Upper-division Writing Requirement Review Form (2/14)
I. General Education Review – Upper-division Writing Requirement
Dept/Program
Geosciences
Course # (i.e. ANTY
Subject
455) or sequence
Course(s) Title
Senior Thesis
Description of the requirement if it is not a single course.
GEO 499
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office.
Please type / print name Signature
Instructor
All Geoscience
Date
Faculty (NW
Hinman signed)
Phone / Email
Program Chair
Dean
James Staub
Chris Comer
III. Type of request
New
Renew x
Reason for new course, change
or deletion
One-time Only
Change
Remove
IV Overview of the Course Purpose/ Description
Independent research project in any geoscience topic supervised by a Geoscience faculty
member that leads to completion of baccalaureate degree. Involves development of research
topic, working hypothesis, methods, data acquisition and analysis, data presentation and
interpretation. Final product is a thesis.
GEO 499 (R–10) Offered every term. Prereq., 18 credits in geosciences. Independent research
project in any geosciences topic supervised by faculty member, and leading to completion of
baccalaureate degree.
V Learning Outcomes: Provide examples of how the course will support students in
achieving each learning outcome.
x Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Identify and pursue
sophisticated questions for
academic inquiry
Students work individually with faculty to develop an appropriate
research question acquire relevant background knowledge, design a
research plan and put work into context of prior research.
Find, evaluate, analyze, and
synthesize information
effectively and ethically from
diverse sources (see:
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
x Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Students learn to use common scientific search engines, distinguish
primary from secondary sources, acquire and analyze data, and
synthesize diverse concepts through one-on-one interactions and
discussions with faculty members.
http://www.lib.umt.edu/libraryinformation-literacytables#Table2) Subject liaison
librarians are available to
assist you embed information
literacy into your course:
http://www.lib.umt.edu/node/115
#instructors
Manage multiple perspectives
as appropriate
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
x Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Emphasis is placed on presenting relevant observations in the context
of prior research.
Recognize the purposes and
needs of discipline-specific
audiences and adopt the
academic voice necessary for
the chosen discipline
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
x Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Scientific and technical writing styles are discussed in comparison
with styles students have previously used. Students are required to
examine other BS and MS theses.
Use multiple drafts, revision,
and editing in conducting
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
x Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
inquiry and preparing written
work
Follow the conventions of
citation, documentation, and
formal presentation
appropriate to that discipline
A typical BS thesis is revised multiple times in consultation with
faculty members. Chapters generally include abstract, introduction,
geologic setting or background, methods, results discussion, summary,
conclusions, references, and appendices. Tables and figures are
strongly encouraged.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
x Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Faculty members work with students individually to follow citation
conventions, documentation, and appropriate voice for presentation of
others’ work. The citation format is dictated by the sub-discipline in
which the student does their research.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
VI. Writing Course Requirements
Enrollment is capped at 25
students.
If not, list maximum course
enrollment. Explain how
outcomes will be adequately
met for this number of
students. Justify the request
for variance.
Briefly explain how students
are provided with tools and
strategies for effective writing
and editing in the major.
Which written assignment(s)
includes revision in response
to instructor’s feedback?
Each faculty member teaches a different section. Generally, a faculty
member might have one to five undergraduates so the maximum is
never reached.
Students revise multiple drafts of parts of the thesis.
The entire thesis is edited in response to faculty
comments.
VII. Writing Assignments:
Please describe course assignments. Students should be required
to individually compose at least 20 pages of writing for assessment. At least 50% of the course grade
should be based on students’ performance on writing assignments. Quality of content and writing are
integral parts of the grade on any writing assignment.
Formal Graded Assignments
Thesis: A typical BS thesis is revised multiple times in
consultation with faculty members. Chapters generally
include abstract, introduction, geologic setting or
background, methods, results, discussion, summary,
conclusions, references, and appendices.
Informal Ungraded
Assignments
Poster or Powerpoint presentation is required.
Informal ungraded assignments are common and take
multiple forms. Examples include draft hypothesis
statements, draft methods, figure development, and figure
description.
Paste or attach a sample writing assignment, including instructions for students.
All of the writing assignment is contained in the syllabus, below.
VIII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form.
The syllabus must include the list of Writing Course learning outcomes above.
Geosciences 499: Senior Thesis Guidelines
Important Deadlines (mark these on your calendar!)
Thesis Topic Summary – Sept. 28
Progress Report – Dec. 3
Rough Draft – April 12
Oral Presentation – set by UMCUR
Final Thesis Due – May 8
The intention of this guide is to inform students of what to expect when writing a senior
thesis. The senior thesis is a year-long effort and students should budget their time
accordingly. In addition, students are required to submit several interim assignments – a
short initial proposal identifying the topic, a Fall progress report, a rough draft of the
thesis, and final thesis (see above for deadlines). The goal of these interim reports is to
facilitate timely advisor-student feedback, help minimize the unavoidable thesis rush at
the end of the year, and to ensure that the final thesis product be of the highest quality.
