Research
The Department of Modern Literatures and Cultures promotes undergraduate research and independent study opportunities from the beginning of students’ academic careers through to their senior year and beyond. For students majoring in French, German Studies or Russian Studies, a senior research project is required.
The purpose of the senior research project is to allow students to demonstrate the skills they have acquired through the major program and to engage in independent, substantive research on a topic that has not been covered in detail in their coursework. The research project is spread out over the fall and spring semesters of the senior year and consists of a planning, consultation, and preliminary research phase in the fall, and a research, consultation, and completion phase in the spring. Each student will be mentored by one of more faculty members.
French
Majors must register for FREN 498 in the fall of their senior year. Majors are required to attend 3-4 meetings over the course of the semester. These meetings will include all other seniors and a faculty member in French. During these meetings, students will discuss their progress in choosing their topic and beginning their research. Students are also expected to meet individually with their advisors for consultation during the fall semester.
FREN 499 is the final component of the senior project and all majors must register for this course in the spring of their senior year. As in the fall semester, there will be a series of required group meetings of all senior majors and a member of the French faculty. Individual majors will also meet regularly with their faculty advisors for consultation on their projects. In April, all senior majors must present their projects at the French symposium. Projects should be written in French.
German Studies
Majors must register for GERM 498 in the fall of their senior year. During the fall semester, senior majors will meet with their faculty advisors to discuss their topics. All majors must submit an outline for their projects together with a preliminary bibliography by the last day of fall classes.
GERM 499 is the final component of the senior project and all majors must register for this course in the spring of their senior year. Students will meet regularly with their faculty advisors for consultation and feedback. Students must submit a first draft of their projects during the week following spring break. The final draft of the project must be submitted electronically by the last day of spring classes. Projects will be evaluated by two members of the German Studies faculty using the standard grading system.
Russian Studies
Majors must register for RUSN 498 in the fall of their senior year. During the fall semester, senior majors will meet with their faculty advisors to discuss their research topics.
RUSN 499 is the final component of the senior project and all majors must register for this course in the spring of their senior year. Students will meet regularly with their faculty advisors for consultation and feedback. All majors must present their research projects at an academic venue to be determined in discussion with their faculty advisor. Projects will be evaluated by two members of the Russian Studies faculty using the standard grading system.
Independent Study
Independent study is reserved for significant projects in areas that lie beyond the scope of regular course offerings. It is expected that such projects will involve extensive individual research and result in a significant project, such as a paper suitable for a conference presentation. (The project should represent a higher standard of work than than the average course term paper.) Only such projects will be approved for full credit (4 semester hours) and applicable to MLC major programs.
Independent study is available only to students who have already taken at least one 400-level course (with exception noted below).
Independent study should not replicate regular course offerings (except in cases of smaller programs where 400-level courses cannot be offered each semester).
Students should begin planning their independent study as early as possible, preferably in time for pre-registration, under the guidance of a faculty mentor. The project proposal presented to the department chair should include a full description of the project, preliminary bibliography, and rationale explaining how the project furthers the student's specific educational goals in ways that are not covered by the existing curriculum.
Students may also propose smaller-scale independent study projects (1-2 sem. hours credit). These projects will allow students to carry out individual reading / research projects that build on earlier coursework or allow a student to expand an interest in a given area. Most projects based on internships will fall into this category, unless there is a substantial academic component involved.
Exception for MLC minors
Students minoring in a language may propose an independent study to meet the 400-level course requirement under the following conditions: the project should allow the student to combine a topic stemming from his/ her major with work in the language of the minor. Such projects, while mentored primarily by MLC faculty, should also have a faculty consultant in the student's major department.
