If you are interested in writing a thesis as part of your Major in Classical Studies or in Ancient History, you should meet with the Undergraduate Chair, James Ker, prior to Spring Break in your junior year. If you are abroad for that semester, please contact the Undergraduate Chair by email.

The guidelines below are intended to answer preliminary questions you may have, and to clarify the process.

What is a thesis?

A thesis is an extensive paper in which you, the author, present the results of original research conducted on a topic of your choosing, organized in the form of a scholarly argument. Its length may be anywhere between 40 and 100 pages (double-spaced 12pt), but is less important than the quality of the discussion. It may be structured as a continuous essay or a discussion composed of several sections or chapters. The topic, length, and structure of the thesis are determined by you in consultation with your thesis advisor.

Who is eligible to write a thesis?

In order to begin working on a thesis, you need to have: (1) a GPA of 3.5 in the major; (2) approval for a preliminary thesis proposal by the end of the junior year. (On the timetable and the preliminary thesis proposal, see below.)

Should I write a thesis?

The thesis is optional. Although it is the only way to earn honors in the major, it is not the only kind of “capstone” available to you as you complete your degree. You may find that your regular coursework has given you sufficient depth of study in the major, especially if you have conducted extensive research within the context of a given course. The thesis is recommended for those students who are interested in developing the skills required for conducting independent research, and who are interested in the distinctive intellectual experiences that are involved in forming a topic and exploring it in depth, and in consultation with an expert advisor.

When and how should I prepare?

At some time prior to spring break in the junior year, you should meet with the Undergraduate Chair to discuss your interest in writing a thesis. If you have not already made arrangements with a potential advisor, the Undergraduate Chair can offer advice on how to approach a potential advisor and to identify a general topic area within which you will develop your thesis topic.

Who will make a good advisor?

All faculty within the department are available as potential advisors, and each has significant experience in publishing research. You will want to think about who you have taken courses with, who works in the general topic areas within which you would like to work, whose methodology and temperament you think would be compatible with yours, and so forth. The advising relationship is a longstanding tradition of academic culture and is characterized by mutual trust and respect. Although, in the course of your thesis, you will be responsible for setting and enforcing deadlines for yourself, at times your advisor may set goals, or make demands or criticisms, intended to challenge you and to improve the quality of your work. You will want to keep this in mind as you approach a potential advisor. In addition, you should be aware that faculty members are not required to agree to supervise a given student. In some cases, usually because of competing priorities or because he or she will be on leave, faculty will be unable to supervise a thesis, or will agree only provisionally. Because his or her agreeing to supervise you is not a foregone conclusion, it is recommended that you approach your potential advisor in a clear and courteous manner, and in a way that demonstrates your seriousness about writing a thesis. In cases where an advisor has not been finalized before the end of the junior year, the Undergraduate Chair will serve as provisional advisor until the beginning of the senior year. (In rare cases, faculty outside the department have served as advisors, but as a rule this is avoided.)

Timetable

The thesis consists of a number of separate steps, which take place as follows:

Junior year

1. Prior to spring break, meet with Undergraduate Chair to discuss interest in writing a thesis.

2. During the spring semester, identify a potential advisor and discuss the topic area. (Note that students who can begin putting together a proposal in early March may be able to apply for a research grant through CURF: For CURF website, click here.)

3. In March pre-registration, you may (but do not have to) pre-register in CLST/ANCH/ARCH/LATN/GREK 399 Independent Study. To pre-register, please contact the Undergraduate Chair. If you already have a thesis advisor, that person will be listed as the "instructor" for your Independent Study; if not, the Undergraduate Chair will be named temporarily as the instructor. Please note, however, that being allowed to continue in the fall will be contingent on the approval of your preliminary thesis proposal at the end of the spring semester. As an alternative, you are permitted to wait till the fall before registering in 399.

4. Prior to end of spring exam period, submit preliminary thesis proposal to Undergraduate Chair.

Senior year

1. In the fall, enroll in 399 Independent Study (if you didn't already pre-register) and work with advisor toward an agreed upon goal (for example, a draft of the thesis or major sections thereof). This course may be used to count as one of the twelve units in the major. (The course code for this can be CLST/ANCH/ARCH/LATN/GREK 399, depending on the subject emphasis of the thesis.)

