Senior Honors Thesis

If you are a junior, with a minimum of 3.40 GPA and have enjoyed writing a research paper in one of your economics classes, this might be the right thing for you. A thesis is a great opportunity for a real capstone experience as part of your economics major.

It is important to find a faculty member to be your thesis advisor. If you have ideas about a thesis topic, talk with your advisor or a member of the economics faculty with similar research interests (see the department website for faculty research areas).

Senior Honors Thesis Information

• A Senior Honors Thesis is a two-semester (4 credits each) long project that results in a thesis paper.
• Students also enroll each semester in a two-unit pass/fail course (EC 197: Senior Thesis Research Seminar)
• Counts as two upper-level electives towards the economics major
• It is overseen by (at least) a two-person committee consisting of an advisor and a reader.
• A Senior Honors Thesis should answer a (very) specific question or test a particular hypotheses
• It usually has an empirical component (but not necessarily)
• Generally the narrower the topic/ the more specific the question, the better the thesis
• Can be in any area of economics

Research Classes for Majors & Undertake a Senior Honors Thesis for Juniors

Many economics majors are interested in making research experience a part of their major. There are several ways to accomplish this goal.

1. A number of elective classes in economics require a research paper. This can be a very good introduction to the research process because the selection of a topic, definition of the paper's structure, and research mentoring are built into the class. Economics classes that require a research paper are designated with a * on the semester class schedule published by the department.
2. A research paper is often part of the requirements of a Special Topics (Economics 193) class. Since the content and requirements of these classes are constructed on a case-by-case basis, it would be up to the student and their faculty sponsor to agree on a research topic and the extent of the research requirement for the class. An Independent Study Form must be completed and submitted to Debra Knox.
3. Seniors who wish to undertake a one-semester research project may do so by undertaking a Senior Thesis (Economics 198) class. Every Senior Thesis must have a faculty member from the Economics Department as an advisor and supervisor. The credit awarded for a Senior Thesis will vary according to the scope of the project. A Senior Thesis Agreement Form must be completed and submitted to Debra Knox.
4. Seniors who wish to undertake a more formally organized, two-semester research project may do so by undertaking a Senior Honors Thesis (Economics 195 and 196) class. This is a larger and more complex research project that requires certain advance preparations. The regulations are described in the Tufts Bulletin under the heading Thesis Honors Program. A Senior Honors Thesis Agreement Form must be completed and submitted to Debra Knox.

These regulations specify that by the end of your junior year you must have:

1. qualified for the Dean's List at least twice.
2. identified an Economics faculty member who agrees to chair your thesis committee and serve as your primary thesis advisor.
3. worked with your primary thesis advisor to choose a specific thesis topic.

By the end of the first two weeks of the Fall semester, you must submit the Senior Honors Thesis Candidate Declaration Form.

Writing a Successful Senior Honors Thesis

Writing a Senior Honors Thesis in economics requires more preparation than simply completing the minimal requirements toward an economics major.

Success involves:

1. defining a researchable question or a testable hypothesis. This is the task that takes the most experience and requires consultation with your primary thesis advisor. If your thinking about a topic is at the stage of "I want to do research on Italy's economic growth" or "I want to study poverty issues," you do not yet have a research question. Your question must be specific and must contain a conjecture that can be supported or refuted by evidence that you are capable of producing. Good research questions can come from anywhere but the safest strategy is to look in areas of economics that you have already studied.
    
2. having a set of economic tools that you can apply to your research question. The appropriate set of economic tools normally consists of intermediate economic theory and econometrics. These courses should be completed by the end of your junior year.
    
3. having some background in an area of economics that relates to your research question. This will most often be from economics courses that you have already taken. For example, you may have taken International Finance (Economics 162) and be familiar with economic theories that explain exchange rates movements. This background gives you a head start in identifying a good research question and keeps you from having to spend many weeks learning background material.
    
4. preparing a thesis proposal. A good proposal spells out your research question, why it is important, and how you intend to carry out the research. It should include a short review of other important research on the subject, sources of data, and the analytical tools (ie. regression analysis) that you will use. It is recommended that this work be completed by the beginning of your senior year.
    
5. beginning regular consultation with your primary thesis advisor before the fall of your senior year. This could take place during the spring of your junior year or the summer before your senior year. Study abroad may make this consultation more difficult and should be factored into your foreign study plans.

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2024 Theses

Aditya Acharya: "A Preference in Protein: A Study on Impacts of Economic Development on Meat and Seafood Consumption" Advisor: Ujjayant Chakravorty

Joshua T. Lyons: "Impact of Reduced Ambulance Staffing requirements on EMS Quality in Massachusetts" Advisor: Steve Cicala

Catherine Shelburne*: "Reimagining Roadways: A Study of the Impacts of Urban Freeway Removal on American Housing Values" Advisor: Jeff Zabel

Nicholas Sorger: "Transmission in the U.S. Electrical Grid: Lessons from an Empirical Study of MISO Electricity Pricing" Advisor: Steve Cicala

Yichen (Angela) Lin: "The Impact of Enumerated Nondiscrimination Legislation in Educational Settings on the Mental Well-Being of Transgender Youth" Advisor: Elizabeth Setren

*Linda Datcher Loury Award Recipient