Individual Department and Program Senior Assignment Descriptions
College of Arts and Sciences
Anthropology
The Senior Assignment consists of a seminar focusing on anthropological professional development in ANTH 490A and an individualized, experiential project supervised by a faculty mentor in ANTH 490B. The project can consist of research, an internship, or a volunteer/service-learning project which will allow the student to cultivate and utilize anthropological skills and knowledge. The volunteer/service-learning option is ordinarily completed during the fall semester, while internships and research projects typically require two semesters to complete as ANTH 487, 488, or 489. Completed projects include oral presentation and a written report or research paper; projects may also include a museum display, website, or other creative product that suits the student's career goals. More information can be found on the department's website.
All students majoring in Applied Communication Studies must take senior assignment or capstone courses. Students in the Interpersonal Communication Track must complete ACS 424 Senior Project in Interpersonal Communication. Students in the Corporate and Organizational Communication Track must complete ACS 409 Senior Project in Corporate and Organizational Communication. Students in the Public Relations Track must complete ACS 415 Public Relations Campaigns II: Implementation and Evaluation, and for its preparation they take ACS 414 Public Relations Campaigns I: Research and Planning the previous semester.
The senior assignment courses integrate all the knowledge that students have acquired from taking required and elective courses in Applied Communication Studies courses and on their specific track. As part of the senior assignment courses, teams of students put to work the knowledge and skills that they learned within the Department of Applied Communication Studies and in their track through projects which combine theory, research, and practice and which can benefit a group, business, non-profit agency, or community. The senior assignment courses thus provide students with a solid practical foundation upon which they can confidently build as they embark on a career in applied communication.
Additional information can be found on the ACS website.
Art and Design
Bachelor of Fine Arts: B.F.A. candidates must formally exhibit their art works and present a written paper (artist's statement) - both requirements are assessed by departmental faculty. B.F.A. candidates must also take and pass ART 405 in their senior year.
Bachelor of Arts: B.A. candidates must present a formal review of their art works (portfolio) and present a written paper (artist's statement) - both requirements are assessed by departmental faculty. B.A. candidates must also take and pass ART 405 in their senior year.
Bachelor of Arts, Art History Specialization: B.A. candidates must present an original paper, which will be assessed by departmental faculty. Senior exit examinations are also required.
Bachelor of Science, Art Education: B.S. candidates must satisfactorily complete and pass student teaching; prepare a student portfolio including: (a) set of four lesson plans or total unit, (b) set of visuals (photos, slides, videos) reflecting student work and performance, (c) 500-word essay regarding the importance of art education as part of the general education curriculum, (d) excerpts from the student teaching journal describing peak experiences in teaching, (e) other pertinent material that the student deems appropriate.
Biological Sciences
All senior Biology undergraduate students are required to enroll in either BIOL 492 or BIOL 497. BIOL 492 is Colloquium in Ecology, Evolution, and Environment (sections a and b) or Colloquium in Cell and Molecular Biology (sections c and d) and is a 1-credit-hour pass/fail course. BIOL 497: Senior Assignment is 2 credit hours, and is also a 1-credit-hour pass/fail course.
Students enrolled in these courses are required to develop a capstone research report or conduct a capstone research project. Upon completion, students present their findings as either a research poster or an oral research presentation at a formal seminar. A minimum of three department faculty evaluate each presentation based on specific benchmarks.
Chemistry
Students are required to present either: a poster with a 10-15 minute oral presentation and defense, or a 20-30 minute PowerPoint oral presentation and defense. Students present either their own chemical research conducted within the department or on a current topic within chemistry or biochemistry. All topics are approved by the faculty supervisor for the course. All students are expected to do library work and gather and evaluate the information obtained. All departmental faculty are responsible for evaluating the resulting projects.
CHEM 499 (Senior Assignment) for 0 credit hours is required for graduation. The Department of Chemistry's web site also has information on the Senior Assignment at http://www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/chemistry/senior_assignment.shtml.
