Senior Thesis
If you make satisfactory progress on an independent study project that requires more than one semester to complete and you wish to write a thesis and present your research in a more public forum, you may apply to continue your work for one additional semester as a senior thesis.
Deciding to do a Thesis
The typical schedule for thesis work would involve enrolling in BIOL 0700 during fall semester of your senior year and BIOL 0701 during the spring semester. Other schedules are possible, however, and should be discussed with your faculty research advisor.
Enrolling in BIOL 0701 (or the equivalent MBBC or NSCI thesis course) and conducting your work in the context of a senior thesis changes the nature of the expectations placed on you. By submitting the intent to continue thesis form and enrolling in BIOL 0701, you are agreeing to accept those additional responsibilities. Because thesis work is a distinct class, note that a decision to pursue a thesis is subject to the same add/drop deadlines of any other course— you cannot therefore decide NOT to do a thesis after the drop deadline of the semester in which are enrolled in BIOL 0701 without petitioning the Administration Committee!
Deadlines
| TASKS TO COMPLETE | Fall ‘25 | Winter ‘26 | Spring ‘26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meet with committee | First week of fall | Winter or first week of spring | |
| Start to schedule presentations | early Oct | Early Mar | |
| Presentations scheduled | Oct. 6 | Mar. 2 | |
| Schedule defense | Oct. 13 | Mar. 16 | |
| Submit presentation title and photo | Oct. 20 | Mar. 23 | |
| Submit slideshow |
|
|
10 PM the night before your presentation |
| Submit written thesis to committee | 3 days before 1st presentations | 3 days before 1st presentations | |
| Public presentations of thesis | Last week of classes | Last week of classes | Last week of classes |
| Submit finalized PDF thesis | Last weekday of exams | Last weekday of exams | Last weekday of exams |
Submit presentation title and photo to:
- Missey Thompson mathomps@middlebury.edu (Academic Coordinator)
Thesis Presentation Slideshow
Please submit a .ppt or .pdf version of your thesis presentation. If you are using Google Slides you can export to either of these formats.
- Link to submit your thesis slideshow
- The talk will be given on a Windows computer. You can sign up for a practice session to test that your talk displays correctly on that computer.
Your Written Thesis
FINAL SUBMISSION DUE BY 5 PM (Eastern Time) on the last day of exams Fall/Spring terms
- Email the academic coordinator mathomps@middlebury.edu the finalized PDF.
- Binding and Mailing Instructions
Course Director
Fall 2025-Spring 2026
David Allen
McCardell Bicentennial Hall 372
dallen@middlebury.edu