A senior thesis is a report on a significant research project conducted by a student under the supervision of Environmental Science Program (ESP) faculty. Environmental Science majors are required to complete a senior thesis in order to graduate. This requirement is intended to provide students with the experience and skills needed to plan and carry out an investigative project in an area of interest to them. The process includes formulating valid research questions and hypotheses, designing a research plan, collecting and analyzing data, and summarizing the data in written and oral formats. Conducting a thesis also involves interaction among faculty and peers, which is an important ‘intangible’ aspect of science education. As part of this experience, each student also has an opportunity to orally present their work to faculty and other ESP students during the Spring quarter of their senior year. The experience gained through conducting a senior thesis project is invaluable for a senior-level student. Regardless of the career plan of the student, both the student and their prospective employer benefit from the student’s research experience.

When should I start?

A student may begin a thesis-related project at any point in their DePaul career, but specific activities related to conducting the senior thesis do not formally commence until the third year, when students enroll in “Research Methods” (ENV 360: 2 cr hr), a core course in the ESP curriculum. The entire thesis process requires careful planning, sound time-management skills, and good interpersonal communication skills with faculty and peers. A thesis is not a term paper, and it is easy to underestimate the time and effort required to complete the entire project.

The following table recommends a timeline for completing a senior thesis. The summer break between the third and fourth years is an ideal time to begin the research project. During this time, students may be able to devote their time and effort collecting necessary data. This means that, by the end of the third year, each student should have a well-crafted research design and logistical preparation to collect data and conduct a literature review ideally during the summer.

Do I need to enroll in “Senior Research” course?

Students need to register for ENV 362 at least once before graduation. This ensures that the thesis accomplishment appears on your official transcript. You may register for 0, 2 or 4 credits in ENV 362 a quarter, up to a total of 8 credits total for the thesis.

What types of thesis projects are there?

There are two types of senior theses: 1) Field and/or laboratory research, and 2) library-based research. Both forms of research require a research question, an in-depth review of published literature, and frequent communication with your thesis advisors. A brief description of each type of research and links to relevant issues are given below:

-Field/laboratory-based research: An analysis and interpretation of original data collected by the student in the field and/or laboratory. Projects may be experimental and/or observational (e.g., ecological survey of a given area).

-Library-based research: An analysis of primary or secondary literature/data. It should not be confused with a “term paper.” Like Field/laboratory-based research, library-based research requires the analysis and interpretation of data/information.

Note that references cited in senior theses for both types of research should contain a large number of primary sources. However, textbooks, magazines, conference proceedings, and internet documents and other secondary sources are acceptable pending approval by the thesis advisors.

Where should I start?

1. Choosing a research topic: Choosing a research topic is the first step, and it can be the most difficult one! The thesis topic, which may come from the student’s Area of Emphasis, should be generated by the student in collaboration with a faculty member. Ideally, students should have some idea of their thesis topic before they enroll in ENV 360 (Research Methods). Upon completion of ENV 360, students will have completed the introduction to their thesis, literature review, and formulated the research design. Note that a student’s first choice of a topic is not necessarily their final one. If initial inquiries or experiments do not work out or don’t seem to be promising, a different topic can be selected.
2. Determining your thesis advisors: Selecting a thesis topic naturally involves discussion and collaboration between the student and one or more faculty members at DePaul, although not necessarily just Environmental Science faculty. The student will choose to work with a particular faculty member, who will act as Principal Thesis Advisor. The Principal Thesis Advisor should be someone who is familiar with the topic and will be working with the student in reviewing the work in progress and approving corrections to drafts. Once a student identifies his/her Principal Thesis Advisor, he/she must find a faculty member who will serve as Co-advisor, someone who will objectively evaluate the quality of the thesis during the fourth year, including reviewing multiple drafts.
3. Reporting your topic and thesis advisors: Once the thesis project is established and the student has identified two thesis advisors, the student needs to obtain the approval of the program director for the project. Once that is done, the student is now truly in the business of “doing a senior thesis.”

What and when to submit?

There are a number of deadlines concerning the senior thesis (see the above timeline table), and they have three main functions: 1) to guide students towards a “smooth graduation,” 2) to allow sufficient time for thesis advisors to review the data/drafts, and 3) to allow the student to have sufficient time to reanalyze any data and revise drafts based on your thesis advisors’ comments and suggestions. Students should expect to have constructive criticism from their thesis advisors and to perform any and all revisions as requested by the advisors. Revising drafts is a time consuming, painstaking process, but it can be one of the most rewarding and beneficial parts of the thesis project. In addition, students are expected to deliver an oral presentation on their research results during the Annual Student Research Symposium in Spring quarter, or in another forum.

As outlined in the time table given above, there are four specific deadlines concerning your senior thesis:

1. Notifying the Program Director the choice of your thesis topic (along with a tentative title) and your Principal Thesis Advisor and Co-advisor.
2. Submitting project results (= data) and literature review to your Principal Thesis Advisor;
3. Submitting a draft of thesis to your thesis advisors; and
4. Submitting two final hard copies (signed by your two thesis advisors) and an electronic file to the program director.

A senior thesis is said to be completed when the program director signs the two final copies.

Is there a specific format?

One of the goals of writing a thesis is to develop the skills necessary to produce a professionally written document. The style of writing should be consistent with, or similar to, that in typical scientific literature. However, there are some formatting issues specific to theses. The ESP is currently developing one, and hopefully a set of guidelines will be in place soon.