Criminal Justice Studies (Department of Criminal Justice Studies)
As part of the University's assessment program, all undergraduate majors in Criminal Justice are required to complete a Senior Assignment. This will occur during completion of the Supervised Internship (CJ 488). The internship is generally taken during the final year of coursework, but in no case sooner than completion of the required pre-requisite Methods (CJ 302) course. As part of the internship, students are required to write four papers about their experience and its relationship to the four Criminal Justice assessment areas as well as their coursework in Criminal Justice, and to record a presentation to the Criminal Justice faculty that is also open to the general University community. The Department's website has additional information.
English Language and Literature
All senior English majors must enroll in ENG497A: Senior Seminar. The Senior Seminar is a variable-topics course in which students engage in a substantial research project, culminating in an oral presentation at our Fall or Spring Senior Conference and a 12-15 page written work. Students compile Senior Portfolios consisting of three projects from various stages of their undergraduate careers (one of which must be the Senior Assignment project) as well as a critical self-reflection. Senior Portfolios are reviewed by the English Department’s Assessment Committee, which formulates and disseminates findings and recommendations to the department in response. The goal of portfolio review is to help our faculty develop pedagogies that respond to current student needs and concerns.
All senior students majoring Environmental Sciences are required to complete ENSC 498, Senior Project in Environmental Sciences (1 cr) and ENSC 490, Senior Assignment in Environmental Sciences (1 cr). Students enrolled in ENSC 498 develop and conduct individual or group research projects under the supervision of ENSC, adjunct or other affiliated faculty members. Students enrolled in ENSC 490 are required to develop capstone research reports based on their senior projects and present their research findings through a poster session at the end of the semester. Department faculty evaluates each poster presentation using a set of specific rubrics.
Foreign Languages and Literature
Students shall be responsible for completing an essay 10 to 12 pages in length in the language in which they majored. This paper shall be completed under the supervision of a faculty mentor, and is independent of class context. The completed senior essay will be submitted before the final examination week in the final semester of the senior year. A copy of the essay with the essay professor's critique and assigned grade will be distributed among the faculty in the pertinent language so that the faculty may assess the effectiveness of the program. The senior essay achieves two purposes: (1) ensures that graduates of the department can indeed function in the target language, and (2) provides a means of assessment for the department as well as for the writing skills fostered in the general education program.
FR 400a,b (Senior Essay in French), GER 400a,b (Senior Essay in German) for 2 credit hours each semester or SPAN 400 (Senior Essay in Spanish) for 3 credit hours is required for graduation.
Geography
Department of History
All History majors are required to complete History 401 (Historical Research). History 401 is designed as a capstone course, a research project culminating in a substantial paper or media project of similar substance based upon direct investigation of primary as well as secondary sources. Requiring students to apply the rules of historical research to a selected topic demonstrates the degree to which the student has come to understand and appreciate how historians gather and weigh evidence, shape and test hypotheses, and advance conclusions. The course gives students the opportunity to draw together what they have learned in earlier experiences and give finishing touches to the research, analytical, and writing skills that are emphasized throughout the program, as well as to present their findings orally to peers and faculty.
HIST 401 (Historical Research) for 3 credit hours is required for graduation.
During the senior year, each International Studies major is required to complete either a research project or an application project, under the direction of a selected faculty mentor or supervisor, in INTS 499 International Studies Senior Assignment. A capstone project pertains to the student’s specific concentration area in International Studies (International Art, Culture, and Communication; International Politics and Democracy; or International Development and Sustainability) and integrates a thematic focus and a regional focus. More information can be found on the program's website.
Liberal Studies
The Senior Assignment in Liberal Studies is individually designed for each student. Instead of one common structured assignment for all Liberal Studies majors, students complete a Senior Project that is designed to meet their future academic/career goals. This can be done through a research paper, internship/practicum, or creative undertaking. Students work with the program director to identify a faculty mentor based upon the topic/interest area of their Senior Project. Students will present their Senior Project to the program director, faculty mentor, and members of the Liberal Studies Advisory Committee at the end of the semester.
LIBS 400 (Senior Project in Liberal Studies) for 3 credit hours is required for graduation.
