Senior Scholars Research Program

Through the Senior Scholars Research Program, as many as 15 seniors are able to devote their entire final year at the College to work on a single intellectual project. The project can be a scientific investigation, a scholarly endeavor, a work of art, creative writing, filmmaking, or any other proposal that engages the imaginative and intellectual faculties students have been developing at Rochester.

Senior Scholars projects are marked by intellectual engagement and coherence, and by educational soundness and continuity. 

The project must be composed and carried out under the supervision of a faculty advisor or advisors. The project does not have to be related to or part of the student’s major.

The project can be a part of the major, with the consent of the department.

Course Credit and Timeline

Although Senior Scholars are not required to take courses, the project may include coursework in addition to independent study. All together, the project will carry a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 32 credits, and it must be capable of being completed by the end of the senior year.

Applying

If you are interested in applying for the Senior Scholars Program, you can discuss your ideas with the faculty member(s) you would like to have advise you on your project. Once you have a solid project idea, you can prepare to submit, with a faculty advisor's help, a well-reasoned and convincing document.

Application forms and more information about the Senior Scholars Program are available in the Multidisciplinary Studies Center in Lattimore 203. Interested students must apply for the Senior Scholars program. Proposals are reviewed by the Senior Scholars Review Board, and must be submitted by April 1 of junior year.