Undergraduate Program
An undergraduate in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences will develop a major program in one of two majors: Environmental Geoscience or Geological Sciences. 课程的设计可以满足每个学生的兴趣和目标.
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Majoring in Earth and Environmental Sciences
Students may wish to major in this field for a variety of reasons, including a desire to work professionally in Earth and environmental sciences; a desire to obtain a preparatory foundation for post-graduate work in Earth and/or environmental science, environmental policy and law, resource management, or similar fields; a desire to teach Earth and environmental science in secondary schools; or a general interest in the discipline.
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Senior Thesis
鼓励学生与本系教授一起进行电子游戏正规平台. A senior thesis is normally a two-semester project, sometimes involving work during the summer after your junior year.
To do a thesis, 学生在大四的每学期注册高级论文(EESC5595), and work with their faculty thesis advisor to submit a course contract and research proposal (2-3 pages) by the drop-add date in the fall semester. 要获得院系荣誉,院系专业需要达到GPA标准(3).3 in major, 3.2 overall) and submit their completed thesis, signed by the faculty research advisor, by 5 pm on April 20, or if that is on a weekend or holiday, by 5 pm on the first regular days of classes thereafter.
Students can also write a senior thesis under the Scholar of the College program.
The timeline for completing a senior thesis varies among students and depends on the nature of the research, the opportunities to conduct research, and the expectations of the thesis advisor. Here is a general timeline for guidance.
Junior year
Spring
- Brainstorm ideas for a senior thesis.
- 向与你有共同电子游戏正规平台兴趣的老师咨询写论文的问题.
Senior year
Fall
- Write a 2-3 page research proposal that includes a problem statement, justification for the research, research questions, and main methods for answering the research questions.
- Submit for approval a course contract 以及一份2-3页的电子游戏正规平台计划,提交给本科生电子游戏正规平台主任. Jeremy Shakun (jeremy.shakun@piebroscafe.com). 请注意,合同和提案需要得到你的论文导师的批准.
- Conduct a thorough literature review.
- Collect data.
- Analyze data.
- Create figures and tables.
- Write some sections of the thesis such as the introduction and methods.
Spring
- 完成数据分析,图形生成,并撰写论文的其余部分.
- Submit and revise several drafts to your advisor (draft deadlines should be worked out with the advisor and included in the course contract).
- April 20 or the first regular class day thereafter if it is a weekend/holiday: Submit final thesis (approved by advisor) to the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
- 与你的论文指导老师讨论是否有可能把论文交上去 eScholarship@BC,一个可搜索的本科生、电子游戏正规平台生和教师奖学金数据库.
- 考虑在年终部门研讨会上以演讲或海报的形式展示你的电子游戏正规平台.
论文包括多个部分,这些部分组织和逻辑地呈现电子游戏正规平台流程.
- Cover Page with the Boston College Seal, name of the academic program, name of the student, name of the thesis advisor, and the date of submission.
- Abstract concisely summarizing the research and major findings.
- Acknowledgements where the author thanks those who helped them throughout the research and writing process.
- Table of Contents
- Introduction that includes:
- Problem statemen and justification for the research.
- Literature review that engages with research articles, books, 以及其他可靠证据的来源,以便为电子游戏正规平台提供背景. Use an appropriate citation format, such as APA or MLA, for both references at the end and for in-paragraph citations.
- Research objectives with specific questions and/or hypotheses.
- Materials and Methods
- Site description for research where location is relevant.
- Data collection methods.
- Data analysis.
- Results
- Present findings that address the research questions or hypotheses.
- Tables and figures with titles and captions.
- Discussion
- Where results are interpreted and related to other studies.
- Conclusion
- Summarize the value of the study and main findings.
- Works Cited/References
- Appendices
- Supplemental tables and figures.
- Data analysis code.
Here is an instructional template that you can use for guidance.
