Membership in the Honors Program at Wagner College culminates in a Senior Honors Project.

GUIDELINES

1. A project may take the form of a classic research-basis thesis, an empirical study, a production or performance in one of the fine arts (mounting of a play, curation of an exhibition, recital), a work of art (play, novella, musical composition, paintings, photographs), or a computer program. The critical idea here is that the project is the culmination of the student’s entire career of study in a discipline at Wagner. The project is the equivalent of a bachelor’s thesis. The Senior Honors Project may be submitted as the student’s Senior Program thesis and for departmental honors.
2. A written project will usually take the form of an extensive report of the student’s research, including a bibliography, tables and charts (when indicated). The format of the thesis should follow the standard guidelines of the discipline (APA, Chicago, MLA, etc.). The average thesis amounts to at least 40 pages. Some texts are much longer (60 pages or more).
3. A work of art should be of substantial length; for example, a series of photographs, drawings or paintings, a full program of music, a novella length work of fiction, a series of photographs, a series of poems, at least a one-act play. An audio tape or video tape of a recital is required. Ordinarily, the student writes program notes.
4. A production or curation ought to reflect a substantial amount of time in planning and execution of the production. Ordinarily, some record of the performance should be made and submitted (production notes, a video tape of the production, a catalogue of works). In one case this year, a student wrote and produced a play on campus. One of the performances was videotaped.
5. Students must have submitted an approved final version of their project to the Director of the Honors Program by April 15 of the Spring Semester of their senior year. Exceptions include recitals or performances that are scheduled late in the second semester. Projects are bound for inclusion in the permanent collection of Horrmann Library.
6. A public presentation of the project is the final requirement of the Program. It takes place during a public poster session during the third week in April. The public poster session is open to Wagner College community, family and friends of the students.

Instructions for completing the senior honors project:

1. Complete the Senior Honors Project Proposal and have it signed by your project mentor/advisor. This will indicate the professor’s willingness to supervise your project. Submit the proposal along with a prospectus (brief description) of your project to the Program director by April 30 of your junior year.
2. Write a prospectus or outline of your senior honors project (about 1 page, double-spaced). Include in your prospectus (a) an explanation of how you became interested in the topic of your project and (b) the form your project will take (thesis, production, recital, exhibition, computer program). Remember that you can submit your senior RFT thesis as your Senior Honors Project.
3. The final approved version of your project will be due to the program director by April 15 in your senior year together with the Approval Form signed by your mentor/advisor.
4. Note that although you will work with a faculty mentor to complete your project, an Independent Study with your project mentor is not required. Also, be sure that you have completed your five honors courses by the spring of your senior year.

If you have any doubts or questions about the Senior Honors Project, please, do not hesitate to contact the program director (horst.onken@wagner.edu).