Senior Thesis/Capstone

Macaulay students must complete honors in their major and a senior thesis or capstone project.  Honors in the major will often include a thesis or capstone that fulfills both requirements, but this is not always the case.

If the thesis option and/or honors in the major is not available in the home campus major department, or with special permission, students may, pursue other options to fulfill the Macaulay thesis requirement.

Alternative options outlined below must be communicated to Macaulay for approval by the Macaulay Chief Academic Officer using this form.

(1) Students may enroll in Macaulay’s Springboard Senior Thesis class (MHC 400 and 401).  Springboard is a two-semester commitment and students will not be permitted to enter mid-year. Successful completion of Springboard is automatically approved by the Chief Academic Officer for fulfilling the Macaulay thesis requirement.

(2) Students may complete an independent senior thesis project at their home campus, in consultation with their Macaulay and major advisor.  In addition to filing the thesis form linked above, this option must be approved by the local campus Macaulay Director and major department.

(3) Students may take two extra (6 credits, in addition to all other graduation credit requirements) upper division undergraduate Honors classes or graduate-level courses on any CUNY campus, including at Macaulay. 

It is incumbent upon the student to verify the requirements for honors in the major and the thesis/capstone requirement. Macaulay recommends that you keep documentation of approval to use an alternative thesis options. Using an alternative method for fulfilling the Macaulay requirement may not fulfill the home campus/major department requirements. Students are encouraged to meet with their major and Macaulay advisors to ensure all that all requirements are met with the planned options.