Bachelor’s Essay Policy
Please see the course catalog and Honors College for any additional requirements and recommendations.
Requirement
The student must find an advisor willing to supervise the project no later than the day before the bachelor’s essay paperwork is due to the Honors College.
Recommendation
Students are recommended to begin contacting potential advisors during the second semester of their junior year.
Requirement
The students must find a second reader. The second reader will review the final draft of the bachelor’s essay to assess whether or not the essay meets the quality of a bachelor’s essay. A quality bachelor’s essay will reflect careful, critical and thorough investigation of the chosen topic. The paper will also be well-written (i.e., free of spelling, grammar, punctuation and formatting errors) in APA academic style.
Recommendation
The second reader should typically be a faculty member and may be from any department at the College of Charleston. The second reader may, if willing, provide feedback and guidance throughout the project. Students may seek help from additional faculty members, who may be able to provide guidance in areas outside of their advisor’s specialization.
Requirement
A bachelor’s essay should be conducted over two semesters, although it may be conducted in one semester if both the advisor and second reader approve.
Recommendation
Students should note that it will be extremely difficult to conduct a bachelor’s essay in one semester, given that a final draft is due seven weeks before commencement.
Requirement
Students conducting research involving human subjects must complete Institutional Review Board (IRB) training through the CITI program and file an application for IRB approval.
Recommendation
Students should be aware that training, preparation of paperwork and approval of paperwork will take several weeks, and possibly months. Thus students should begin the process as early as possible, ideally in the semester before the beginning of the senior year.
Requirement
There is no requirement for students to defend a research proposal. Advisors will provide continual feedback during development of the research project.
Recommendation
Students may receive feedback from the second reader to ensure they are on track towards conducting quality research. Students are encouraged to have a completed literature review and research methodology submitted to their advisor before the end of the first semester.
Requirement
Students should have a final draft of their bachelor’s essay completed and submitted to their advisor at least seven weeks before commencement.
Recommendation
Advisors are recommended to provide feedback to students about their final draft and allow students to revise and resubmit, in time to prepare for the second reader.
Requirement
Second readers will have a final revised draft of the bachelor’s essay at least four weeks before commencement.
Recommendation
The second reader should assess the essay to determine whether or not it meets the minimum standards of quality work for a bachelor’s essay in the department (see above).
Requirement
The second reader should confirm approval or rejection of the bachelor’s essay no later than two weeks before commencement. If the essay is rejected, the second reader should provide clear justification for rejection.
Recommendation
If the paper is rejected, the student, advisor and reader should meet as soon as possible to discuss any potential for improving the essay so that it would meet the minimum expectations of a bachelor’s essay.
Requirement
There is no specific page requirement.
Recommendation
Quality bachelor’s essays will typically exceed 10,000 words.
Requirement
There is no requirement to conduct a final presentation.
Recommendation
Students are recommended to work with their advisor to schedule a presentation to share the culmination of their work with anyone that may be interested in it.