Final theses eligible for Department Honors that are approved by the thesis advisor are due in a digital format to the Earth and Environmental Sciences Director of Undergraduate Studies by 5 pm on April 20, or if that is on a weekend or holiday, by 5 pm on the first regular days of classes thereafter. 所有其他论文都应在商定的时间内提交给指导老师进行最终评分.
We encourage all students who have completed a senior thesis to present their research at the annual department colloquium, which typically occurs during the last week of classes.
我们也鼓励你通过以下方式发表你的论文来分享你的电子游戏正规平台成果:
- eScholarship repository (accessible to the BC community only)
- Elements - The Undergraduate Research Journal of Boston College
What is a senior thesis?
A senior thesis is an extended independent research project, 在一名教员的指导下,用一整个学年的时间完成. Rather than just synthesizing existing literature, 论文对一个新的问题进行新颖的电子游戏正规平台,或以新的方式处理一个问题.
What are the benefits of writing a thesis?
Writing a thesis is a strenuous and rewarding exercise that offers students an opportunity to achieve expertise on a topic, work closely with a faculty advisor, and produce a publishable-quality research project. It allows you to follow your intellectual interests, 深入挖掘你选择的话题,问你想问的问题. Thesis-writers demonstrate to prospective employers and graduate schools that they are capable of completing a sustained research project, and that they have expertise in a particular topic. 如果你也达到了GPA要求,你就有资格以系里的荣誉毕业.3 in the major, 3.2 overall).
How big of a commitment is it?
Writing a thesis is a substantial commitment, but the specifics of that are up to you and your thesis advisor. There is no specific page-length requirement for the thesis itself, but they typically range from 40 to 80 pages including figures, references, appendices, etc. 预计论文电子游戏正规平台将花费与每学期艰苦的3学分课程一样多的时间. 然而,与标准课程不同的是,它更加独立,以学生为导向,并且更加灵活. It therefore helps to be excited about the research and to develop your ability to structure and manage your time. 你和你的导师会制定时间表,规定你完成任务的频率和中间期限.
How do I find a thesis advisor?
Get familiar with the faculty and their research interests to see who might be a good fit – check out faculty websites, talk to other students who may already be working with faculty, attend faculty colloquia during the department seminar series in September when faculty introduce themselves and their research. Then have a conversation with any faculty of interest to express your potential interest in doing a thesis and see what research possibilities might exist – knock on office doors, email, talk to faculty after class. The thesis project could be your idea, part of a faculty member’s existing research, or a combination of the two.
What is the nature of thesis research?
根据你想要回答的问题,电子游戏正规平台可以涉及各种方法. For instance, the research may be focused in the field, in the laboratory, and/or doing computational work.
Can I obtain research funding if needed?
Yes. You can apply for an Advanced Study Grant in spring of junior year to support research during the ensuing summer, or a Thesis Research Grant in the fall of senior year. Visit the website for BC Fellowships site for more information. Faculty may also have financial support if the thesis is part of a larger funded research project they have.
How early do I need to start thinking about doing a thesis?
Junior year is a good time. You will need to have identified a thesis advisor and topic by the beginning of senior year (the official deadline is the drop-add date), and it may be useful to start research during the summer beforehand. Some students get involved in research with faculty earlier in their time at BC and then develop this work into a thesis when senior year arrives.
How does a thesis qualify for Department Honors?
本科电子游戏正规平台委员会根据以下标准评估论文, scoring each item with “no” (0), “somewhat” (1), or “yes” (2). 最低成绩必须达到12分才有资格获得部门荣誉.