Mass Communications
The Senior Assignment in the Mass Communications program is a combination of a Mass Communications major's internship experience and the creation of a portfolio of many kinds of media products a student has produced while he/she has been a Mass Communications student, plus what s/he produced while on internship. All this is done under the auspices of the required course, MC 481, Internship/Senior Portfolio. The internship is the capstone of the academic experience: the student tests his or her preparation for an entry level job in mass communications in a truly professional setting. After completing the internship, the intern supervisor fills out a written evaluation of the student's performance. This comprises half the student's grade in MC 481. The other half of his/her grade in MC 481 is a senior portfolio, judged by a jury of Mass Communications Department faculty who teach in the student's professional option (Television-Radio, Media Advertising, Corporate Communications or Print/Broadcast Journalism). As the department's portfolio instructions state, "The purpose of the portfolio is to demonstrate to a jury of department faculty in your professional option what you have learned to do well during your time here, and whether or not you are ready to graduate. But portfolios also have another valuable and practical purpose for you: When you graduate, you cannot expect to be hired as a professional communicator (especially in this competitive job market) if you can't prove that you can do the work -- and do it better than all those other colleges' mass communications graduates who are competing for the same jobs. As this department's faculty has stressed throughout your time here, the well-laid-out contents of a Mass Communications Department graduate's published clips or photos, Ad/P.R. portfolio, multimedia CD or resume/audition tape plus writing and other samples could be that extra bit of evidence that will make a potential employer choose you over other applicants." A more complete description of MC 481 and the senior portfolio can be found on the department's web site at http://www.siue.edu/MASSCOMM/internships.html
A passing grade in the MC 481 is required for graduation.
Mathematics and Statistics
The Senior Project in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics can take one of two forms: (1) an in-depth study of a topic in senior level mathematics, statistics, or operations research, documentation of that in-depth study, and a poster presentation of the in-depth study to members of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics faculty, or (2) a student teaching experience, submission of edTPA and math portfolio, and a poster presentation of the portfolio to members of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics faculty. The second option is only available to teacher licensure students.
Students pursuing teacher licensure may elect the first option (an in-depth study) if they prefer.
The in-depth study option consists of 3 components: an in-depth study of a topic in senior level mathematics, statistics, or operations research, documentation of that in-depth study, and an oral presentation of the in-depth study to members of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics faculty. The formal beginning of the Senior Project takes place during Math 498, Senior Seminar. During Math 498 the student will consult with a member of the Department faculty, referred to herein as project director, to prepare a proposal for the senior project. The project
will vary with the student’s interest and declared options. For example, in the Applied Mathematics specialization and the Statistics specialization, it might include a computer program for the solution of an appropriate problem. In this case, the documentation should include a statement or history of the problem, a thorough discussion of the theory behind the solution of the problem, the computer program, the results, and a discussion and/or interpretation
of the results. In both the Mathematics and Mathematics Education Options, one possibility would be an expository paper on the history of a theorem or problem in mathematics, describing the various efforts to prove the theorem or resolve the problem along with a detailed presentation and analysis of the ultimately successful proof or resolution. Once a proposal has been accepted the student will work with the project director on documenting the in-depth study (written portion of the project). After the written portion has been satisfactorily completed, the student, under the direction of the project director, will prepare and then deliver a poster presentation to members of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics faculty.
Note that every Senior Project taking the in-depth study option must contain a theorem and proof or a derivation of an algorithm, of moderate complexity.
A grade of S in MATH 499: Senior Project (2 credit hours) is required for graduation.
Music
The manner in which a student demonstrates a general education perspective relative to the major remains flexible and is decided upon by the student and his/her assessment committee, taking into consideration the student's interests and background. A student's assessment committee consists of at least two music faculty members who are selected and invited to serve by the student. The committee provides guidance and direction as well as evaluation of the completed project. Assessment normally takes place during the senior year but a student may select a project/topic in advance with approval of his/her assessment committee.
