Fall Term: Topic Selection

• Friday, Oct. 17

  • Submit to Steve Parker (SCP) a brief written (email is fine) report of your progress in selecting a topic. List 3 topics have you considered. [Even if you are heavily leaning toward one, identify and consider 2 others.] With whom have you talked about your ideas? If you have a preferred adviser(s) or dates, let me know.

• Friday, Oct. 31

  • Submit to SCP a one page proposal (hard copy or email attachment) which includes a specific statement of the topic you’ll be investigating, why it's interesting, which material from which courses will be involved, and resources you’ve identified. If you have a working hypothesis or a list of questions you hope to answer as you work, list them as well. This is your last chance to state a preference for an adviser and/or a presentation date.

• Tuesday, Nov 4

  • You will be notified by this time of your adviser's name and the date of your talk.

• By Wednesday, Nov. 19

  • Meet with your adviser to discuss your progress and to help plan your project.

  • This conference is important.

Winter and Spring Terms: Oral Presentations and Papers

Papers:

• (Presentation) -(3 weeks)

  • First version of paper to SCP along with completed “first version checklist” from department web site.

• (Presentation) -(2 weeks)

  • Adviser returns paper; conference with primary adviser and peer reviewer.

• (Presentation) -(1 week)

  • Introductory paper to SCP

• (Presentation) (January 26 – April 10)

• (Presentation) +(1 day)

  • Reaction papers to SCP

• (Presentation) +(3 days)

  • Conference with adviser
    

• (Presentation) +(2 weeks)

  • Second version of paper to SCP along with a completed second version checklist

• (Presentation) +(3 weeks)

  • Meet with your committee members to discuss paper. (One meeting with both the primary adviser and the peer reviewer, another meeting with secondary adviser)

• (Presentation) +(5 weeks)

  • Final version of paper resubmitted to SCP. This archival version is to be printed on both sides of the paper, and should not be stapled. Once this has been evaluated by your committee, Mary Drew will provide you with special archival paper for you to print your final versions on. You will submit two copies of your final paper. (astronomers: three)

NOTE: Spring Break is not counted in the official comps schedule. If spring break falls in your comps schedule as shown above, check with your adviser for details and clarifications.

These deadlines are critical. Failure to meet any one of them can be disruptive of the entire process and may result in serious consequences.

FYI: to consider when thinking about when you’d like to schedule
~7 people will be completely done winter term
~8 people will be done except for their final version winter term (papers could be submitted over break)
~5 people will work equally in both winter & spring (1st version + talk in winter, 2nd version + final in spring)
~6 people will work primarily in spring term (1st version winter, talk + 2nd version + final in spring)