Biology, Chemistry, EA, Neuroscience and Physics
DNS Courses 188L, 190L, 191

Coordinator: Dr. D. McFarlane, NS E058, x72564, [email protected]
Administrator:Lauran Soto, NS E181, X18489, [email protected]

Registration

• 1-Semester Thesis: Spring 2026 (“1s”): Registered for 191L in Spring 2026
• 2-Semester Thesis: Fall 2025 & Spring 2026 (“2s”): Registered for 188L in Fall 2025 and 190L in Spring 2026
• 2-Semester Thesis: Spring 2026 & Fall 2026 (“2f”): Register for 188L in Spring 2026 and 190L in Fall 2026
• 2-Semester Summer Res. & Spring Thesis (“2sR”): Completed the first semester during Summer 2025
  and
        the second semester during Spring 2026: Registered for 189L Fall 2025 and 190L Spring 2026

Grading

Participation

You are required to attend at least six (6) seminars in science, each semester of thesis program
registration, of

the many that are offered throughout Claremont Colleges. If you are completing the second semester of
a two-semester summer research thesis this fall, you are required to submit 6 seminar summaries. There
are a variety

of seminar programs in biology, chemistry and physics. For six of these, write a one-page summary of
the talk.

Give these summaries to your first reader (or DNS reader if your first reader is off-campus). 

See Thesis Calendar for Deadlines.

191 Students (1s): Students enrolled in any section of 191 (One Semester DNS Thesis Course) are
expected
to meet for their chosen meeting time.

Progress/Effort

For 188L (2f) students, there will be a brief oral presentation early in the first semester.
See Thesis Calendar for Deadlines.

For 190L (2s, 2sR) and 191L (1s) students, there will be a mandatory poster session at the end of the
semester. Your presentation will be evaluated by two assigned DNS faculty.

See Thesis Calendar for Deadlines.

For 188L (2f) students, a substantial progress report is due to your first and second readers late in the
first semester. This should consist of at least seven pages of literature survey and proposal as well as
three pages of materials, methods and a description of progress to date. It should also include a
bibliography.
This is a minimum, as your first reader may want additional pages or materials.

Meetings with Thesis Readers

Your readers are responsible for submitting your grade, so it is your responsibility to meet regularly

with them and keep them informed about your progress.

Thesis Program Communications

You are responsible for communication and planning with your readers. Please touch base with
your first and second readers and research advisor to schedule and attend meetings.
-DNS Thesis Program communication is sent via the DNS thesis database, so it is critical that you
enter your thesis details and contact information via the DNS Thesis Form: https://forms.gle/72BzGfghun35xjnEA

Satisfactory Work and an Admonition

Thesis is usually one-fourth of your academic load, and you should expect to devote 10-15 hours
per week to the effort. Successful field or laboratory work often requires a significant amount of
continuous effort – schedule your work week accordingly.
Students doing two-semester theses will be graded on their first semester work. A thesis project
may be terminated and/or converted to a one semester thesis if, in the judgment of the thesis
readers, an inadequate effort has been made, and successful completion is unlikely.


Animals

Any and ALL theses involving experimental work with animals (including fieldwork) require formal
approval from the DNS Animal Care and Use Committee, which in turn is bound by complex legal
regulations. The faculty member you are working with will be the one to submit the application form
for animal use.
Applications are due no later than February 13th.
There are no exceptions – miss the deadline and you cannot use animals in your research.

Experimentation Involving Humans

Experimentation involving humans requires the approval of the appropriate “Institutional Review
Board”; each college has its own. See your first reader as soon as possible.
Pitzer College Institutional Review Board
Scripps College Institutional Review Board
Claremont McKenna College Institutional Review Board

Penalties for Late Theses

1. One grade point reduction (i.e., A to A-) for theses turned in up to 24 hours late.
2. Two grade point reductions (i.e., A to B+) for theses turned in from 24 to 72 hours late.
3. Three grade points (i.e., from A to B) for theses turned in from 3 days to one week (5 days) late.
4. Additional full letter grade (three grade points) for each subsequent week (5 days) of lateness (or part thereof).