Senior Project in Neuroscience

General Description	Topics Supervised by Faculty Members
Sample Senior Thesis Title Page	List of Recent Senior Theses

General Description

The Senior Project consists of a one or two semester-long course focusing on an intensive piece of independent work, and it culminates in an empirical or theoretical thesis. The project will provide the opportunity for students to synthesize what they have learned in coursework in the concentration by requiring them to take an in-depth look at a particular question in neuroscience and to produce an original piece of scholarship. In order to have a sufficient background in a topic area to pursue a senior project during the senior year, students should elect appropriate advanced courses during their junior year.During the Spring Semester of the junior year, students submit to the Neuroscience Program Chair brief proposals stating (1) their first, second, and third choices for problems that they would like to explore for their senior project, (2) the faculty member that they would prefer to have as the supervisor of each of the programs, and (3) the term(s) in which they would like to complete the work. Every effort is made to accommodate the first choice, within the constraints of laboratory facilities and faculty resources. The student must discuss possible senior projects with the appropriate faculty members before submitting a proposal to the Department Chair. The deadline for the submission of the proposal is near the end of the Spring Semester.

The thesis is due the last day of classes of the semester in which the work was completed. All students submit one copy of the thesis to the faculty supervisor. Each student will make an oral presentation of the senior project work at a meeting held during the last week of classes of the semester when the project is completed. The thesis is to be prepared in the style of the American Psychological Association Publication Manual. An example of a title page for the thesis is presented below.In addition to the senior project requirements described above, students will have meetings with their faculty supervisors to discuss progress on their research, issues of relevance to all students working in a given specialty area, and other work assigned by the faculty supervisor.

The final grade for the senior project will be determined by the faculty supervisor on the basis of the written thesis, the oral presentation, and the progress in theoretical, laboratory, field, or internship work throughout the term.

Sample title page for the Senior Thesis:

Advisor: (Type Name of Advisor Here)