A purpose of the senior thesis is to provide a culminating academic and production experience tailored to each student’s unique interests and talents. Therefore, our documentation requirements encourage flexibility within broad bounds. Specific expectations should be agreed to by both the student and their supervisor and should be appended to the Practicum Agreement Form. The practicum coordinator will review all agreements to assure they meet these broad guidelines. The senior thesis supervisor will meet with the student applying to do a senior thesis project to go over the expectations for this project. Part of that process is agreeing to a contract towards evaluation of senior thesis documentation, based on expected percentages of the final grade for each of the four areas of required documentation (as noted in the areas below with % of grade at the end). All senior theses must include the following:
- Statement of Intent:
When Practicum Agreement forms are written, appended to it will be a brief (approximately one hundred words) answer to the question, “How do you expect this experience will call on your talents, and what are the greatest challenges you face?” [___% of grade]
- Practicum Registration:
It is anticipated that the level of work involved in a senior thesis project would involve at least a two-credit practicum workload between the production/presentation challenges, the research that is required of a thesis project, and the documentation required. Should a student not be able to register for at least a two-credit practicum due to an overload of credits in the semester of the thesis project, the thesis supervisor could allow for a lesser credit registration level with the understanding that the student would still be expected to do the workload required of at least a two-credit project.
- Journal/Record:
Some regular record must be made during the research, rehearsal, and performance phases of the project—and submitted to the thesis supervisor as part of the paperwork required of this thesis project. Many forms for this are possible, including but not limited to a daily written journal, a video archive, and a photographic record. A combination of forms is encouraged. This journal/record will provide evidence of the research expected from all students in a senior thesis project. Students should discuss research options with their faculty supervisor. [___% of grade]
- Presentation:
The project will have some form of public presentation. This must be documented through photographs, videotape, or some other visual medium. For most performance and production projects, the performance to an audience is the presentation. (i.e., a separate presentation of your self-evaluation and journal documentation to the faculty is not required—just turn it in to your thesis project supervisor.) [___% of grade]
- Self-Evaluation:
Using the intent statement, journal, and presentation documents, the student will submit a written self-assessment of no less than three (3) and no more than five (5) typewritten, double-spaced pages. Consideration should be given to the successes and failures encountered and to how the experience has advanced the student’s knowledge of theater. [ ___% of grade]
The deadline for the senior thesis required materials to be turned into the thesis supervisor is one week after the closing of the performance or presentation. Projects not involving a production (i.e., a scholarly paper or play script) are due one week prior to the last day of classes.
Journal, presentation documentation and self evaluation should all be submitted together.
