What is a Senior Thesis?

Almost all students who have written theses are glad that they did. Why so? There are as many reasons as there are students but some patterns have emerged over the years. Almost all thesis writers gain a sense of intellectual mastery, both of a particular subject area and of a set of methodological tools. More important, almost all students gain increased comfort with the research process, which often involves moving ahead in the dark, trusting that the pieces will eventually fall into place and make sense. Most important, students quite typically learn as much about themselves and their capabilities as they do about economics, about their strengths as well as their weaknesses, about how to make maximal use of the former while compensating adequately for the latter. Thesis students learn how to work independently, how to organize a sizeable project, and how to bring it to successful completion.

The starting point for a successful Senior Thesis is choosing an interesting and answerable research question. Your adviser's help in formulating a good question is essential, so you should try to identify potential advisers early on and obtain their permission, as early as Program Planning Period at the end of your Junior year. (See You and Your Advisor.)

The relative importance of different aspects of the Senior Thesis varies with the question examined. In general, however, the process involves the following steps:

Acquaint yourself with the relevant theoretical and applied literature (see Research Resources);

Criticize and synthesize a representative sample of that literature;

Collect and analyze relevant data that help to answer your question;

Develop theoretical or econometric models that help to answer your question;

Prepare and deliver an oral presentation of your work;

Present the results of your research in a clear, well-organized paper that includes a bibliography and accurate citation of sources (see Senior Thesis Style).