Journalism Senior Project

The senior project is a culminating experience that lets journalism students apply their learning to a professional-quality storytelling, strategic communication or research project.

Expected Standards and Outcomes

• You should register for senior project as soon as you have completed 135 units, but no later than the second quarter of the senior year, when possible.
• During the registration process, you will have a choice of several faculty supervisors. Your assigned supervisor must approve the project.
• All senior projects must be completed the quarter in which enrolled. Students should get in touch with their designated senior project supervisor during the first week of classes and work out a schedule for their particular project.
• All senior projects will be undertaken in residence.

Before an adviser accepts a project topic, students should present a written “senior project proposal." The said proposal should contain the answers to the following:

1. In one succinct paragraph: what does the project propose to study?
2. Why this particular project? What is its significance?
3. The underlying hypothesis of the research: what is the expected outcome of the findings?
4. What methodology will be used in order to gather information? Among others, methodology might involve mailing surveys, analyzing a number of issues of newspapers, newsletters, broadcast tapes or personal interviews. The information-gathering methods should be appropriate to the proposed research.
5. The proposal should contain a preliminary bibliography listing published sources that will be used in the project.

Generally, an acceptable senior project should include the following chapters:

• Introduction. What is the study about, the need for investigation, the methodology used and the anticipated results?
• Review of Literature. A synthesis of previously published material by experts about the topic or similar topic. What are some of the major findings?
• Methodology. What methods were used in gathering data for the project? Results are presented in an objective form without interpretation.
• Discussion. What do the results mean or indicate? Do they prove, disprove, or shed further light on what the experts said in Chapter 2? Do they vindicate the thesis of this project, wholly, partially? The researcher borrows from 
• Chapters 2 and 3 to illustrate and defend findings or points. Interpretation is needed here.
• Conclusion. Concluding remarks, reiteration of research undertaken and findings. Problems and snags encountered in the course of the study. What are the implications for further research?

Minimum length for senior projects is 25 pages, exclusive of footnotes, bibliography and appendices. Projects should be written in the third person.