Goals and Procedures

The Senior Capstone Thesis should be an IDS/IS major’s culminating academic experience. It is essential to the degree and should be taken very seriously. Ideally, a thesis topic should reflect and integrate each student’s particular language specialization, regional focus and thematic track. It should be integrative. Because you have taken courses from many academic departments during your time here, the thesis should bring that varied knowledge to bear on a topic that reflects your specialized focus and interests. Done properly and used wisely, a good thesis can be an important stepping stone to the next phase of your life, whether that be employment, graduate school, the Peace Corps, or whatever avenue you choose. While a thesis should be academic in nature, there is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing a functional topic specifically designed to help you get where you want to go.

Above all, the Capstone Thesis (INTS 498) should be the best work you have done in college, something you will be proud of fifty years from now. Most IDS/IS majors will register for INTS 498.

This version of the thesis is normally available for three credits, though it is possible to earn more credits with the agreement of the Director of International Studies and your thesis mentor. Most students do the thesis in a single semester. IDS/IS majors who are also in the Honors College may choose to register for INTS 498H, a course that satisfies the Honors College thesis requirements for graduation with Honors. All other stipulations for an Honors Thesis (content, procedure, format) must be followed. INTS 498H is normally done over two semesters, with three credits awarded each semester.

A thesis topic is normally chosen and refined in the semester prior to actual thesis writing. Choosing that topic, writing a succinct thesis proposal and selection of a thesis mentor are done in INTS 396a, the one-credit Proseminar in International Studies. INTS 396a normally meets in the evening in order to avoid class conflicts. A thesis advisor does NOT have to be one of the IDS/IS Mentors. It should be someone with expertise on your chosen topic, someone who is willing to guide and evaluate your work. Dr. Decker, who normally teaches the Proseminar, will assist students in finding a thesis advisor.

Students often want to know "how long does a thesis have to be?" There is no prescribed minimum, but we expect that a body of work that reflects the goals described above might run at least thirty pages and have an overt internal structure. A bibliography and footnotes are required, as is a short, paragraph-length abstract of the work and a table of contents. Formatting and binding will follow the guides issued by the Honors College.

If you have any additional questions please email:

Dr. Wayne Decker - wdecker@email.arizona.edu
or
Dr. Karna Walter. - karna@email.arizona.edu