- 问题陈述和电子游戏正规平台的理由清楚且令人信服
- Research questions are clearly stated and fill a knowledge gap
- Literature review is thorough and relevant to the topic
- Methods are appropriate to the questions and show analytical skill
- Data collection and analysis are thorough, appropriate to the research questions, and show a high level of scholarship
- 结果是准确的,并以文本、数字和/或表格的形式很好地呈现出来
- 讨论很好地解释了结果,并将结果与其他电子游戏正规平台联系起来
- Conclusion wraps up the main findings and significance of research
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Study Abroad
The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences strongly encourages students to take advantage of study abroad opportunities. An Earth scientist can never see too much of our planet. We particularly encourage students to participate in programs that include field-based courses and research experiences. Depending upon the student's major, and the courses available at the foreign school, the department can be quite flexible. 我们通常允许每学期在国外有一门选修课计入专业要求, or two courses in unusual circumstances. Students should work out their plan well in advance with a departmental advisor or the departmental Foreign Study Advisor (Prof. Professor Jeremy Shakun, jeremy.shakun@piebroscafe.com).
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Fulfilling the Core Requirements
Core courses in the department (numbered EESC1XXX) are designed to give non-science majors an introduction to various aspects of the Earth’s history and dynamics. The course offerings include a wide variety of subjects and approaches that reflect the breadth of the Earth sciences. 这种多样化的课程为入门学生提供了最大的选择自由. All of these courses presume no prior knowledge beyond high school science and all fulfill the Natural Science Core requirement. 它们的目的是让学生了解我们所生活的世界的一些令人兴奋的方面, 同时提供了所有科学共同的分析和推理方法的背景.
EESC核心课程旨在帮助学生实现以下学习目标:
- Demonstrate an awareness of how scientific concepts and methods are employed in the study of planet Earth and its environment, 以及这种意识对21世纪受过自由教育的人来说是多么必要.
- Demonstrate an awareness of the principles and strategies of natural science that are employed in the study of planet Earth and its environment.
- Demonstrate an awareness of the critical role that the Earth and Environmental sciences play in contemporary society.
- Demonstrate an awareness of the power of the scientific method in the study of planet Earth and in solving the Earth’s environmental problems.
- Demonstrate an awareness of the limitations of science in the study of planet Earth and in solving Earth’s environmental problems.
- Demonstrate an awareness of the application of mathematics and other sciences as they are used in the study of planet Earth and its environment.
- Demonstrate how the Earth and Environmental sciences affect humans.
- 展示人类如何影响我们星球的环境和可居住性.
The department participates in the Core Renewal process, offering both Complex Problems (for example EESC1501, EESC1506) and Emerging Questions (for example EESC1701, EESC1702) courses for first-year students. Students wishing to find out more about department Core courses should contact the department at 617-552-3640, Devlin 213, or the Director of Undergraduate Studies (Professor Jeremy Shakun, jeremy.shakun@piebroscafe.com).
The Director of Undergraduate Studies, Prof. Jeremy Shakun, holds drop-in advising hours every Monday from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in Devlin 321B. 如果你有任何与地球和环境科学相关的问题,请随时提问.
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOSCIENCE MAJORS
Environmental Geoscience majors will be able to:
- 描述和应用基本的地球和环境科学概念和信息.
- 收集和解释定量的地球和环境科学数据.
- 批判性地思考当前社会面临的挑战的科学方面.
- If this is their goal, enter graduate or professional school in environmental science, policy, law, or other related fields.
- 如果这是他们的目标,找一份与环境科学相关的工作或实习.
GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES MAJORS
Majors in Geological Sciences will:
- 能够批判性地思考地质科学中的科学问题, 并对地质物质的性质和地球的结构有基本的了解.
- 对形成岩石和塑造地球景观的地质过程有基本的了解吗, 并了解地球历史和过去的环境是如何利用地质, geochemical, and geophysical methods.
- Understand the concept of geologic time, the processes that form and shape the Earth's lithospheric systems, and the theory of plate tectonics.
- 了解地质和地球物理地图,并进行地质和/或地球物理实地调查.
- Collect, analyze, 并解释地质科学中的定性和定量科学数据.
- If this is their goal, enter graduate or professional school in geological sciences, environmental science, policy, law or other related fields.
- 如果这是他们的目标,找一份与地质科学相关的工作或实习.