Planning and Writing the Senior Essay
Every student in EP&E is required to complete a senior essay. The essay should address a topic in each of the three dimensions – normative, institutional, and economic – that comprise EP&E and represent the intellectual culmination of the student's work in the major and his or her concentration. As such, the senior essay should reflect more extensive research and more sophisticated writing than an ordinary Yale College seminar paper. It should employ a method of research appropriate to the questions it seeks to answer, whether this consists entirely in library sources or also adduces original empirical evidence from field interviews, direct observation, or statistical analysis of available data. One semester essays should be about 40-50 pages in length, while year-long essays should be about 80-100 pages long. Click here for a list of past EPE senior essay titles.
The Advisor and Second Reader
Senior Essays in EP&E are written under the direction of a Yale College faculty advisor, either in the context of an appropriate senior seminar or independently, in EPE 491a (for Fall semester writers), 491b (for Spring semester writers), or EPE 492a/493b (for year-long writers). Students writing year-long essays may also combine a seminar and one term of EPE 491a or b. Students and their faculty advisors devise a schedule for regular meetings to discuss progress on the essay and consider drafts throughout the writing process. Students will also choose and recommend a Second Reader to the EP&E registrar.
The Senior Essay Consultant
An advanced graduate student from one of EP&E’s affiliate departments will serve as a senior essay consultant, available to essay writers for consultation on the formulation of research questions, integrating normative and positive analysis, working with data and evidence, and drafting and revising essays.
The Senior Essay Writing Workshop
The Department of EP&E offers senior essay writers the opportunity to participate in a workshop organized by the Senior Essay Consultant and the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Participants will share proposals, literature reviews, and drafts of their essays amongst themselves, receiving feedback on ideas and methods from their peers. Every student is required to attend at least one of these workshops. All meetings will be held in the first-floor conference room in the EP&E building at 31 Hillhouse Avenue.
*New workshop schedule will be finalized by the first week of classes.
Deadlines
All seniors must submit a Senior Essay Form and Requirements Progress Report , signed by their Essay advisor and indicating their writing plans by Wednesday, September 16, 2009 if they are writing it in the fall semester. Students and their advisors are encouraged to develop their own deadlines and mechanisms for marking progress, but the Department maintains the following deadlines, which correspond to meetings of the Senior Essay Writing Workshop, for both participants and non-participants. All written work should be submitted to the Senior Essay Consultant in electronic form by 5pm on the day it is due.
For Fall-Semester Writers:
*New deadlines will be finalized by the first week of classes.
Monday December 7: Final Senior Essay Due
For Spring-Semester Writers:Monday April 12: Final Senior Essay Due
For Year-Long Writers:Monday April 12: Final Senior Essay Due
Submission and Grading
On the day the senior essay is due, students should submit three copies of the finished document, one to the advisor, one to the second reader, and one to the EP&E registrar. EP&E will keep one copy of the essay in your file. Any standard format is fine, and essays do not have to be bound, but they should be secured in a way that is convenient for the reader. Grades are determined by averaging the grades of the Advisor and the Second reader. Students can pick up their graded essays outside the registrar’s office. Note, however, that not all readers return the essays to EP&E.
