SpanishHonors and Thesis Guidelines

An honors thesis for the Spanish major is an opportunity for a student to focus on a topic in depth. Students who propose a thesis are often inspired by their experiences studying abroad and/or by their work on a research assignment in one of their courses. Thesis students work closely with their advisor beginning in the spring of their junior year to develop a topic and research plan. The subject matter must revolve around the culture, literature, language, and/or arts in Spain, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Hispanic Philippines, and/or the United States. The thesis is normally written in Spanish but may be written in English, with Departmental approval, if the topic warrants it. A thesis is typically 80-150 pages in length and may include a creative component. Students writing a thesis take two or three courses. During the fall, they enroll in SPAN 495 (Senior Seminar) and work on the thesis as their capstone project. They have the option to enroll in SPAN 498 (Senior Departmental Honors) in the fall as well. In the spring, all thesis students enroll in SPAN 499 (Senior Departmental Honors).

All prospective thesis writers must develop, in consultation with their Spanish major advisor, a three-to-five-page thesis proposal with a bibliography of one primary source and at least five secondary sources. This proposal must be submitted to the Department for approval by the first Monday in April of the student’s junior year, along with the following questionnaire. Prospective thesis students are encouraged to propose the faculty member with whom they wish to work in their questionnaire, although the thesis advisor is ultimately determined by the Department. All student-faculty consultations and departmental approval can be accomplished via email or video conference if the student is studying abroad. The Department will review the proposal and questionnaire, and within two weeks the Chair will notify the student if the proposal has been approved and who the designated advisor will be. Advisors will be tenured and tenure-track members of the Department. Faculty and thesis writers will determine an individualized advising schedule, responding to the proposed project. Advisors are responsible for guiding the student’s interests and making content and stylistic suggestions throughout the process. Students are responsible for regular communication with their thesis advisor and keeping up with agreed-upon writing and research goals.

After the first semester, the thesis advisor will determine if the project is advancing properly. If so, the fall semester thesis work will be deemed satisfactory and the student will register for the spring thesis course (SPAN 499). If not, the student will receive grades for SPAN 495 and SPAN 498, but may not enroll in SPAN 499. Final thesis manuscripts must be submitted to the Department no later than the first week of April. The thesis defense will take place during the third week of April when the student will be asked to elaborate on the development, content, and style of the thesis. Exact dates will be available in January. The student’s advisor will serve as the defense moderator. Unless otherwise stipulated, the defense committee will be made up of tenured and tenure-track members of the Department.