Students writing senior theses in the History department enroll in History 498-01 during the fall semester. This course is a senior thesis research seminar taught by Prof. Kathleen Kete. In the spring, they work independently to complete the researching and writing of an historical paper of up to 150 pages. A public presentation of the theses takes place on Wednesday, May 5, 2010, beginning at 8:30 a.m. in Seabury 218
Please read below for more information on the senior thesis, including a listing of thesis topics for 2009, as well as thesis application procedure and deadlines.
Thesis Topics, 2008-2009:
Mussolini's Rome: The Centuries in Between
Legacy Lost: The Creole Mutiny in History and Memory
The Election of 1860 in Connecticut and the Republican Party
Soldiers and Scoundrels: The conduct of American Soldiers towards
Mexican Non combatants in the Mexican-American War
Similar Language, Different Interpretations: An Examination of the Language of Protest and Reform in mid-18th Century Ireland and America
Sir Lynden Pinkling's Legacy Reconsidered
Growing up with Stalinism
The Historiography of the Relationship between Otto von Bismarck and the Jews of Germany
Bonds of Empire: A Case Study between Britain and UAustralia in the Interwar Years
Senior Thesis Application Procedure
All juniors who expect to write a full-year senior thesis during the senior year must submit a thesis proposal cover sheet. Applicants will be notified in writing by the chair of acceptance by the end of the spring semester. Students should follow the following procedure in developing a thesis proposal:
-
As early as possible, but no later than March, 2010, consult with your desired thesis sponsor about your topic. If you do not know the appropriate faculty member, ask your advisor or the department chair.
-
Write a draft proposal of no more than two pages plus bibliography. The proposal should explain the topic, indicate the historical questions you intend to address, discuss the methodology and sources you intend to use, and review earlier historical thinking on the topic, to the extent possible at this preliminary stage.
-
Submit the draft to your thesis sponsor and revise according to her/his recommendations.
-
When you and your sponsor are satisfied with the proposal and bibliography, fill out the cover sheet, sign it, have your thesis sponsor sign it, and turn the completed packet (cover sheet, proposal, preliminary bibliography) in to the Department.
The proposal is not a contract or an unbreakable commitment but a first step toward defining your topic. We expect that your thinking about your subject will change, perhaps radically, as you pursue your research. Nevertheless, the proposal is a serious exercise, the only instrument the Department has on which to judge your preparation to undertake a full-year thesis; we urge you to give it serious thought and to consult often with your thesis sponsor in the process of drafting it. Sample proposals are available from the Department administrative assistant, Gigi St. Peter
, and online.
Thesis students must register for History 498, "Thesis Seminar," in the fall semester. Every student who is accepted to write a thesis is guaranteed a spot in the seminar, but students must enroll in the course, with permission of instructor, either during the preregistration period in the spring semester or in the add-drop period at the beginning of the fall semester.
History Department Thesis and Prize Deadlines, Spring 2010
Below we list in chronological order deadlines particular to the History Department. For College-wide deadlines, consult the 2009-2010 version of the Catalogue. For further information, contact the Department Administrative Assistant, Gigi St. Peter.
-
Wednesday, April 7, 2010 - 2010-2011 Thesis proposals due
-
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - Papers and Senior Theses due for 2010 History Prize consideration.