HIS600: Senior Research Seminar

This advanced seminar for seniors will offer students the opportunity to conduct work similar to that of professional historians. Students will choose a research topic, conduct primary research in available archives, and write a publishable-length (approximately 25 pages), original research paper, similar to the quality of papers published in scholarly journals. For the most part, students will work independently on their own research projects. In addition to consulting primary and secondary sources available online or through the school's library, students have the opportunity to conduct archival research. Students will complete smaller assignments such as a research proposal, an annotated bibliography, a detailed outline, and a full draft of their paper prior to the completion of the final assignment. While students will be allowed to choose their own research project with the approval of the instructor, they will also engage with the research of their classmates in class meetings; in workshops, students will read the drafts of others' work and provide comments and suggestions.