The Final Year Seminar Paper is a 4-credit course, designed to provide students with an opportunity to engage in independent and academically rigorous research. The course aims to cultivate critical thinking, analytical abilities, and scholarly writing skills by encouraging students to undertake methodologically sound research on interdisciplinary themes that draw from multiple areas of study. Throughout the process, each student is guided and mentored by a faculty member who provides academic support in selecting the research topic, developing an appropriate methodology, and refining the overall research and writing process. The mentorship enables students to gain hands-on experience in conducting systematic research and adhering to academic standards. It also serves to develop research competencies that are valuable for higher studies, professional pursuits, and future scholarly work.
Building upon the knowledge, research competencies, and methodological skills acquired through Research Methodology I & II courses, the students are expected to undertake the development of a research proposal in Research Project: Proposal Writing, under the guidance of their dissertation committee members, along with the faculty instructor for the course. The intent of the course is to help students consolidate their understanding of the research process and apply the theoretical and practical skills gained in earlier stages of their academic programme. The development of the proposal enables students to engage critically with their chosen topic while strengthening their abilities in research design, academic writing, and scholarly inquiry. The proposal serves as an important preparatory step for the Research Project by providing students with a structured and well-defined foundation for future research work.
The Research Project is an integral component of the academic requirements of the Jajor specialization in the liberal arts programme and is submitted in the form of a dissertation. The course is designed to provide students with an opportunity to undertake substantial independent research and apply the analytical, critical, and academic skills developed throughout the programme. While the dissertation is expected to be primarily grounded in the student’s Major discipline, interdisciplinary projects are encouraged. Students are required to identify a suitable area for intensive study, constitute a dissertation committee with faculty members possessing relevant expertise, and carry out the project under their guidance and mentorship. Through this process, students gain experience in conducting rigorous research and producing a well-structured scholarly work.
