Thesis

History majors have the option of writing a senior thesis during the two terms of their senior year. In unique circumstances, students may be given permission to write the thesis in one term. Writing a senior thesis involves original research, normally with extensive use of primary materials. It is strongly encouraged that the be thesis is written in one of the senior thesis seminars: HIST C4398/C4399 (non-U.S.) and HIST C4550/C4551 (U.S.).

In order to write a senior thesis, a student must take either W2900, The History Lab, or W4900, The Historian's Craft, preferably in his or her junior year.

Students submit applications for the year-long senior thesis seminar in the spring semester of their junior year. For the 2008-2009 academic year, the application is due April 4, 2008 to Elizabeth Pope, Undergraduate Administrator, in the History Department Office, 611Fayerweather Hall.

However, students may also write a thesis independently with faculty advisor. In this case, students register for the faculty member’s section of HIST C4997/8 Independent Senior Thesis in History I/II for one or two terms. Independent thesis writers should identify an appropriate advisor in the term before they begin the thesis and should submit an advisor-approved proposal to the Director of Undergraduate Studies before the beginning of the thesis term.

An independently written thesis is graded by the advisor and a second reader selected by the DUS. The typical length of a thesis is 10,000–15,000 words (circa 35–50 pages). A thesis is required—but not sufficient—for a student to receive departmental honors.

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Thesis Funding

Edwin Robbins Summer Research Fellowship Competition

The department offers two fellowships of $2,500 each to support summer research in preparation for writing a senior thesis. Interested students must identify a faculty member willing to supervise the research project and submit a proposal of no more than 2,000 words, with evidence of the faculty supervisor's support (a faculty signature on the proposal itself, or an e-mail by the application deadline from the faculty member to the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The Robbins fellowships are fully explained at the Prospective Thesis Writers Meeting held every Spring.

CC/GS Thesis Funding

Columbia College and the School of General Studies both offer seniors grants towards writing senior theses. Grant amounts normally range from $50 to $500 and cover expenses like photocopying and traveling.

Columbia College Thesis Grant Application DOC

General Studies Thesis Grant Application DOC PDF

NB: GS Applications are due Friday, November 9th for academic year-long projects, and Friday, February 29 for spring term-only theses.