Note that if you pursuing undergraduate research in the Honors College you should
consult the following guidelines posted on their
website:http://www.dhc.umt.edu/current_students/research_publication.cfm
I. General Considerations for Conducting Senior Independent Research.
One of the most important components of a successful senior thesis is choosing an
appropriate research topic/question. This means, among other things, that the topic is
intellectually challenging, the student is able to perform original research, and that the
topic is sufficiently well-defined that the work can be accomplished on a one-year time
scale.
Once a research topic and a committed advisor are chosen, the students should meet with
this Research Advisor on a regular basis (once a week) throughout the year to apprise
s/he of the progress, discuss research strategies, and get feedback. Your Research
Advisor will ultimately grade the thesis. Note that if you are submitting your thesis
through the Honors College for publication by the Mansfield Library then you are
required to have a second reader for the thesis.
One of the most common pitfalls encountered by seniors is underestimating the time
required to complete certain tasks, in particular the actual writing of the thesis.
Conceptually, it may be useful to think of the thesis as consisting of three separate tasks:



Defining the problem and reviewing the literature
Collecting and analyzing the data, and
Writing (including data synthesis and interpretation)
If the student’s research is initially well-defined (usually with the help of the student’s
Research Advisor) the first task might be reduced considerably, but otherwise one can
expect each of these to comprise a significant fraction of the total effort. The three tasks
will naturally overlap in time; for example, the results of initial experiments might
redefine the problem somewhat and require additional literature review. Hence it is very
useful to begin writing long before the research is completed and the process of writing
often exposes weaknesses in reasoning and may lead to new ideas to explore further.
II. Funding
Modest funding is available through the Honors College for all students (minimum GPA
requirements apply). There are usually calls for proposals in both the Fall and Spring
semesters. Funding may be available through your Research Advisor’s grants, or the NSF
EPSCoR program. Your Research Advisor can guide you through this process. There are
also a number of small external grant programs that may be relevant to your field of
study.
III. Guide to Written Assignments
Students should consult their Research Advisor regarding the format of the written report
and what is expected for each deadline.
Thesis Proposal. A thesis proposal must be submitted by the due date indicated above.
This 1-page summary should identify the project, the advisor, and present a brief abstract
of the work to be performed.
Fall Term Progress Report. The goal of the Fall term progress report is to ensure that an
adequate effort is put into the thesis before the winter break, and to allow for feedback
from the Research Advisor before the end of classes. As was noted above, the
expectations may vary from thesis to thesis. However, the following guidelines are
suggested: The report should include a clear statement of the question to be tackled, why
it is important, a thorough review of the existing literature (with reference list), and either
a description of the investigation to be carried out (datasets to be used, experimental
procedure to be followed, computer programs to be written, etc.) or, if significant work
has already been conducted, a summary of the research to date. An estimated schedule for
completion of the thesis should also be included. The report format is flexible. No
rigorous length requirements are enforced, but a suggested length of 8-10 pages double-
spaced might be sufficient. A successful Fall term progress report could serve as an early
rough draft of the Introduction and References sections of the final thesis.
Rough Draft of Thesis. Students must submit a copy of the rough draft of the thesis, and
students should consider that this rough draft deadline to be the target date for completing
the thesis work. The rough draft serves several purposes- it gives the Research Advisor a
chance to comment with enough time remaining for the students to address any
significant issues or concerns that may arise. It also ensures that, in a mad scramble to
finish research, students will not leave the writing for the last week before the thesis is
due. The rough draft need not be a polished document, but the more complete it is the
more useful the student may find their advisor’s comments.
Final Thesis. The student’s Research Advisor is the best source of information on the
structure and format of their thesis. The students are recommended to consult s/he for
details.
Formatting should follow the guidelines set forth by the Honors College, which may be
found here:
http://www.dhc.umt.edu/documents/Undergraduate_Thesis_Formatting_Guidelines.pdf
Note that a master template for the thesis (Word format) is also located on the Honors
College website.
IV. Guide to Oral Presentations
In addition to the written thesis, students should give a public presentation of their senior
independent research as part of UMCUR (or another research conference approved by the
student’s advisor). This allows the student to share their work with other members of the
department, and gives the student valuable experience with oral communication of their
scientific results. In particular, this is already a mandatory requirement if you receive any
funding from the Honors College. Details about the conference may be found here:
http://www.dhc.umt.edu/ugresearch/. The deadline for submitting abstracts usually
occurs early in the spring semester.
