The Contemporary Studies Programme, much like the Early Modern Studies and the History of Science and Technology programmes, can only be completed as a combined honours degree, meaning it must be paired with an arts, social science, or science discipline at Dalhousie University.

A CSP student is required to take the programme's three core classes (CTMP 2000.06, 3000.06 and 4000.06), plus at least two half-credit CSP electives. The requirements for the second honours subject are dependant on that department, and vary from programme to programme. Combined honours students are encouraged to visit the Registrar's Office for help structuring their degree, an experience that can be adjusted to suit individual interests and needs.

For more details, please refer to the outlined degree requirements available in the Contemporary Studies Programme section of the King's calendar.

Honours Degree Requirements

Contemporary Studies Programme students may fulfil the honours requirement (which gives them the 21st credit necessary to graduate with honours) in either of the two honours subjects.  Usually, but not necessarily, this subject will be the one in which the student has taken more classes.  The honours requirement in CSP is satisfied by writing an honours thesis, which is defended at an oral examination.  Students intending to complete an honours thesis are required to register in the non-credit Honours Thesis Seminar (CTMP0455X/Y.00).  They must contact the CSP Director, Dr. Stephen Boos, for permission to register in the seminar. The Seminar consists of four meetings, in which issues relevant to the honours requirements, graduation, etc. are addressed.  Attendance at the honours seminar will be required of students who are fulfilling their honours requirement in CSP; students who are not fulfilling their honours requirement with CSP are welcome to attend these meetings but do not have to and should not register.  Registered students who later decide not to write the thesis must withdraw by November 9.  The seminar will be conducted by the Director, and will meet 11:30 – 1:00 p.m., on September 20, November 1, January 17, and February 7 in the Senior Common Room. At the meeting on November 1, students will present a brief outline of their thesis proposal to their peers and the CSP teaching staff.

Honours thesis: 

The honours thesis is a substantial piece of intellectual work on a subject chosen by the student and agreed to by the supervisor, who is a member of the CSP teaching staff.  It is the responsibility of the student to approach potential supervisors, by e-mail or in person, and obtain their agreement to supervise the topic chosen.  Should a student wish to work with a King’s or Dalhousie professor member who is not a  member of the CSP teaching staff, arrangements must still be made with a primary supervisor who is. The thesis may be a serious revision of an essay already submitted in one of the student's courses.  The quality of work is expected to approximate the requirements at the graduate level, and the emphasis will be on original, critical thinking.  Interdisciplinary approaches are encouraged.  The minimum length is eighteen pages, while twenty eight pages will be considered long.  Students must use both primary and secondary sources, and provide a bibliography.  Topics must be developed and approved by a supervisor before the meeting on November 1; individual schedules for producing the work will be established in consultation with the supervisor, although the general deadlines must be observed.   It is required that the completed work be submitted on or before March 8, 2013, in order to meet examination schedules.

The Honours thesis will be evaluated according to a pass/fail standard by a committee of three members of the CSP teaching staff.  Theses will be defended at a thirty-minute oral exam the week of March 18-22.  Students will be expected to provide a five-minute summary and then answer questions about the substance and method of their work posed by the examining committee.  Following the examination, students will be provided with a brief, written evaluation of the thesis, which will include an unofficial letter mark, agreed upon by the committee.

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is the presentation of the work of another author in such a way as to give one’s reader reason to think it to be one’s own.  A student who is in any doubt as to what constitutes plagiarism is urged to discuss the matter with the thesis supervisor.  Plagiarism may constitute grounds for expulsion - see the statement on discipline in the University Calendar (University Regulations).