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. Darío Euraque, Chair of the Department. In the spring, students work independently to complete the researching and writing of an historical paper of up to 150 pages. A public presentation of the theses will take place in Seabury 215 on Thursday, May 1, 2014.
Senior Thesis Application Procedure
All juniors who would like to write a full-year senior thesis during the senior year must submit a thesis proposal. Applicants will be notified in writing of acceptance by the Department Chair by the end of the Spring semester.
To apply, students should follow the procedure and deadlines listed below for developing their thesis proposal and submitting it for evaluation:
February 12, 2014: Submit letter of interest in writing a thesis in 2014–2015. The letter must be sent to the Department Chair. It must specify the thesis topic and the name of your prospective thesis advisor. By the end of February we would expect you to have met with a possible thesis advisor to discuss the subject of your thesis, either in person or by email if you are abroad.
February 28, 2014: Submit annotated bibliography to your prospective thesis advisor for her\his approval.
March 28, 2014: Submit bibliography of probable primary sources.
April 2, 2014: Submit 2014-2015 thesis proposal to the History Office using the form below that appears further below.
Note: Sample proposals are available from the Department administrative assistant, Ms. Gigi St. Peter, gigi.stpeter _at_ trincoll.edu.
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History Department Thesis and Prize Deadlines, Spring 2014
Below we list in chronological order deadlines particular to the History Department. For College-wide deadlines, consult the 2013-2014 version of the College Catalogue. For further information, contact the Department Administrative Assistant, Gigi St. Peter.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014: 2014-2015 Thesis proposals due.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014: Papers and Senior Theses due for 2014 History Prize consideration.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014: Final deadline for submitting 2014 senior thesis to History Department.
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History Thesis Proposal Cover Sheet
(Please type or print)
Name: ____________________________ Date Submitted: _______________
I. Provisional Thesis Title:
- A working title for your thesis which you are free to change later.
II. Thesis Topic: (Be sure to note the scope of your investigation)
- What will be the focus of your thesis?
- What are your research questions?
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Please append the following information to your proposal:
III. Thesis Rationale:
- What major questions do you intend to explore?
- Why are these questions important?
- Why is this an original, interesting and/or timely topic to pursue?
IV. Historiography:
- What work has already been done on your topic?
- What are some of the important books or articles written by other scholars in this area?
- How will your work complement, advance and/or challenge existing scholarship on this topic?
V. Methodological Approach:
- How will you go about answering your research questions?
VI. Annotated Bibliography (preliminary):
- This should be a list of the primary and secondary sources you plan to consult with brief narrative descriptions of each.
- Annotations are brief summaries that also address the significance of each work to your own project.
- Formatting for the bibliography should consistent with guidelines established by the Chicago Manual of Style and the History Department Style Sheet
VII. Thesis Approval:
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Your Signature: –––––––––––––––––––––––––
Thesis Advisor’s Signature –––––––––––––––––––––––––
Thesis Advisors Name (please print): –––––––––––––––––––––––––
Name of your Second Reader: –––––––––––––––––––––––––
Name of your Major Advisor: –––––––––––––––––––––––––
DATE APPROVED: –––––––––––––––––––––––––