Senior Work

It is very important to begin discussing a plan for this work in the first semester of your junior year so that you can arrange to complete your senior work prior to graduation in the form that makes the most sense for your interests and skills. 

Overview

The first semester of senior work is ECSC 0400 Senior Research Seminar, which is typically offered in the fall. This course helps students improve their critical thinking, reading, and writing skills and also addresses career preparedness. 

The second credit of senior work can come from either ECSC 0700 or ECSC0705, which are described below. ECSC 0705 is typically offered in the spring. ECSC 0700 can be taken in any semester but requires prior arrangements.

Course Descriptions

ECSC 0705: Collaborative Capstone Research Seminar

Students work together on small group research projects advised by an ECSC professor, often with external collaborators. Past class projects have led to published research articles and presentations at regional and national meetings. Project topics vary by year and students can check with the department Chair to find out about upcoming topics. ECSC705 is typically offered in the spring. However, it will next be taught by Jeff Munroe in Fall of 2025 in conjunction with researchers from the Vermont Geological Survey. The planned topic is a multi-faceted investigation of landslide hazards in Vermont.  

Note: ECSC0705 may not be offered again until spring of 2027. Consider taking it in fall 2025!

ECSC 0700: Senior Research

This is a one-semester independent project similar to an independent study, but more advanced in scope. Students may complete ECSC 700 in fall or spring, but students are encouraged to have made contact with their 700 advisor by no later than the second week of the semester before they plan to undertake ECSC700. Students will complete a predefined body of research in collaboration with a single professor. ECSC0700 can be arranged by reaching out to professors by email and asking what projects they have available. It is expected that students may contact multiple professors before finalizing a project idea. Although project ideas may be suggested by professors, it is expected that the work will be student-driven and completed independently. As a full credit course it is expected that students will spend at minimum 8 hours working on the project per week. Project guidelines and deliverables should be worked out between the professor and student, but the following end-member formats may be used as a template:

• Critical literature review
  Typical deliverables: Well-cited and comprehensive synthesis paper with original summary tables and figures; oral presentation.

• Original data generation, analysis, writing and visualization
  Typical deliverables: Original dataset, figures, conclusions, and oral or poster presentation.

• Data synthesis, comparison, interpretation
  Typical deliverables: Secondary variables or metrics based on existing dataset(s), original figures, oral or poster presentation.

ECSC 0701: Independent Thesis Research (two-semester)

This course represents the second semester of a two-semester senior thesis project (ECSC 700 followed by ECSC0701). Students should only register for this course if they have already completed ECSC0700 and have arranged a two-semester thesis with a professor. The two-semester senior thesis can be arranged by reaching out to professors by email and asking what projects they might have available. It is expected that students may contact multiple professors before finalizing a project idea. Professors should be contacted in the semester prior to the intended starting semester. 

Note: A two-page written thesis proposal must be submitted to the advisor and chair by email prior to embarking on a two-semester thesis. 

The two-semester thesis is only appropriate for students who are highly motivated to engage with in-depth research and are prepared to undertake a largely independent project. Theses culminate in a publication-quality research paper that will be made public through the library and kept as a hard copy within the department. Although each project is unique, they share elements of project design, initial field work/model spin-up, data collection/experimentation, synthesis and discussion of results, figure-making, and oral presentation. This option is a great way to build skills essential to the scientific process and develop a deeper relationship with a faculty member. Senior theses are often presented at national meetings and/or published as academic journal articles.

Registering

To register for ECSC 0700 and ECSC 0701, you must make arrangements with a specific professor and they will provide you with a registration override. Once the override is in place the course will appear in banner with a specific letter (e.g. ECSC0700H), where the letter is specifically associated with the professor.