ES/AMS 400 Senior Thesis Seminars I

ES/AMS 400 Senior Thesis Seminars I - Alexander Wolters

December 12, 2013

Course Syllabus

Course: Senior Theses Seminar I

Course Organizer: Dr. Alexander Wolters

Department: European Studies

Credits: 3

Office Hourse: Thursday 13.00 – 14.00

Academic Year 2013/2014

Course description

This course is designed for European Studies and American Studies senior students writing senior thesis and seeks to create a discussion forum for students’ senior thesis projects. The overall goal of the course is to observe the progress of students on their senior theses. Doing so, it will seek to create a bridge to a successful preparation and defense of the senior thesis.

Please follow the link for more Information: https://www.auca.kg/en/eu_thesis/

A senior thesis is a large, independent research project that European Studies and American Studies students undertake in the senior year of their study. The senior thesis involves two semesters of independent research and writing efforts resulting in a substantial paper on a research topic of the student. Such a work requires from ES / AMS students a great deal of discipline, self-motivation, and creative thinking. For formalities students have to comply with, for deadlines and format, the participants are asked to check with the Qualifying Rules.

Course Organiser

The Course Organiser is Alexander Wolters

European Studies Department, American University of Central Asia

wolters_a@auca.kg / alexanderwolters13@googlemail.com

Teaching methods

Lectures, discussion-rounds, student progress report presentations and writing exercises

Organization of the course:

I am going to divide students into small groups based on similarity of interest. These groups will provide the opportunity to give and receive comments on individual work. Doing so they will act as peer groups.
Participation in the class is obligatory for students writing senior thesis. Missing of classes for more than three times will result in final grade “D”, missing more than six times will result in final grade “F”.
Students should submit during the semester six documents:

Thesis proposal (300 words)
Interview-protocol (Interview with expert / relevant respondent thesis topic) (length depending on Interview duration)
Extended senior thesis info sheet
Literature & Data review (3.000 words)
Progress report (problem oriented reflection on research project) (500 words)
Draft thesis (6.000 words).

For the deadlines please refer to the sheet attached below.

Some classes will be devoted to a discussion of ongoing research projects by students, research methods, related bibliography, and data.
Students will be required to make formal presentations in class: on their thesis proposal (5 min) and on their progress report (15 min).

Changes to the syllabus

Additional assessments will not be added to the syllabus; however I reserve the right to alter reading or/and topics to meet the needs of the students taking the course. Additional readings may be scheduled if they relate to specific problems researching or drafting the BA papers. A reader with all necessary texts will be provided for the course.

Plagiarism

For any written assessment the AUCA Essay Writing and Anti-plagiarism Rules apply. In addition, students should submit a statement certifying that the paper has been written independently, that no assistance and source other than those stated has been used and that quotations have been marked as such.

Students are expected to think for themselves and to express themselves in their own words. In that limited sense their work should be original. It must not be plagiarised. Plagiarism is the appropriation of another person’s thoughts or words without attribution. Plagiarism is an offence against Academy Rules and leads to the failure of the course (F grade).

Attendance

All students enrolled for the course are required to attend all seminars. A register of attendance at any meeting of the class will be taken.

Practicalities

Ours is a large class, which means that all of the usual elements of academic courtesy – that you turn up on time to class, that you listen when the Course Organiser or one of your peers is talking, that you hand in work on time – become all the more important to the functioning of the class. Students absent without good reason, constantly late in person or with their work, have ‘negative participation’ in class will be dropped from the class (F grade).

Requirements

Participation // work in a peer group 25%

Extended senior thesis info sheet 15%

Literature & Data review 25%

Progress report and Thesis Draft // interview protocol 35%

The mid-term and final term grades will be given jointly by the course instructor and the supervisor (50% - 50%)

Concerns about progress

It is the policy of the course that students worried about progress in individual subjects may discuss their work (including, in broad terms, how they went wrong in units of assessment) with the Course Organiser. Students worried about progress in writing may discuss their work with me and with their supervisor.

Special needs

Students with special needs are encouraged to bring this information to the attention (in

confidence) of the Course Organiser and Supervisor.

Course Schedule

Schedule of progress report presentations by students

#	Student	Progress Report presentation date

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