Course Syllabus

Instructor: Elizabeth Coody, PhD
Email: ecoody@iliff.edu

Course Synopsis

This course is designed to provide support and structure to students in the first phases of thesis development. Assignments will be geared toward teaching effective and sophisticated research practices as well as writing and argumentation skills. In this class, students will define and refine their topic, thesis, and points of evidence in order to produce a proposal and a detailed outline of the thesis. 

Note: Students will be expected to consult with a "faculty reader" at two points in the quarter. This reader must be a member of Iliff's full-time faculty (see a list here) and work with you from the beginning of the project until its completion. You must make sure that you develop a professional relationship with this faculty member. It is helpful, but not mandatory, if you ask a faculty member with whom you have had a class. There will be guidance on finding the right faculty member in this course, but students might find it helpful to begin thinking as soon as they can. Within the first two weeks of the quarter, students should plan to discuss the viability and scope of their topic with their faculty reader. After submitting their proposal at mid-quarter, they should seek their faculty reader's guidance to refine and revise the proposal and discuss the next phases of thesis development. 

Books for the Course

Please note that all of these books are available used and in various eBook formats (for Kindle, Nook, etc.). Be sure that you get the correct edition, but feel free to shop for economy.

• Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, The Craft of Research, 3rd ed. (University Of Chicago Press, 2008).
  ISBN: 978-0226065663

The only other required book is the style manual you will need for your thesis project. Choose the appropriate style guide based on the citation style you will be using. Please check with your faculty reader to determine the style you will need to use.  Most theses at Iliff use Chicago Style.
Choose only ONE:

• For Chicago Style, sometimes called "Turabian": 
  Turabian, Kate L.  A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers, 8th ed. Revised by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2013.
  ISBN: 9780226816388
• For APA Style (American Psychological Association), specific kinds of pastoral care projects:
  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 6th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2010.
  ISBN: 9781433805615 
• For SBL Style (Society of Biblical Literature), specific kinds of biblical studies projects:
  Collins, Bille Jean, ed. The SBL Handbook of Style: For Ancient Near Eastern, Biblical, and Early Christian Studies, 2nd ed. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2014.
  ISBN:9781589839649

See Iliff's list of booksellers on Bloomfire for purchasing options.

 You may download a printable version of the syllabus here.

Overview and Objectives

Evaluation

Policies And Services

Degree Learning Goals

Assignment Descriptions