Math 402: Senior Project
Marietta College, Fall Semester 2014
John Tynan
Office: Selby 232D
Phone: 376-4873
Office Hours: 10-12 TuTh and by appointment
E-mail: tynanj@marietta.edu
Web-page: www.marietta.edu/~tynanj
Course Overview: There is only one assignment for this course, the senior capstone
project. This project will have two graded components, the oral presentation and the
written paper. The course will follow the time-line given below:
Week 1 and 2: Meet with the instructor to discuss course expectations and potential
topics. Select a faculty member to serve as your capstone advisor.
Weeks 3-6: Work on project.
Week 7: Give a brief informal oral progress report to your capstone advisor. This is not
graded, it is only for formative purposes.
Week 8: Turn in draft of paper to capstone advisor.
Weeks 9-12: Work on project.
Weeks 13 and 14: Give formal oral presentation (exact date TBD) and finalize project.
Week 15: Project due by noon on Friday December 5
Semester Grades: Your grades from all of the different parts of the course will be
weighed approximately in the following manner. I will use the weighted average and my
own best judgment to assign grades.
Oral Presentation:
Written Report:
50%
50%
Grading Scale: A+ 98-100, A 93-97.99, A- 90-92.99, B+ 87-89.99, B 83-86.99, B- 8082.99, C+ 77-79.99, C 73-76.99, C- 70-72.99, D+ 67-69.99, D 63-66.99, D- 60-62.99, F
0-59.99
Academic dishonesty: A substantiated case of academic dishonesty may result in
disciplinary action, including a failing grade on the project, a failing grade in the course,
or expulsion from the College. Academic dishonesty includes cheating (such as copying
from other students or using notes not permitted by the instructor on a test), plagiarism,
theft, improper manipulation of data, or any representation of work as if one were fully
responsible for it, when it is in fact the work of another person.
Project Description
The senior capstone project is intended to serve as a culminating academic experience.
There is a fair amount of latitude in determining the nature of the project. However, the
topic must be approved by both the instructor and the capstone advisor. Typically
students will choose one of the following types of projects:




A specific application of mathematics to some other discipline
A detailed examination of a particular mathematical construct not otherwise
encountered in our undergraduate curriculum
An exposition on a topic which draws from multiple areas of mathematics
A new contribution to the corpus of mathematical knowledge
Students who desire to do a project that does not fall into one of the above categories
should consult the instructor to determine whether the project type is acceptable.
Regardless of the type of project chosen, all projects must contain the following elements
in order to receive a passing grade:
1.
2.
3.
4.
A clearly articulated thesis or purpose statement.
A significant amount of advanced mathematical content.
Reference to work in either peer-reviewed journals or scholarly texts.
A coherent treatment of the topic, demonstrating the student’s understanding of
the material with some amount of original contribution.
NOTES: 1) Students who believe that they may need accommodations due to a
documented disability should contact the Academic Resource Center (Andrews Hall,
Third floor, 376-4700) and the instructor as soon as possible to ensure that such
accommodations are implemented in a timely manner. You must meet with the ARC staff
to verify your eligibility for any accommodation and for academic assistance.
2) Please be aware of the Co-curricular probation policy (see Marietta College
Undergraduate Programs, 2013-2014 Catalog, p. 136).
This syllabus may be changed by the instructor to better suit the needs of the course.