1) Depth thesis: In this type of thesis, the student examines a subject in his or her focus in depth. The coursework the student has taken for the focus will prepare him or her for the advanced work required in the thesis. For example, a student with an environmental history focus would undertake a thesis on a topic in environmental history.
(2) Integrative thesis: Since environmental studies is an interdisciplinary major, some students may wish to undertake a thesis that examines a topic or problem from a variety of perspectives, seeking an integrative approach to the project. When undertaking such a thesis, the student will be expected to use his or her focus specialty as one of the major perspectives in the thesis. The student must also demonstrate a background in the perspectives outside the focus (usually done through coursework in the area, such as cognates or a minor). For instance, a student with a conservation biology focus might undertake a thesis on sustainable forest management in Vermont, with courses in economics augmenting the conservation biology coursework.
Procedures
(a) Advisor: During the semester prior to registering for a thesis project (for example, spring of junior year for a thesis to begin in fall of senior year), the student should discuss his or her proposed thesis topic with a potential advisor. This potential advisor can help to refine the student's topic, and to direct the student to the most appropriate advisor. The thesis advisor must be an ES faculty member. This advisor will serve as the student's first reader and guide the student through the thesis process. Students are expected to work closely with their advisors over the course of the project, both to obtain guidance and to keep their advisors abreast of progress on the thesis. It should be stressed that it is the student's responsibility to select a thesis topic and to find a thesis advisor from the ES faculty.
(b) First semester: The first semester of work is conducted as ENVS 0500, and is governed by all of the guidelines associated with "one-semester projects." If both the student and the advisor think that sufficient progress has been made on the project during the first semester, the student can then continue the work in a second semester as ENVS 0700. The student must turn in to the Director an "Intent to Complete a Thesis" form, which requires signatures from the advisor and the second reader. Upon completion of the "Intent to Complete" form, a student is automatically approved to receive a grade of "Continuing" for ENVS 0500, with a grade retroactively applied upon completion of the thesis.
(c) Second reader: A second reader must be chosen as well, in consultation with the student's advisor and the ES Program Director. In a depth thesis, the second reader can be a non-ES faculty member from the depth field. In an integrative thesis, the second reader should represent a perspective used in the thesis that is not the specialty of the thesis advisor, and must also be an ES faculty member. The thesis student should meet with the second reader early in the course of the first thesis term to discuss the prospectus and outline. The second reader is expected to read only the final thesis, not draft chapters.
(d) Draft chapters: The student and his or her advisor should work out a mutually acceptable schedule and process for the advisor to read draft thesis chapters.
(e) Final written thesis: The final draft of the thesis must be completed, with copies submitted to the thesis advisor and second reader, by the Friday of the 11th week of classes in the term in which the thesis is due (or the Friday of the 3rd week of classes in winter term). Click here for thesis format guidelines.
(f) Oral thesis defense: The thesis advisor, second reader, and student will schedule the oral thesis defense during the first week of the final exam period (or during the final week of winter term). Thesis defenses must not be scheduled any later than during the first week after classes end.
(g) Presentation: All students doing an ES thesis, or ES joint/double majors seeking ES honors by doing an environmentally-oriented thesis through another department or program, are required to make a presentation of their work in either the public presentation of ES theses or in a similar presentation in the participating department. The ES presentation will be scheduled by the ES Program Director or designate.