Students in Arts & Letters often say that working one-on-one with a faculty advisor on a creative endeavor or their original research was the academic culmination of a rewarding undergraduate career.
While exploring a fundamental question, crafting a work of art, or contributing to a scholarly conversation, seniors build skills that will be applicable throughout life — including in graduate or professional school, the business and academic world, and service programs.
The yearlong project can take a variety of forms — a scholarly paper, narrative nonfiction essay, recital, journalistic article, documentary film, or museum exhibition. You design it to reflect your personal interests and goals.
Browse these fascinating summaries to learn about the myriad projects that recent graduates have pursued in Arts and Letters.
"Thesis writing was the most rewarding and empowering experience in my four years at Notre Dame. I learned how to engage properly with the research process: Critically evaluating my own position's weaknesses, assessing the strengths of the theories with which I disagree, and continually refining my work."
This would be the first time I would undertake such an extensive research project [researched the Louisiana State Penitentiary to provide a deeper understanding of America’s penal system] and I saw it as an opportunity to grow in my historical writing and analytical skills.”
Plan your thesis
Below is a general timeline for thesis development. For departmental specifics, contact your advisor.
Step 1
Begin exploring potential topics during your sophomore or junior year.
Step 2
Take a research methods class or equivalent preparatory class in your discipline during sophomore or junior year — either in your major or where you study abroad. This is separate from the yearlong course during senior year.
Step 3
Choose an advisor by the end of spring semester junior year and submit a letter of intent to write a thesis to your department.
Step 4
Submit a proposal during the second semester of your junior year to fund research trips, document retrieval, purchase of equipment/materials for the summer between junior and senior year.
Enroll in a yearlong course beginning in the fall semester of senior year — the format varies depending upon the form of presentation and the finished product. Each semester typically encompasses different phases of the process.
In fall, students often:
collect data or identify a secondary data set
attend library colloquia
revise and share proposals in small groups
conduct a thorough review of the literature
write an annotated bibliography
submit a progress report (i.e., your understanding of the project, a plan for research and writing in the next semester, and a tentative outline)
submit an opening chapter
In spring, students often:
submit by January a first draft or present a creative work in progress for faculty review
fill out the survey for the senior thesis/creative project book and sit for a free professional headshot
continue with analyses
share drafts in progress
focus on content and style
Step 6
Complete the senior thesis project by April 12, 2024, and celebrate at the spring reception.