In order to have a sufficient background in a topic area to pursue a senior project during the senior year, students should elect appropriate advanced courses during their junior year. Every effort is made to accommodate the first choice, within the constraints of laboratory facilities and faculty resources. The student must discuss possible senior projects with the appropriate faculty members before submitting a proposal to the Department Chair. The deadline for the submission of the proposal is near the end of the Spring Semester. The thesis is due the last day of classes of the semester in which the work was completed.
All students submit one copy of the thesis to the faculty supervisor.
Each student will make an oral presentation of the senior project work at a meeting held during the last week of classes of the semester when the project is completed. The thesis is to be prepared in the style of the American Psychological Association Publication Manual. An example of a title page for the thesis is presented below. In addition to the senior project requirements described above, students will have meetings with their faculty supervisors to discuss progress on their research, issues of relevance to all students working in a given specialty area, and other work assigned by the faculty supervisor. The final grade for the senior project will be determined by the faculty supervisor on the basis of the written thesis, the oral presentation, and the progress in theoretical, laboratory, field, or internship work throughout the term.