2. In the spring, enroll in CLST/ANCH/ARCH/LATN/GREK 398 Honors Thesis and work with advisor toward submission of a complete draft by spring break. This course may not count as one of the twelve units in the major.

 3. On the second Monday following spring break (= mid-to-late March), by noon, submit thesis in hard copy to Undergraduate Chair.

What is the preliminary thesis proposal?

To begin work on a thesis, you need to have your preliminary thesis proposal approved by the Undergraduate Chair. This proposal is due by the end of the exam period in the spring of the junior year. The proposal must be 200–300 words in length, and should indicate: the general topic area you plan to explore, and your possible focus within that area; the primary materials you will be familiarizing yourself with as you prepare to identify your thesis topic; the types of questions that you expect to be asking as you read; at least three scholarly books or articles that promise to be useful as you explore; and the name of your thesis advisor (or provisional advisor). It is understood that the proposal is “preliminary,” and that your thesis topic will ultimately differ. The objectives of this exercise are to show that you have already taken the first step toward identifying a thesis topic, and that you are serious about making further preparations before the beginning of the fall semester.

What if I or my advisor decide not to proceed beyond the fall semester?

Occasionally an advisor or student, or both, will decide that the work done during the fall semester is not sufficient preparation to ensure satisfactory completion of the thesis by the spring deadline. In such cases, the student receives a grade for 399 but does not sign up for 398 in the spring; the work done in the fall is then classified as an independent study rather than as thesis preparation.

How do my grades in 399 and 398 relate to whether I receive honors?

Your grades for 399 and 398 are assigned by your advisor on the basis of the work you have done with him or her. These grades are distinct from the judgment made by the department on whether your thesis is acceptable for honors in the major.

How do I sign up for 399 and 398?

To pre-register or register for these course codes, you need the permission of both the Undergraduate Chair and your thesis advisor; please begin by contacting the Undergraduate Chair. (For 399, see also the guidelines above under "Timetable > Junior year > 2".)

What is an appropriate topic for a thesis?

You are encouraged to conduct research in any area, or between two or more areas, that belong within classical studies (or ancient history) broadly conceived. But because the goal of the project is to present original research, the topic needs to be circumscribed in such a way that you can investigate it in considerable depth and make your own contribution. Yes, you will want to delineate the “big picture,” the broader framework, of which your thesis topic is just a part (something that is typically done in the Introduction and Conclusion to a thesis). At the same time, however, the research you conduct and the argument you present should be specialized. This can be illustrated with a sampling from the titles of honors theses submitted at Penn (with apologies for the incompleteness of the list: if you have additions, please let us know!):

2012

Jacob Finkel, "Deceptive Veracity: Cicero's Use of Direct Discourse for Dramatic Invention in ad Atticum 389" (supervisor: James Ker) [M.A. thesis]

Kalla Gervasio, "Improving Nutrition Education Curricula in the Philadelphia School District: From Hippocrates and Galen to the USDA" (supervisor: Ralph Rosen)

Catherine Krabbenschmidt, "Augustus' Projects on the Palatine: Rewriting Rome's Memory" (supervisor: Kimberly Bowes)

Mark Nakahara, "Art or Archaeology: Collections and Fieldwork of the Penn Museum's Mediterranean Section" (supervisor: Kimberly Bowes)

Alexandra Olsman, "Ipsarum tribadum tribas, Philaeni: The Curious Case and Reconstruction of the Roman Tribas" (supervisor: James Ker)

Anita Saggurti, "Artemis Patron of Fertility and Childbirth" (supervisor: C. Brian Rose) [ANCH major]

Michael Wadden, "Herodotus' Histories, Viewed Through an Ethiopian Lens: A Study of the Narrative Function of Herodotus' Ethiopian Episode" (supervisor: Jeremy McInerney)

Taylor Williams, "'Storms of this Inconstant World': Ideology, Identity, and the Ideal State in Late Antiquity" (supervisor: Cam Grey)

Benjamin Winnick, "Arcadia's Sense of Identity Throughout Antiquity" (supervisor: Jeremy McInerney)

Tongjia "Alex" Zhang, "Socrates and the Irrational: On Plato's Symposium and Phaedrus" (supervisor: Emily Wilson)

