About CMC's Senior Thesis
Senior Thesis is a general education requirement, rather than a course for a student's major.
It is intended to be a serious exercise in the organization and presentation of written material,
in effect an honors course for all students in their final semester or year. Students select their own
topics, in consultation with their faculty reader. Students must chose a CMC faculty reader,
but may choose additional readers from The Claremont Colleges.
The thesis is normally a research paper, but with the faculty reader's approval, a creative project
may be undertaken. Students must provide evidence of creative ability to their reader prior
to thesis registration. In a research paper, the student is responsible, with the advice of the reader,
for the investigation of sources, the accumulation of data, the selection of pertinent material, and
the preparation of the thesis in acceptable form. There is a wide range in choice of topics and
in variety of treatment (historical, statistical, philosophical, literary, etc.), which is coupled with
rigorous standards of research, argument, and presentation of data.
Students are expected to meet with their reader on a regular basis throughout the semester,
and are expected to submit drafted material to their reader in a timely matter. Progress or lack
of progress on the thesis will be indicated when low grade notices are due each semester.
Senior thesis may be a one or two semester project. Students submit their topic for the thesis
with designated reader approval at pre-registration or registration. Students doing a two
semester thesis must (pre-)register each semester for thesis, and must complete the two semester option in consecutive semesters. Students with an off-campus major must contact the Thesis
Director prior to registration for thesis to review their requirement and readers.
The final day to change topic or reader, or to change from a one semester thesis to a two
semester thesis, or vice versa, is the last day of registration of the semester in which students
start their thesis.
Students doing a one semester thesis receive a letter grade and appropriate credit at the end
of the semester. Students doing a two semester thesis receive a letter grade and appropriate
credit at the end of each semester of their two semester thesis, unless they request, with approval
of the faculty reader(s) to receive a grade of P (in progress) at the end of the first semester. In this
case students will receive the grade assigned at the end of the second semester for both semesters
of their thesis. The last day to request this option is the last day of registration of the first
semester of a two semester thesis. Forms are available in the Registrar's office.
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