General Studies 493: Information for Faculty Sponsors
The Senior Study is the end product of a student's General Studies major. It is intended to provide the student with an opportunity to investigate in depth and with a reasonable amount of creative and original thought a topic relevant to his or her General Studies major. It should give evidence of a familiarity with the subject material and indicate resourceful and effective study and investigation, and, when appropriate, meet all the requirements of scholarly documentation. In short, a Senior Study should meet all the academic standards you would expect of an independent study done by a major in your department.All General Studies majors must register for the Senior Study, GEN ST 493. Since GEN ST 493 carries 5 credits, the topic of the Senior Study should be such as to require the student to spend at least the average of 15 hours per week that the University recommends for 5 credit courses. If the student is submitting a traditional term paper, the length is expected to be approximately 35 pages, plus footnotes and bibliography.
In order to meet the requirements of General Studies, the finished product must be of sufficient quality to earn a grade of at least 2.7.
Although most Senior Studies are written, this is not a requirement if a student's major includes creative skills best demonstrated in a medium other than writing. If this is the case, the student must submit a synopsis, outlining the content of the study and the steps taken in the process of completing it. If the study is written, it should be submitted to you in finished form and in an acceptable academic style, fully documented with footnotes where appropriate and a bibliography.
Before a student is allowed to register for GEN ST 493 he or she must submit to us an outline of the proposed work as approved by a faculty sponsor. If you agree to supervise this student's work, the GEN ST 493 proposal form should be filled out and signed by the student, then returned to you for your signature.
Since the Senior Study is an integral part of the student's degree, General Studies as the degree-granting department reserves the right to reject or demand modification in the completed study before a student is allowed to graduate as a General Studies major. All Senior Studies are reviewed by the General Studies Committee, although final acceptance is based primarily on the grade and evaluation that you submit.
Thank you for your commitment of time and effort, which makes the General Studies program possible. If you have further questions, please contact:
David Sayrs
Coordinator, General Studies
206-616-7302
dsayrs@u.washington.edu
University of Washington
Undergraduate Gateway Center
advice@u.washington.edu
February 2001