2011

[TBA]

2010

Ava Childers, “The Politicization of Classical Greek Archaeological Heritage: Building a New Greek Cultural and Natoinal Identity Atop the Parthenon” (Prof. Tartaron)

Caitlin Foley, “T. Pomponius Atticus and the Pursuit of Self-Preservation” (Prof. Grey)

Sarah Hilker, “The Hippocratic Doctrine: Finding Traces of Magic in Classical Medicine” (Prof. Rosen)

Lily Rogath, “Pinxere et mulieres: Description of the Villa and Tomb of a Gallo-Roman Female Artist Discovered at Saint-Médard-des-Prés (Vendée)” (Prof. Kuttner)

Christopher Santoli, “Beyond the Angry Man: Cannibalism in Seneca's Prose and Poetry” (Prof. Ker)

Johan Tatoy, “Navigating Generic Identities: Medea in Valerius Flaccus' Argonautica” (Prof. Ker)

2009

[TBA]

2008

David Blome, “Hunters and Hounds, Soldiers and Commanders: Combat leadership in Xenophon's Cynegeticus” (Prof. McInerney)

Michele Charles, “Gods, Heroes and the Hoplite: The Role of Religion in Ancient Greek Warfare” (Prof. McInerney)

Jane Raisch, “Agony and Theatricality in Euripides' Bacchae and Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus" (Prof. Emily Wilson, Classical Studies; co-chair, Prof. Margreta de Grazia English)

Curtis Roche, [on Socrates: focused on the Apology, questions of historicity] (Prof. Wilson)

2007

Sarah Buchanan, “Alexander’s Funeral Pyre for Hephaestion: A Motif-Based Reading of the Monument as Spectacle” (Prof. Kuttner) 

Christine Quinn, “The Tomb of Philip II” (Prof. Romano)

2006

John Byck, “Sculpture through the Lens: A Retrospective Visual Analysis of the Tyrannicides and the Nike of Samothrace in the Light of Modern Photographic Culture” (Prof. Kuttner)

Abby Cohen, “The Architectural Landscapes of the Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore at Corinth” (Prof. Romano)

Michael Lackman, “Personal Politics: Thucydides' Anthropic Polis in the Archidamian War” (Prof. McInerney)

Claudia Moser, “Naked Power: The Phallus as an Apotropaic Symbol in the Images and Texts of Roman Italy” (Prof. Romano)

Alexander Perkins, “Scar, Sympathy, Icon, and Identity: The Power of the Name within the Ancient Imagination” (Prof. Rosen)

Jessica Shore, [on the social role of the flamen from the late republic to first-century Pompeii] (Prof. Ker)

Kelly Sloane, “Epic Illuminations: Word and Image Relationships in the Illustrations of theAeneid in the Vergilius Vaticanus” (Prof. Farrell)

2005

Dan Shu, [on Paradise Lost and the Phaethon episode in Ovid's Metamorphoses] (Prof. Wilson)

Who reads my thesis, and what is the outcome?

Your completed thesis will be read by one or more Classical Studies faculty, and a judgment will be made on whether the thesis is acceptable for honors. This is the outcome in the majority of cases, and the student is awarded honors in the major. If the thesis is judged not acceptable, honors in the major are not awarded. (Note that the "honors" [i.e. honors in the major] referred to here are distinct from Latin honors, which are not specific to the major and are awarded by the College.)

What makes a thesis “acceptable”?

In essence, a thesis is judged acceptable for honors in the major if it demonstrates that the author has identified a specialized topic for independent research, has conducted that research in a systematic and comprehensive way, and presents a persuasive argument that is supported by evidence and adheres to the conventions of scholarly discourse. More specific guidance on what constitutes a successful thesis will be provided by the thesis advisor, taking into account the particularities of the topic area within which you are working.

What if the thesis is “not acceptable”?

If the thesis is judged not acceptable, honors in the major are not conferred. In rare cases, when a thesis is judged not acceptable but is considered to be acceptable if certain revisions can be made, the student will be given the opportunity to make whatever revisions are needed; but this will happen only if it is considered that the revisions are sufficiently minor that they can reasonably be completed in the time available.

Can I apply for research funding?

