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Senior Capstone

Senior Capstone

All seniors at 今晚六合彩开奖结果 are required to complete a 鈥淪enior Capstone Experience鈥 in their major(s). International Studies majors may choose from 2 options for their 鈥淪CE鈥: (1) a 30-page minimum, research-based thesis, or (2) a self-designed project. In addition, seniors must present major findings from their completed SCE projects at an annual Symposium held in April each year.

Students planning to graduate in December must choose the thesis option, and will present their final work either in the International Studies Seminar or a special poster session. Such students ordinarily take the required International Studies Seminar in the fall of their senior year, but may take it in the fall of their junior year if they have completed their semester-long study abroad experience and are ready to begin working on their SCE project.

Students pursuing double-majors are often able to complete a single combined SCE project for both majors, in consultation with the Director of International Studies. Double-majors with Modern Languages may opt to write a combined thesis in a foreign language upon approval from a willing advisor in Modern Languages.

For all of the SCE options, students must select a topic by the first week of their senior year. Majors are assisted in their project development though frequent one-on-one meetings with their SCE advisor, and through the required International Studies Seminar.

Recent senior theses titles include: 鈥淐yber Warfare and State Power: Implications for the United States,鈥 鈥淭he Beijing Consensus: Some Development Required,鈥 鈥淢ilitarization of U.S. Drug Policy and Human Rights: Plan Colombia and the Merida Initiative,鈥 鈥淓conomic Sanctions and Rogue Nations: the Case of South Africa,鈥 鈥淒ark Side of the Gene Revolution: Monsanto, GMOs and the Developing World,鈥 鈥淢exico鈥檚 Democratic Development: Social Turbulence and Its Following Electoral Reforms,鈥 and 鈥淗ealth Care Reform 鈥 A Comparative Study of Germany and the United States.鈥

Recent self-designed projects have included the study of the whiskey tourism industry in Scotland by re-creating a 鈥渟howroom鈥 for visitors to experience, a photo exhibit highlighting the issue of child poverty in the developing world, and a musical performance showing the influence of different waves of colonialism on a local music culture.

Through the successful completion the SCE, students gain a sense of mastery of an important issue in international studies and improved confidence in their ability to manage the tasks they will face in further education and/or professional employment.