A ONE-SEMESTER THESIS: PROBLEM TO PRESENTATION IN 15 WEEKS

At University of the Incarnate Word, senior environmental science majors apply knowledge from previous coursework into a semester-long research course that resembles a master's thesis project. Students choose their own topic to research, coming up with the problem and pursuing the project and presenting their work at the end of the semester. This course gives them experiences that aid them in graduate school as well as their careers by finding a problem, researching background and methodologies, carrying out their own field or lab work, analyzing data, and presenting it in a research paper, poster, and powerpoint presentation. Projects typically cover topics in water quality, litter, air quality, and wind energy output. These projects combine student interests in environmental science with issues in the San Antonio area, linking the university and the surrounding community and providing real data to community leaders. The students also benefit from independence in working on their projects, learning to write and present their work in a scientific and professional manner, and learning to conduct professional projects within the confines of a semester. This presentation will outline how this class is designed, how students are assessed, how students benefit, and things to consider for a research-based course.