Senior Project

Applied Environmental Studies majors are required to complete a capstone experience. This provides students with the opportunity to develop a hands-on project that applies the theoretical knowledge and skills they have gained throughout their coursework.

Students pursuing the Environmental Studies co-major are not required to complete a capstone experience, but are encouraged to consider one if they are interested in exploring a topic in depth and further developing their academic and professional skills.

There are three possible options to complete the capstone requirement, which mainly differ in the degree of independence expected, effort and time commitment. The options are: ENV 191 Environmental Studies Capstone, ENV 198 Directed Research, and ENV 199 Senior Honors Thesis. All options, described in depth below, have basic prerequisites to ensure students have the appropriate foundation to successfully complete their research project. Students who are planning to pursue a graduate degree are advised to consider the directed research or senior thesis option.

Option 1: ENV 191 Environmental Studies Capstone

Graded: 3 SHUs

This option is a semester-long group project where students collaborate to design, collect data, analyze findings, and present the results of a shared research question, all under the guidance of an instructor. While the project follows a unified framework, students may be assigned specific parts of the project to work on independently. The focus and scope of the project may vary each semester, depending on the instructor. This option is ideal for students who prefer working in a team setting and thrive in structured research environments.

Prerequisites

Senior standing (juniors by permission of the instructor)
ENV 1 Intro to Environmental Studies
ENV 120 Intro to Fieldwork
Environmental Communication Requirement (ENV 0150, ENG/ENV 0160, ENG/ENV 0176, or ANTH 0024)
Students may sometimes be given permission to complete one of the pre-requisites concurrently with the capstone course, but this is not advised

Option 2: ENV 198 Directed Research

Graded: 3 or 4 SHUs

This option is a semester-long individual project where students work one-on-one with a faculty member to explore an environmental topic in depth. Projects must have a substantial environmental focus. Students are responsible for finding a faculty member who is willing to advise the project. The faculty mentor should be a full-time member from any Tufts department, provided their expertise aligns with the project. Faculty members may not always be available to supervise independent studies, and they are more likely to accept a proposal if it aligns with their current research. It is recommended that students review faculty research beforehand and reach out to potential mentors at least one semester before they intend to start the project. The student and advisor will then work together, typically at the beginning of the semester, to establish the project timeline, set expectations, and schedule regular meetings and project check-ins to ensure steady progress. This option is particularly recommended for students who are considering graduate school.

Once a faculty member has agreed to mentor the project, the student must email the Environmental Studies Program indicating: a) the name of the faculty member; b) the number of SHUs they wish to earn (3 or 4), noting that the 3-SHU option requires 135 hours and the 4-SHU option requires 180 hours; c) a tentative title for the project and d) a brief 100-word summary of the project.

In order to use this option as a capstone for the Applied Environmental Studies major, the project must generate new ideas rather than merely synthetizing existing literature. The deliverables for this option include a) a final paper (15-25 pages) or equivalent final project, which will be determined in consultation with the supervising faculty member and b) a 15-minute oral presentation to their faculty advisor.

Prerequisites

Junior or Senior standing
A course or internship in the area of study or faculty permission

Option 3: ENV 199 Senior Honors Thesis

Graded: 8 SHUs

Pursuing a senior honors thesis (ENV 199 Senior Honors Thesis) is a significant, year-long undertaking that offers a deeply rewarding and intellectually enriching experience. It allows students to explore a topic they are passionate about in greater depth than is typically possible through regular coursework. Throughout the process, students develop and refine valuable skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, data analysis, and effective communication. This option is especially well-suited for self-motivated students who enjoy independent work and have shown strong performance in writing- and research-intensive courses. This option is particularly recommended for students who are considering graduate school.

