Senior Thesis

All senior thesis applications are due April 1st of the student's junior year. Please note that you should consult with Women's and Gender Studies faculty who you feel might be able to help you as you write your proposal. As you will see from the application, the proposal you will be asked to write is fairly detailed. Therefore, you should think carefully about what you want your senior thesis to be, and what sources and/or methods you will use to complete your thesis. Also, you should be aware of the courses and experiences you have that will allow you to successfully complete your senior thesis. We have found in our experience that it is vital that students have a sufficient background to complete the proposed thesis in order for that thesis to be completed successfully. Therefore, don't propose to complete a thesis for which you have insufficient coursework as a foundation. The prerequisites for the senior thesis are the successful completion of WGS 353W Feminist Theory, a relevant method/theory course given your proposed thesis, and senior standing.

Senior Thesis Application

WGS 499

WGS 499 is the senior thesis class for WGS majors that all students must take in the fall of their senior year. The class will meet at an agreed upon time once a week during the fall semester in which WGS seniors are writing their thesis. WGS faculty will provide guidance to students on topics such as how to draft a thesis prospectus, how to write an annotated bibliography, how to review literature, how to craft a good introduction to the thesis, how to establish (and utilize) constructive peer review as you write your thesis, how to incorporate theory into your thesis, how to frame your thesis, and how to analyze texts and images in your thesis. The class will involve opportunities for peer review and discussions will focus on providing supports for students so they can write a successful thesis. Also, as part of the requirements for WGS 499, seniors are required to present their completed thesis at some point prior to graduation. We strongly encourage students to do so either at the Gender Symposium hosted by Lewis & Clark College each spring semester and/or at SSRD at Willamette in April.

Most recent WGS 499 syllabus

Senior Reflection

Prior to graduation, we want all Women's and Gender Studies seniors to reflect on their experiences within the major. This will help the Women's and Gender Studies faculty know if we are meeting our pedagogical goals for our students and will allow you to reflect on what you have gained by being a Women's and Gender Studies major. The reflection is due December 1st (for December graduates) or May 1st (for May graduates) and is required in order to receive a grade for your senior thesis. A more detailed description of the reflection assignment can be found in the link below.

Senior Reflection

Willamette University

Women's and Gender Studies

Address
900 State Street
Salem OR 97301 U.S.A.
Phone
503-370-6474
503-370-6293

Back to Top