Although the department does not offer research funds of its own, Penn’s Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF) has several opportunities for students to seek funding to cover costs incurred in conducting research. Among these, the College Alumni Society Research Grant (CASRG) can cover up to $1000.00 in costs that include “travel to libraries, museums, archives, and research sites; living expenses that would enable the student to remain at the University during the summer; research equipment and supplies, including books, films, and photocopying; computer or laboratory fees; and, specialized computer peripherals and software.” The deadlines relevant to students seeking to use this grant toward thesis preparations are in mid-March (enabling you to commence work over the summer) and at the end of October (enabling you to support your work into the spring). For further information see the CURF site: http://www.upenn.edu/curf/research/grants/college-alumni-society-research-grant.

What is the preliminary thesis proposal?

To begin work on a thesis, you need to have your preliminary thesis proposal approved by the Undergraduate Chair. This proposal is due by the end of the exam period in the spring of the junior year. The proposal must be 200–300 words in length, and should indicate: the general topic area you plan to explore, and your possible focus within that area; the primary materials you will be familiarizing yourself with as you prepare to identify your thesis topic; the types of questions that you expect to be asking as you read; at least three scholarly books or articles that promise to be useful as you explore; and the name of your thesis advisor (or provisional advisor). It is understood that the proposal is “preliminary,” and that your thesis topic will ultimately differ. The objectives of this exercise are to show that you have already taken the first step toward identifying a thesis topic, and that you are serious about making further preparations before the beginning of the fall semester.

What is the best overall structure for a thesis?

Because you may not have written on such a large scale before, it is strongly advised that you think in terms of a main Introduction and a sequence of clearly delimited sections (or chapters), with clear signposting through the use section and sub-section titles, followed by a strong Conclusion. But there is a lot more to say on this topic, and it is one of a variety of questions about the form of your thesis that you will want to discuss closely with your advisor.

Apart from meeting with my advisor, are there any other meetings?

There are no other formal commitments than those you have arranged with your advisor. As a rule, however, the Undergraduate Chair will usually invite thesis writers to gather for at least one meeting part way through the fall semester to offer informal descriptions of work in progress. The Undergraduate Chair will also organize a session in the spring, in the weeks following the thesis deadline, for optional oral presentations of thesis work. You should approach the Undergraduate Chair regarding any problems or concerns associated with any part of your thesis-writing process.

Beyond receiving honors in Classical Studies (or Ancient History), what other recognition is given to an outstanding thesis?

As mentioned above, you will have the option of giving an oral presentation of your thesis in a forum in the spring, in the weeks after the thesis deadline. In addition, a thesis will often be approved for publication in Penn’s College Undergraduate Research Electronic Journal (CUREJ): http://repository.upenn.edu/curej/. And, on occasion, an outstanding thesis will be nominated for the Rose Award in early April. This award is presently in the amount of $500 and is granted to “outstanding undergraduate research projects completed by graduating seniors under the supervision of a Penn faculty member.”

How can I make the best use of the library and other bibliographic resources?

Van Pelt library has excellent resources, but certain skills are required to make the best use of both hard-copy and electronic materials. For a taste of what the library has to offer, visit the Classical Studies seminar room on the third floor, which includes an outstanding collection of reference works. For a taste of the electronic resources available, see the gateway at http://www.library.upenn.edu/cgi-bin/res/sr.cgi?community=12. Again, this is a question to discuss with your advisor, and with the Undergraduate Chair.

What if I am a double major?

You will typically want to choose just one major in which to write a thesis. There is no restriction against writing two theses, and thereby seeking honors in two majors, except for the fact that one thesis already requires a substantial amount of work. In rare cases, if your two majors have points of intersection, it is possible to devise a thesis topic that exploits your double interests. In such cases, you should consult with the Undergraduate Chairs in both majors to decide about an appropriate course of action.

What formatting conventions should I observe in my submitted thesis?

Your thesis should be submitted in hard copy, double spaced and 12pt, with pages numbered in a single sequence. No particular convention for the quotation or citation of primary and secondary texts is required, but you must use a convention that is standard within your topic area and acceptable to your advisor, and this must be used consistently. A cover page should indicate the following:

[Title]

by [Author]

completed under the supervision of [advisor].

This senior thesis is submitted on [date] for honors in [major]
in the Department of Classical Studies of the University of Pennsylvania.