CIS Seniors

As a CIS major, your senior thesis or capstone is a significant part of your experience and it is important to stay on track with planning. Consider these key milestones/deliverables during your junior and senior years.

CIS Meetings 

You will be expected to attend CIS meetings to review logistics, share your project with others, and build community. You will receive Outlook invites for those meetings.

Advisor Meetings 

Majors will meet frequently with their advisor(s) as part of their senior year coursework in CIS 495 and/or CIS 496.

Resources

Grant Opportunities 

Limited funding is available for international research trips for seniors over winter break through Dean Rusk’s Fall Grant Cycle.

Dean Rusk International Studies Program Travel Grants

Conference Funding

Assistance is available to help fund students travel for those who present their work at conferences. Talk to your advisors and/or contact academic_affairs@davidson.edu for more information.

Senior Year CIS Courses

CIS 495 (All CIS majors)

CIS 495 is a fall semester course required for capstone and thesis students. The CIS director will provide all senior majors with a basic syllabus including deadlines. Each student must work with their advisor to clarify the details of work expectations and additional deadlines throughout the semester. The finalized syllabus will be due the second week of classes by 5:00pm on Friday.

CIS 496 (CIS Thesis Students only)

CIS 496 is a spring semester course required for CIS thesis students. The CIS director provide all senior thesis students with a basic syllabus including deadlines. Each student must work with their advisor to clarify the details of work expectations and additional deadlines throughout the semester. The finalized syllabus will be due the second week of classes by 5:00pm on Friday.

Thesis Proposal and Presentation

If you are planning to conduct a thesis, you will need to prepare a written thesis proposal and present it at a colloquium (12 to 15-minute presentation with 45 minutes of question time) with your main advisor and a second advisor/committee member. Your advisor(s) should guide you in writing the proposal and preparing the presentation. You are encouraged to invite other CIS students and relevant faculty members to attend your colloquium to provide additional feedback. Your advisor will guide the best time to present your colloquium. Some advisors may want you to complete this part in the spring, others will recommend it for the summer, and others will recommend it for the fall. The document and colloquium must be completed by December 1 in the fall semester. Once you have completed your document and passed your colloquium, then you will submit the Thesis Proposal and Colloquium form at the link: Thesis Proposal and Colloquium form. (Davidson login required)

Thesis Defense

All thesis students must hold a thesis defense with the CIS Director and their main faculty advisor and second faculty advisor/committee member. The hour-long defense consists of a brief presentation (no more than 15 minutes) by the student and a question-and-answer period with advisors and the CIS Director. The first part of the defense will be open to anyone in CIS and to any individuals the student wants to invite. The audience will have an opportunity to ask a few questions but then will be dismissed. For the remaining time, advisors and the CIS Director will have prepared questions to ask the student.

Thesis students are encouraged to participate in the Verna Miller Case Symposium, which is held on the day before Reading Day during the spring semester.

Course Changes

Please only request course changes in situations that are outside of your control (e.g., the course that was approved is no longer offered at Davidson). This request would likely only occur for one course at maximum per student in those unique situations. Please do not make requests for convenience as your approved contract has been previously carefully vetted by a committee.  The Course Change form can be found on Kuali. (Davidson login required)

Celebration of CIS Majors

The CIS banquet for all CIS seniors will be held on the Monday before Reading Day to celebrate the work of students across the Center.