Music majors may demonstrate a general education perspective in a variety of ways, such as (a) music education majors teaching a composer as related to the political/social events, visual arts and literature of his time, (b) performance majors writing program notes relating his/her recital pieces to works of visual art, aspects of philosophy, history, psychology, sociology, computer science, etc., (c) composition majors composing a final project and presenting a lecture on the role of the composer in contemporary society (audience, patronage, impact of computers and electronics, etc.), (d) history and theory majors taking an oral and/or written exam and in which they are asked to relate specific aspects of music to other disciplines.
Specific course, credit hours, and grade for Senior Assignment are unspecified but arise from required work in MUS 357.
Philosophy
The Senior Assignment requires students register for PHIL 480: Senior Assignment.
The Senior Assignment class provides a capstone experience for graduating seniors. In the senior year, each philosophy major, whether a first or second major, must satisfy the university graduation requirement of a senior assignment by successfully completing PHIL 480, whose goal is to engage students in independent research culminating in a substantial paper and presentation. Students are expected to produce the sort of paper that could be submitted to conferences (such as the Undergraduate Conference held at SIUE), or as a writing sample for Philosophy graduate programs. Presentations of student papers are delivered to the PHIL 480 class and members of the philosophy faculty. The goals of PHIL 480 are to provide instruction and guidance on conducting independent philosophical research, to provide constructive criticism, including peer review, as the project progresses, and to provide the opportunity to engage the work of one’s peers.
Physics
The Physics Senior Assignment will be done over a period of at least two semesters. Students will be required to take between a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 8 credit hours for PHYS 499.
In the first semester of the Senior Assignment, students will enroll for 2 credits of PHYS 499 and will:
- pick an advisor and define a project
- choose faculty members willing to serve on their 3-member committee (including the advisor)
- become functionally competent with the resources available to them (e.g., student should be able to make a simple but representative measurement independently, write an operational, relevant piece of software, or pilot a structured interview with analysis)
- perform a literature review --- this may be as simple as reading literature already selected by the advisor
- write a proposal for the project. This proposal must be defended before the committee and approved by the committee
The committee will assign the final grade for the first semester.
In the second semester of the Senior Assignment, students will enroll for 3 credits of PHYS 499. PHYS 499 will be available for 2 or 3 credits in a third semester (if any is desired.) In the final semester during which students are enrolled in this course, they will:
- collect data/do the project (as appropriate)
- write formal reports of their projects, a copy of which will be archived
- present their Senior Assignments in a 30-minute formal talk during which they will be expected to answer probing questions about their work
- prepare and present poster presentations of their work during the Physics Department Research Week
The faculty, as a group, will assign the final grade for the second (and, if necessary, third) semester. This grade will be determined via a rubric.
Political Science
The Senior Assignment in the Department of Political Science is an original research project that a student completes during their last year in the program. Students complete this project as part of Political Science 400 for three credit hours. This project features the following:
1) Students choose a faculty mentor with whom to work during the first three weeks of the semester;
2) Students do the research and write a significant term paper in the same style that political scientists use to conduct their own research. Students create an explanation, generate hypotheses, gather and weigh evidence, and draw appropriate conclusions;
3) Students present the results of their research to the University community as part of a poster session.
Projects vary, and students are encouraged to work with the faculty mentor whose area of expertise most closely aligns with their own interests. Students must receive a grade of "C" or higher in Political Science 400 to graduate.
Social Work
The Department of Social Work's Senior Assignment is completed by all majors while they are enrolled in SOCW 483 (second semester of field placement), which is usually the last semester of their senior year. The actual assignment consists of the following parts:
a) the grade the students receives for their practica (field placement). The grade for this portion of the senior assignment is based on the 11 program goals of the department which demonstrates the student's ability to integrate knowledge and skills learned in the program in an actual social work practice in an agency setting. Students are graded by their field placement supervisors for this portion of the Senior Assignment. These goals are:
1. The student applied critical thinking skills through use of bio-psycho-social theory and research for practice across all system levels (micro, mezzo and macro).
2. The student demonstrated proficiency in oral and written communication skills as well as the ability to effectively communicate differentially with a variety of client populations, colleagues, and members of the community.
