Senior Tutorial

Students accepted to the thesis track enroll in the Senior Tutorial (WOMGEN 99a/b). They meet regularly with their thesis advisers, who provide advice on research strategies and extensive feedback on the students' writing, reading drafts of each chapter and suggesting revisions.

Thesis track seniors also meet weekly in a group section. In these meetings, they receive additional guidance and support as they work through the various stages of researching and writing their theses.

Thesis Advisers

The Director of Undergraduate Studies and the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies assign thesis advisers to all thesis track students who are full concentrators or joint concentrators with WGS as the primary concentration. Students have an opportunity at the end of their junior year to list preferences for potential advisers, which the DUS and the ADUS take into account when making the assignments.

We recommend that students talk to at least two faculty members about potentially advising their theses. Information on WGS-affiliated faculty can also be found on the WGS website.

Thesis Proposal Colloquium

All thesis writers, full and joint, have their thesis proposals reviewed and discussed at a fall colloquium with advisers, faculty, and members of the Graduate Tutorial Board. The colloquium gives students a chance to receive productive feedback on their work at an early stage in the research and writing process.

Senior Presentations

All WGS seniors participate in our senior presentations at the end of the academic year. Students can choose to present work from a course, their thesis, or their involvement in a campus group or organization.

Oral Exams

All thesis track students take a one-hour oral examination during reading period. The oral exam committee includes at least one thesis reader and one member of the WGS teaching faculty. In advance of the exam, students submit a one- to two-page thesis abstract and a two- to three-page narrative of study, which describes the student’s focus of study or “intellectual trajectory” as a full or joint concentrator. The exam consists of a discussion of the thesis and the readers’ reports, as well as the narrative of study.

Honors Recommendations

At Harvard there are two types of honors, which recognize students who have particularly distinguished records: college or Latin honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude) and departmental or English honors (honors, high honors, and highest honors). English honors recognize the work the students do in the concentration, and they also function as a recommendation to the College for the final determination of Latin honors. For more information on how the College determines Latin honors, please see the Harvard College Handbook for Students. The English honors recommendation in WGS is determined principally by the student’s concentration GPA, thesis readings, and oral exam evaluation.