The format is 15 minutes for presentation and 5 minutes for questions. The presentation
should include clear graphics (e.g. PowerPoint slides) that succinctly convey the major
points of the thesis. The oral grade will be based on the quality of the presentation, the
quality of the thesis work, and the student’s mastery of the basics of subject as evidenced
during the question-and-answer period. A tentative or sample analysis sheet used for
grading is shown at the end of this document.
Tips for successful Oral Presentation Avoid the temptation to include too much material. Concentrate on getting your
main points across. A good rule of thumb is 10-12 slides for a 15-minute talk, but
this will vary (some slides may require 2-3 minutes; others 20-30 seconds).
 Think about what you would like to say as you prepare your figures, and use your
figures as a guide to help you through your talk. This will minimize the amount of





rote memorization or “note cards” required. If you have to say a lot that is not
directly related to the figure on the screen, your job will be more difficult. If you
find yourself in this position, consider adding another figure or editing what you
say.
Make text legible from the back of the room! This includes axis labels!
Avoid an abundance of “text-only” slides. These put the audience in the position
of having to decide whether to read them or to listen to you read them. If you have
a few such slides, it is a good idea to state the points that appear on the screen in a
different way.
Present your advisor with an anticipated outline for your presentation. He/she has
many years of experience in giving short talks, and probably has a good view of
the “big picture” surrounding your work (hopefully by this point you do as well).
Practice your talk beforehand. In a 15-minute talk there is little margin for
“hemming” and “hawing”.
For students who have carried out original research, a clear distinction should be
made between the background material and the work the student has conducted
(for the benefit of those not directly involved in advising).
V. Grading Policies
The student’s thesis is graded based on the quality of the written report and the oral
presentation. The grading for senior thesis is as follows:
Thesis Proposal Form:
Fall Term Progress Report: 15%
Thesis:
Oral Presentation:
5%
60%
20%
The students are expected to consult their Research Advisor concerning the report
submissions, and expectations for each deadline.
Thesis extensions are given only under exceptional circumstances (typically serious
illness or family emergencies). Lost computer files, printer problems, experiments not
going exactly according to plan, etc. do not qualify; such pitfalls come with the territory
and the students must budget their time accordingly. Late theses will be penalized at the
rate of 1/5 of a letter grade (2%) per weekday or one letter grade per week; and all
interim assignments at the rate of one letter grade (10%) per weekday. For any
submission beyond the date set by the University for submission of senior theses, the
student will receive an Incomplete if the student has prior approval. Otherwise the student
will receive an F.
SAMPLE OUTLINE OF WRITTEN SENIOR THESIS
A.
Title page with the following information shown as illustrated (condensed)
Fossil plants of Argentina
by
John F. Jones
Senior Thesis Work
Advisor: John P. Stevens
Department of Geosciences
University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812
DUE DATE
B.
Abstract
C.
Introduction (purpose and scope of study, background information, etc.)
D.
Main text, subtitled as necessary.
E.
Conclusions (sometimes Summary and Conclusions).
F.
References cited using citation style of the GSA Bulletin. Do Not Use Footnotes!!
G.
Acknowledgments to people or organizations who helped you.
H.
Student Acknowledgment of Original Work sentence: This paper represents my
own work in accordance with University regulations,” plus your signature.
SAMPLE
EVALUATION FORM FOR WRITTEN REPORT
Department of Geosciences
Undergraduate Independent Work Evaluation Form - Written
2010-2011 Senior Thesis
Student Name:
Faculty Advisor:
Paper Title:
________________________________________________________________________
I. Performance in Areas (5=outstanding, 1=unacceptable, na=not applicable) (Note:
Grade is not an equal-weight average of these marks)
A.
Scientific Content
Literature survey and summary
Critical evaluation and a synthesis
Original contribution, where appropriate
B.
5
5
5
4
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
na
na
na
5
5
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
na
na
na
na
na
na
Writing and Presentation
Abstract
Proper headings
Style
Organization as scientific paper
References properly handled
Figures, clear, properly called
in text, sources cited
II. Faculty Comments: (to be added to those made directly in the text)
Overall grade: ________
SAMPLE EVALUATION FORM FOR ORAL PRESENTATION
Department of Geosciences
Date:
Oral Presentation:
Comment and Grade Sheet
Student Name: _________________________
Circle following (5 = most favorable; 1 = unfavorable)
Topic: __________________________
Oral Grade: ______
delivery tone
5
4
3
2
1
mannerisms
5
4
3
2
1
"ums"and"ahs"
5
4
3
2
1
reliance on notes
5
4
3
2
1
organization of material
5
4
3
2
1
illustrations
5
4
3
2
1
ability to evaluate data
5
4
3
2
1
handling of questions
5
4
3
2
1
Comments: