Physics
Timetable
The following timetable provides only a general guide and will vary from project to project.
Spring of Junior Year
Summer before Senior Year
Fall of Senior Year
- Finalize thesis topic**
- Conduct literature search* and place printout of search strategy in your notebook
- Collect or build equipment, write code, or perform initial calculations
- Have thesis outline approved
- Take preliminary data
- Present oral progress report to faculty and majors*
- Write a rough draft for part of the thesis (at least two chapters)*
Spring of Senior Year
- Collect final data or finish calculations
- Complete thesis*
- First complete draft of thesis due by the beginning of spring ^
- Final draft of thesis due the Monday after spring break^^
- Defend thesis orally at a mutually convenient date*
- Present results and conclusions to faculty and majors in a poster session+
- Celebrate!
* Complete in the semester indicated or risk an NC for that semester.
** Failure to have a thesis topic finalized by the 4th week of the 1st semester will automatically result in an NC for that semester.
^Your adviser is not expected to read or comment on a draft submitted after this date.
^^Failure to meet the deadline set by the Registrar could result in an N.C. Refer to the Handbook for Independent Study, Section 3 of the Faculty Handbook, for College policy.
+A poster session will be held the last week of class. You will prepare a poster describing your research according to our poster guidelines. The poster will remain in the department.