GUIDELINES FOR THE SENIOR PROJECT

DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

STETSONUNIVERSITY

The Senior Project, PY 498, (4hrs), is the capstone course in the philosophy curriculum and is designed for students seeking the B.A. Degree with a major in philosophy. This project takes the form of a senior thesis. This project, including the faculty-supervised processes of planning, research, writing, and oral defense, of the thesis provides philosophy majors with an opportunity to integrate and focus their philosophical interests and skills on a subject of their own choosing and to demonstrate their disciplined ability to conduct academic research of a selected topic in the field of Philosophy. Guided by a supervisor from the philosophy faculty, students are expected to exemplify skills of independent research, critical and creative thinking, formal writing, and oral presentation of the project.

The Philosophy major should adhere to the following guidelines for successful completion of the project:

1. Majors must meet with the Chair of the Department to submit a proposed research topic for approval. A student will not be permitted to register for PY 498 until he or she has received approval for the research topic by the Chair. The following form should be used as a cover sheet for the proposal: Topic Approval Form.

2. Once the topic is accepted, the student will be assigned a faculty supervisor who will oversee the student’s work. The faculty supervisor will be responsible for assessing and grading the student’s research. The grade will be based on the ability of the student to meet deadlines, the quality of the research and writing, an assessment of the final written product, and the oral presentation of the project ( to the Philosophy faculty).

3. Senior research projects may not be completely during a summer term.

4. The project shall consist of a critical study of a topic in the field of philosophy. The completed thesis should demonstrate that the student has a good working knowledge of the major tools, methods, and resources for research in Philosophy and that the student has acquired the ability to think and write clearly and critically.

5. Upon acceptance of the research paper, the faculty supervisor will schedule and oral defense. The oral defense gives the student an opportunity to discuss the project with the faculty of the Department of Philosophy, fellow philosophy majors, and other interested students and faculty. The student should be prepared to discuss how the research was conducted, the method of presentation, and the results of the research. The student is responsible for producing enough copies of the research project for each of the faculty members in the department. The faculty supervisor will notify the faculty of the scheduled oral defense and will distribute copies of the project to each faculty member.

SENIOR PROJECT REQUIREMENTS FOR

PHILOSOPHY MAJORS

The major in philosophy requires the successful completion of PY 498 Senior Thesis (4hrs.) and is normally taken during the student’s last semester.

Requirements for Registering for PY 498

1. In informal discussions with the philosophy faculty, the major must formulate a thesis topic which is submitted to the Department for approval.
2. When the topic is approved, the major will suggest a member of the philosophy faculty to be the thesis supervisor. The Department must approve this appointment and reserves the right to appoint another member of the Department to serve in this capacity.
3. After the thesis supervisor is appointed, the student will work informally with the supervisor to develop a written thesis proposal. This proposal will include 1. Topic; 2 Thesis statement of 1-5 pages; a bibliography; and an outline of the thesis. If this thesis proposal is approved by the supervisor, then the student is cleared to register for PY 498.

Requirements for PY 498

1. Students must make arrangements to meet regularly with the thesis supervisor to discuss the writing of the thesis.
2. A complete rough draft must be submitted to the supervisor by mid-term.  An F will be recorded on the Mid-Term Report if this deadline is not met.  Late submissions of rough drafts may be penalized.  No rough drafts will be accepted beyond two weeks after mid-term.  A final copy of the thesis must be submitted not less than one week prior to the scheduled senior defense of the thesis.
3. The thesis is expected to be well documented using a standard and consistent style of documentation.
4. The thesis must include a bibliography.
5. Normally the thesis will be 25 to 35 pages.
6. An oral defense of the thesis before the philosophy faculty and fellow philosophy majors is required.
7. The student must present 4 copies of the final version of the thesis to the Department one week prior to the oral defense. The date of the oral defense is determined by the Department.
8. The grade for the thesis will be determined by the Department.
9. A student may elect to take an independent study in the area of the Senior Project in the semester immediately prior to the semester in which the student takes PY 498. Here the student has the option of preparing a thesis proposal (see guidelines above,)

SENIOR PROJECT REQUIREMENTS FOR

DOUBLE MAJORS

Students who are pursuing a major in philosophy and a major in another department must take one of the following two options regarding their Senior Project.

1. A student may do two separate Senior Projects, one of which must be a senior thesis on a subject in philosophy that is approved by The Department of Philosophy. The student who takes this option must fulfill the same requirements as the student with a single major in philosophy. (See: Senior Project Requirements for the Philosophy Major)

1. A student may do one thesis on a topic that spans the two disciplines of the two majors. There are two further options within this option:

1.  
   1. The student may elect to take the senior project from the Department of Philosophy. Students taking this option will register for PY498 and must meet the same requirements as the student with the single major in philosophy. (See: Senior Project Requirements for the Philosophy Major). The department representing the second discipline of the double major determines its own requirements and the double major is responsible for knowing what these are and for fulfilling them.
   2. The student may elect to take the senior thesis from another Department within the double major. The student who elects this option will not register for PY 498, but for the Senior Project course in the discipline of the second major. The student who takes this option must take an additional upper division course in philosophy and a 1-hour independent study course in the topic of the senior thesis to bring his or her total hours in the philosophy major to 31. The Department of Philosophy will appoint a supervisor for the thesis and regular meetings with this faculty member are required. In order to be accepted as meeting the senior thesis requirement for the philosophy major, the thesis must include a substantial philosophical component. A separate oral defense of the thesis before the philosophy faculty and fellow philosophy majors is required. Upon successful completion of this oral defense, the senior project requirement for the major in philosophy will have been met. The philosophy department reserves the right to reject the thesis. Should this happen, the major in philosophy would not be granted. However, as long as the requirements for the second major are met, the student may graduate with a single major in the second discipline. No record of this rejection will appear on the student’s permanent transcript.