Senior Thesis & Independent Studies

*TYPICALLY TAKEN IN THE WINTER OF YEAR THREE – WINTER TERM 2025: Mondays 3-5, SS2098

HIS475H1-S helps students develop professional research skills , learn about graduate programs, learn how to apply for graduate and research funding, and get a head start on senior thesis research. Although this course has the small class size and workload expectations of a 4th year seminar, it is intended to be taken in the Winter term of a Major or Specialist’s third year.

HIS475H1-S is open to History Specialists & Majors only (with priority enrollment for Specialists) with 9.0 FCE courses completed as of August 31, 2024.  

You will need a minimum (80%/3.7 GPA) A- average in 2.0 HIS credit courses at the 200 level or higher and approval of the Associate Chair (Undergraduate).

Usually taught by the Undergraduate Associate Chair, students will visit libraries and archives, and learn historical methodology skills required to undertake a major independent research project for future professional use or graduate studies, including the development of a topic, formal literature reviews, and the writing of research and grant proposals. When you have finished this course, you will have a prospectus ready to begin your senior thesis in HIS476H1-F in Fall 2025, work you can then get started on over the summer of 2025.  You can instead count this course towards the Specialist methodology requirements pathway or apply to complete an Independent Study project.

In this course, we’ll also be introducing you to, and encouraging you to apply for, summer funding to support your research, such as the University of Toronto Award of Excellence, the Jackman Humanities Undergraduate Fellowship and various College undergraduate research awards as well as travel funding to support research trips to archives if applicable.

You do not need to have a potential thesis supervisor to enroll in HIS475H1-S. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

TO APPLY:

Send an email requesting enrollment to the Undergraduate Associate Chair (Professor Bohaker), and cc’ing the Undergraduate Advisor, Vicki Norton.

SUBJECT: 2025 HIS475H1-S Senior Research Seminar Application.

BODY OF EMAIL: 

• Include a short statement introducing yourself (name and student number). 
• Give your Programs of Study (e.g. History Major, French Minor). 
• Explain your interest in the Senior Research Seminar and the areas of history (time periods/places) you are likely most interested in pursuing a possible Senior Thesis or Independent Study.

ATTACHMENTS: 

• A pdf of your academic record from ACORN (unofficial grades are fine)
• Your resume (which in the course you will learn how to turn into an academic c.v.!)

DEADLINES:
Round 1: Apply by June 23, 2024. Decision by June 30th so that you will know if you are to be enrolled before the fall-winter course enrollment begins.

If space remains, Round 2: Apply by December 1st, decision before holiday break.

PREREQUISITE: HIS475H1-S or permission of the Associate Chair (Undergraduate). Open to History Specialists & Majors only (with priority enrollment for Specialists).  You will need a minimum A- average in 3.0 HIS credit courses at the 200 level or higher and approval of the Associate Chair (Undergraduate). You will also need a supervisor who must be an eligible History faculty member (an assistant, associate or full professor who has a continuing appointment in the St. George History Department). 

Unusually taught by the Chair of the Department, in HIS476H1-F students research and write a primary-sourced based thesis of approximately 7,000 words, building on the prospectus and literature review developed in HIS475H1-S or independently prior to applying to HIS476H1-F.  Students attend weekly seminar meetings to discuss the hypotheses they have formulated, present their work in progress and engage in constructive critique of other students’ work.  

The expectation is that students enrolling in HIS476H1-F have already developed a proposal and have begun research over the summer prior to the start of the course. History Specialists & Majors only (priority enrollment for Specialists). 

Students must find topics and thesis supervisors. Not eligible for CR/NCR option. 

NOTE: If you did not take HIS475H1-S and wish to apply, you may request an appointment with the Undergraduate Associate Chair to discuss how to prepare a proposal and find a supervisor.

TO APPLY:

Send an email requesting enrollment to the Undergraduate Associate Chair (Professor Bohaker), and cc’ing the Undergraduate Advisor, Vicki Norton.

SUBJECT: 2024 HIS476H1-F Senior Thesis Seminar Application

BODY OF EMAIL: 

• Include a short statement introducing yourself (name and student number) and your proposed research topic.
• Give your Programs of Study (e.g. History Major, French Minor) 
• Provide the name of your proposed supervisor. Confirm that you have their approval.

ATTACHMENTS 

• A pdf of your academic record from ACORN (unofficial grades are fine)
• Your c.v.
• A formal proposal of at least 3-4 pages identifying 
  • Your proposed research topic
  • Where the project fits in the historiography
  • Your research plan (including archival or primary sources to be consulted)
  • A bibliography
  • STUDENTS FROM HIS475H1S - you may simply submit the proposal you completed for that course in its entirety (revised if necessary in response to marking suggestions) if that reflects the project you intend to work on in HIS476H1F.

DEADLINES:
Apply by June 23, 2024. Decisions by June 30th so that you will know if you are to be enrolled before the fall-winter course enrollment begins.

Independent Studies are open to both History Specialists and Majors with a B+ (77 and above or 3.3 GPA and above) average in at least 4.0 HIS credits in History, at the discretion of the Department and with the approval of eligible History faculty member who has agreed to act as supervisor. (An assistant, associate or full professor who has a continuing appointment in the St. George History Department).  

The Department of History offers senior undergraduate students the possibility of study under the course designations HIS498H1-F/S or HIS499Y1-Y. These courses result in the production of an independent research project. This may not necessarily take the form of a major essay and could include a creative output such as a digitally-curated exhibit. 

Please note that faculty are under no obligation to supervise I.S. projects.

Note:

• It is not practical to do an I.S. as a full-credit taken in one term (i.e. HIS499Y1-F or 499Y1-S)
• Students are allowed only 1.0 I.S. course in History
• Where research projects can be undertaken within the scope of an existing HIS course, students will not normally be allowed to enroll in Independent Studies. In other words, Independent Studies courses cannot be used to deal with timetable conflicts.

TO APPLY:

Send an email requesting enrollment to the Undergraduate Associate Chair (Professor Bohaker), and cc’ing the Undergraduate Advisor, Vicki Norton.

SUBJECT: Independent Study (Indicate either HIS498H1F or HIS498H1-S or HIS499Y1-Y)

BODY OF EMAIL: 

• Include a short statement introducing yourself (name and student number) and your proposed research topic.
• Give your Programs of Study (e.g. History Major, French Minor) 
• Provide the name of your proposed supervisor. Confirm that you have their approval to apply for the independent Study.

ATTACHMENTS 

• A pdf of your academic record from ACORN (unofficial grades are fine)
• Your c.v.
• A short proposal identifying 
  • Your proposed research topic
  • Your research plan (including archival or primary sources to be consulted)
  • A bibliography of relevant scholarship if appropriate
  • The final product to be produced
  • A marking scheme with due dates worked out by you and the supervisor. No single element can be worth more than 80%. Sample marking schemes might be:
    • Formal Proposal 20%
    • Final Project 80%
      OR
    • Formal Proposal 20%
    • First Draft 30%
    • Final Paper 50%

DEADLINES:
Students must apply for Independent Study before the start of each term, AT LEAST 1 WEEK BEFORE the last day to add a new course in that session.