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Senior Thesis

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. Jeffrey P. Bayliss. 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 takes place in May.   The Trinity community is welcome.

Senior Thesis Application Procedure

All juniors who expect to write a full-year senior thesis during the senior year must submit a thesis proposal.   They must have a minimum History GPA of 3.0.   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:

  1. February:  Interest in writing 2020 thesis submitted to the Chair, with topic and name of 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.
  2. March 1:  Submit annotated bibliography to thesis advisor for approval.
  3. March 25:  Submit bibliography of probable primary sources.
  4. April 1:  Submit thesis proposal to History Office. Please fill in the form below.
    History Thesis Proposal Cover Sheet (Word file)
    History Thesis Proposal Cover Sheet (pdf)
  5. September 6:  This is the final deadline by which an approved thesis proposal can be canceled by the History Department Thesis Proposal Committee.   Students must submit requests and rationale to do so by this deadline to the department’s Chair and the department Administrative Assistant via email and after consultation with the thesis advisor.

Sample proposals are available from the Department administrative assistant, Lidija Petrus, [email protected]

 

History Department Thesis and Prize Deadlines

Below we list in chronological order deadlines particular to the History Department. For College-wide deadlines, consult the Bulletin. For further information, contact the Department Administrative Assistant, Lidija Petrus.

April 1: Thesis proposals due
April 8: Papers and Senior Theses due for History Prize consideration.
April 22: Final deadline for submitting senior thesis to History Department.