Prerequisites

Rising senior at the time of declaration of intent
Good academic standing
Dean's List at least two semesters before senior year. If you don’t meet this criterion, reach out to Advising Dean Caitlin Casey.
Demonstrated strong academic performance. This will be assessed by the thesis advisor based on the student’s transcript. While overall GPA will be an important factor to assess performance, it will not be the only factor. For example, other considerations may include grades in relevant coursework, excessive W or I grades, etc.
ENV 1 Intro to Environmental Studies
ENV 120 Intro to Environmental Fieldwork (or alternative research methods course approved by thesis chair)
ENV 170 Data Analysis and Visualization (or alternative research methods course approved by thesis chair)
Additional coursework may be required to be completed before or during the senior thesis at the discretion of the thesis advisor
An Environmental Studies senior thesis must have a substantial environmental focus (min. 50%)

Thesis Committee

Students completing a senior honors thesis need a thesis committee. The thesis committee is composed of a thesis advisor (chair) and at least one second reader. The role of the thesis committee is to provide academic support to the student throughout the process and assess the student’s work. The thesis advisor will regularly meet with the student to provide guidance and feedback on the research project and ensure progress is adequate.

The student is responsible for identifying a suitable thesis advisor. The thesis chair must be a full-time faculty in the Environmental Studies Program or an ENVS major advisor. The student can seek guidance from their major advisor and/or the Environmental Studies Program leadership to find a potential thesis advisor. A second reader will be identified jointly by the student and the thesis advisor. The second reader can be a faculty member in any department or program but must be from a different discipline than the thesis advisor. If the two members of the committee are from the same department or program (unless they are full-time faculty in the Environmental Studies Program), the student should consider pursuing a thesis in that department instead.

Thesis Proposal

Students must submit a thesis proposal to receive approval by the Environmental Studies Program. The proposal (3-4 pages, excluding transcript) must include the following sections:

Overview of the research topic and specific question/s to be addressed (max. 250 words)
Proposed methods that will be used for data collection and analysis. If the project involves human study participants, a tentative timeline for completing the Institutional Review Board (IRB) training and securing approval must be included.
Short bibliography (3-5 scholarly articles) along with a brief explanation of how these articles inform the project.
A summary of relevant coursework, research experience, or professional work that has prepared you to undertake this project.
Brief statement from thesis chair confirming the feasibility of the proposed project and their willingness to advise it.
Unofficial transcript

Timeline

Step 1: Create Ideas

When: Junior year
The first step to embark in a senior thesis is to come up with a feasible idea for a project. You can start by making a very broad list of possible topics of interest and then you can narrow down based on feasibility or faculty expertise availability.O nce you narrow down the topic, it is time to find a thesis advisor.

Step 2: Identify a Thesis Advisor

When: Junior year
Once you have identified the primary discipline that will serve as the academic foundation for your thesis (e.g., Anthropology, Biology, English, History, Environmental Engineering, etc.), the next step is to connect with faculty whose expertise aligns with your area of interest. Students are encouraged to begin developing their ideas independently before reaching out. Faculty members may not always be available or able to supervise theses, and will be more likely to take on a project that overlaps with their own research or academic interests. Exploring those connections early on can be helpful in shaping a successful collaboration.

Step 3: Submit Proposal

When: April 1st*, Junior Spring
The student, in collaboration with the thesis advisor, must put together a thesis proposal and submit it for consideration by the Environmental Studies Program Director, Dr. Sara Gomez by April 1st, Junior Spring.

*Off-cycle juniors, should submit their proposal on Dec 15^th

Step 4: Register for Thesis Course

When: During Fall registration in Junior Spring (or Spring registration for off-cycle Juniors)
After receiving approval from the department, students will be granted permission to enroll in ENV 199 Environmental Thesis for both the fall and spring semesters, earning four SHUs each term. Given that the Senior Honors Thesis counts for 8 SHUs, ENV 199 may also be used to fulfill one of the required track electives, but only if the thesis topic clearly aligns with the theme of the student’s chosen track. A course petition must be submitted to use the thesis as one of the electives.

Step 5: Completing the Thesis

When: Senior year
At the start of the first semester of senior year, the student and their thesis advisor should meet to establish a regular meeting schedule, outline a project timeline, and clarify mutual expectations for the thesis process. Additionally, the student and the thesis chair will consult the University’s Senior Honors Thesis Overview and adhere to the University’s Senior Honors Thesis Policies and Procedures.

Students must complete the Senior Honors Thesis Candidate Declaration Form within 6 weeks of the start of the first semester of senior year.