The Primary Texts Certificate Program
Capstone Paper Requirement
As
a part of the requirements for the Certificate in
the Study of Arts and Sciences Through Primary Texts
you must write a capstone paper. It should be submitted
no later than one month before the end the last semester
in which you take classes in the 18 hour program of
study. The paper should allow you to sum up your experience
in the program, demonstrating insights from the primary
texts and course discussions you have encountered.
The paper should be at least ten pages long, double
spaced, with reasonable margins and a consistent method
of citation, if citation is being used. There are
two ways in which this paper can be completed:
1.
You may write your own original paper for this purpose.
Attached
is a list of questions from which you can choose to
formulate an essay. If you wish to write a paper
stemming from a different question you may do so, after
your plan is approved by the director. Your paper must
address one or more texts you have read in at least
two primary texts courses and demonstrate some reflection
about the experience of taking those courses. Students
should submit the paper to the director of the program
(Dr. Bagby). The director must be provided with a final
copy of the approved paper to keep as a part of the
student’s file.
2.
You may submit a paper written for any class you have
taken in the program. If you do so, you will need to
revise the paper so that it incorporates insights from
some of your other primary texts courses. Your paper
must address one or more texts you have read in at least
one other primary texts course and demonstrate some
reflection about the experience of taking that course.
If the professor originally assigning the paper agrees,
you may submit the Primary Texts version to him or her
for approval. Otherwise, you may submit it to the director
for approval. If a participating professor is evaluating
the paper, he should notify the director of his or her
evaluation (e-mail Dr Bagby at lauriej@ksu.edu). In
either case, the director must be provided with a final
copy of the paper to keep as a part of the student’s
file.
Here
are some pointers:
–The
paper may be, but does not need to be a “research
paper” with extensive citation. If the paper takes
the “essay” form, it should at least refer
to authors and titles of primary texts using parentheses
(e.g., Plato, Republic).
–The
paper should be free of spelling and grammatical errors.
–Your
work’s suitability for the capstone paper will
be judged on whether it adequately pulls together texts
and topics from primary texts courses you deem to be
especially significant to your theme. You need not incorporate
every primary text you have read in your course of study.
–If
you need additional guidance, please consult with the
program director, Dr. Laurie Bagby. Phone: 532-0441.
E-Mail: lauriej@ksu.edu
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