MPS 403 (Senior Seminar in Mathematical and Physical Sciences) Spring 2006
Scott Heinekamp (scotth@wells.edu) Zabriskie 203 ext 3361
(http://aurora.wells.edu/~swh/)
What are the Goals and Objectives of Part II of your Capstone Experience? MPS 403
is the execution phase of your senior thesis. Now, you will . . .
continue to use resources
to learn more about your topic
develop a fuller collaboration with your topic mentor
assemble the various pieces of your
thesis project (planning, developing background content, learning of things new to you,
the writing
and document design) will come together into a finished work,
suitable for presentation at the lunchtime
science colloquium. This course (along with MPS402) is required of all MPS majors.
Helpful web resources:
Here are electronic versions of the final MPS402 proposals of previous Wells graduates:
Past MPS402 proposals.
And to see the final MPS403 theses, again in various electronic formats:
Past MPS403 theses.
Here is the guide
sheet to Word.
Two, three or four credits? If you are into a great subject and are feeling (or will feel)
productive, then take it for four credits. At the other extreme, if
you are tight on time and realize (correctly) that
the thesis is not going to turn out to be your life's masterpiece (because you are going
to be even greater in your post-Wells life!), you might want to ease up on yourself and take it
for fewer credits. We can discuss your particular situation.
What Will Determine My Grade? Homework assignments are at
Homework and Course Schedule, a page that will evolve as the
semester goes on. As we brainstormed at our first meeting, here are the categories
with %s:
Drafts of "Paper" Materials (20%): All the writing/visuals will potentially be sections
of your thesis document.
Good Class Citizenship (20%): Attendance is expected, along with active
participation in discussion and informal presentation-style updates,
and occasional meetings with me. Also note that, as a good
citizen, you are expected to
attend this semester's Lunchtime Science Colloquia on Fridays.
Verified Ongoing Collaboration with Mentor (20%): Please keep a record (when? for how long?
what was discussed?) of your communications with other faculty/supervisors/helpful folks.
Presentation of Thesis (15%): Near the end of the semester, you will give a ~
20-minute oral presentation of your thesis work to the lunchtime colloquium. Your "performance"
at this event is only a minor piece of this aspect of the course, because you will also have to
create your presentation, and rehearse it.
Project and its Process (25%): Includes not only the final
document, but all of the late-stage steps toward its creation.
This syllabus (web
address http://aurora.wells.edu/~swh/mps402/mps402syl.htm), is the course's home page.