Senior Essay
A distinctive requirement of the Program of Liberal Studies is the Senior Essay, a formal paper of between 40 and 60 pages written in the senior year under the close direction of one of the members of the PLS faculty.
The Senior Essay provides the opportunity for students to integrate three years' worth of knowledge and skills with research on a specific topic. Planning for the essay takes place beginning in the spring of junior year. The PLS Chairperson meets with junior students in the fall of junior year..
Senior essays are eligible for the annual Otto A. Bird award given each spring in the Program for the finest senior essay. All senior essays are bound and remain in the Department office.
In rare instances, a student’s essay may be directed jointly by a member of another department and a PLS faculty member. Special arrangements are made for students in the Arts and Letters Honors Program, which also requires a senior thesis. Those in the Honors Program can satisfy both the PLS and Honors Program essay requirements with the same essay.
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Senior Essay Tutorial Course Description
Essay Tutorial
PLS 48701 and 48702
This course provides the framework in which seniors in the program prepare a substantial essay, culminating their three years in the program. Faculty members working with small groups of students help them define their topics and guide them, usually on a one-to-one basis, in the preparation of their essays.