3. The student demonstrated professional identity characterized by the professional use of self and an awareness of social work values and ethics, and the ability to appropriately apply these values and ethics in social work practice at all systems levels.
4. The student demonstrated an understanding of the various forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination against marginalized groups, including racial and ethic minorities, women, children, gays and lesbians, persons with disabilities and the elderly, along with the ability to apply various strategies of change that may advance social and economic justice for such groups.
5. The student demonstrated an awareness of the history and evolution of the social work profession, the current services that are provided under the auspices of the profession, and the various roles within which social workers operate.
6. The student demonstrated an understanding of the bio-psycho-social factors that affect and theories that explain individual, group, and community development and functioning, and the ability to assess the relative importance of these various influences on client systems.
7. The student demonstrated the application of the knowledge and skills of generalist social work practice using the problem-solving model.
8. The student demonstrated the ability to evaluate research studies and apply the findings of such research to practice, as well as the ability to evaluate his or her own practice interventions.
9. The student demonstrated the ability to use supervision appropriately in generalist practice and function effectively within the structure of a social welfare organization and service delivery.
10. Students will understand major social work policies specifically related to the practicum agency and populations-at-risk.
11. The student demonstrated the ability to analyze the impact of social policies on client systems, practitioners, and agencies, and the application of change strategies within the social policy arena.
b) the second portion of the senior assignment is the assessment of a case scenario. Students are provided in-depth information about a family and are required to answer nine questions using specific skills, knowledge, models and theories taught in the program. Department of Social Work faculty evaluates each answer of the student's assessment by using a blind review process. Grading is based on the A, B, C, D and F grading scale used by the department.
c) finally, each student's grade from their research project completed in their Research Methods course (which is taken in conjunction with their first semester of field placement) is added to their grade from their practicum, and their grade from their case assessment.
This grade is 30% of the student's grade for SOCW 483.
The Senior Assignment data is part of an ongoing program evaluation to improve the quality of the Social Work program, and as an evaluation tool for the Council on Social Work Education, the accreditating body of the program.
Sociology (Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice Studies)
The Sociology Department emphasizes an applied sociological approach in all its exit requirements. Undergraduate majors complete a sequence of courses as they move throughout the curriculum that prepare them for this applied application. The sequence is based on the idea that knowledge and skills developed in one course should translate to another, and ultimately provide students with the ability to integrate theoretical and methodological skills that help them understand and change the social world.
Sociology majors can choose one of two tracks that yield very different senior assignment experiences: Internship report or Community Project-based research paper. Employment Relations (ER) and Diversity and Social Justice (DSJ) students write a final research report that provides sociological analyses to their internship experiences. For General Sociology majors, the assignment requires students design an independent empirical research question, generate an appropriate literature review and theoretical framework, and implement a research protocol that aligns with a community project that the class participates in together.
Regardless of the path students must take and receive a C or better in the required courses and complete at least 5 sociology electives before moving into their Capstone Exit Requirement Course. For all students, required courses includes Sociology 111, Introduction to Sociology, Sociology 301, Survey of Theory, Sociology 302 (Methods) and 303 (Statistics). For General Sociology students other required courses include both a gender/sexuality and race/ethnicity component. For ER students further required courses include Sociology of Work, 338 and Employment and Workplace Change, Soc 431 and for DSJ students such additional required courses are Creating Social Change, 325 and Social Movements, 411.
The Department's web site has additional information at http://www.siue.edu/sociology/.
Theater and Dance Senior Assignment consists of a class focusing on professional development, THEA499, and an individualized, experiential capstone project supervised by a faculty mentor or mentors. The mission of the Theater Dance Senior Assignment is to provide seniors the opportunity and resources to investigate, research, write, rehearse, perform, design, direct, choreograph, teach and otherwise prepare a project or body of work that captures and exemplifies their skill and understanding of their specialization in a form faculty can assess and evaluate. The capstone project varies depending on the departmental specialization – Dance, Design and Technical Theater, Performance and Theater Education. Through this assessment process the department is able to judge the relative success of student work and information transmitted to its student majors via the curriculum, productions and other department sanctioned events and projects.
