Thesis Seminar

This seminar is designed to prepare students planning to work on a thesis project in the B.Arch and M.Arch programs. Thesis work is highly self-directed and requires a level of metacognitive thinking, which includes identifying a valid area of concern, understanding the disciplinary discourse around a chosen topic and its cultural and social context, identifying the means and methods to implement the project, and establishing the criteria by which to evaluate the work. This course is structured around the individual effort required to advance these aims. You will enter this course with an initial thesis statement, a body of background research related to your topic, and a set of questions that can be interrogated by engaging in research and discussion. The seminar will help you refine the scope of the thesis argument, define appropriate research methods, sharpen communication about thesis work in all of its phases. In addition, it will facilitate group conversation and exchange of ideas, providing dialogue, feedback, and continued motivation. The collective engagement of all seminar participants, in addition to individual conversations and targeted feedback from the instructor, will support your sustained progress.