Graduate Student Thesis & Dissertation and Senior Thesis Camp

The dissertation and thesis camp experience began as a support to the pursuit of undergraduate scholarly excellence. The camp originated as the Senior Thesis Writing Boot Camp and was twice-offered to seniors working to complete their senior theses, projects or capstones. Graduate students learned about and asked for the same camp format to support their own research and writing needs. The camp is now offered in many different formats in response to ongoing feedback and recommendations.

Senior thesis camp is a one-week camp experience held during the fall break week in October. Each year, junior level or senior level students who are seeking to have:

• focused, supported research and writing time use their break week to use upwards of 40 uninterrupted hours of time to draft, revise, organize, share and make progress toward completion of their work.
• opportunities to consult with University Writing Center staff who help them consider their current work and reshape it for structure and clarity.
• time for meeting with a subject librarian related to their work who can help them find resources that are difficult to identify and locate, and also may recommend resources to further augment the literature review.
• time and opportunities to build scholarly and social relationships with peers.

This camp is free to registrants and comes with lunch, morning & afternoon snacks, and coffee or hot water for tea available throughout the day.

The Hesburgh Libraries proudly offers a research and writing program co-sponsored with the University Writing Center and the Graduate School. The purpose of the camp is to help scholars focus on their own research and writing as they work toward completion of their dissertation or thesis. Please read below for more information and how to register for the workshops being planned.

The Graduate Dissertation Camp is designed to assist graduate students at all stages of their research and writing toward their degree or completion of a large scale writing project. Participants will have the opportunity to:

• jumpstart or move forward in their research and writing process
• work in dedicated spaces in the Hesburgh Library
• consult with their subject librarians
• consult with University Writing Center tutors about their work
• engage with colleagues in their own and other graduate divisions to learn best practices from peers
• form communities of practice to engage in the camp process after its conclusion

Application for the break week dissertation camp is announced in The Stream, the graduate student newsletter, and is also found in the Graduate School Professional Development Calendar.

The Hesburgh Libraries and The University Writing Center cosponsor this Dissertation (or other large writing project) Day Camp. This camp is best suited for graduate students who have already attended a week-long dissertation camp held over semester break. Unlike Gradaute Thesis and Dissertation Camp, no application is required for Dissertation Day Camp, but all participants must register. Undergraduate students are permitted, with registration, if they have attended the senior thesis camp week prior to this event. 

Attendance and participation in the full day is expected for those who register. The camp sessions are held from 9:30am-4:30pm in the Hesburgh Library Reading Room, Second Floor, North Side.

The schedule is focused on 2 three-hour writing blocks with light morning and afternoon refreshments, light lunch provided, and a small goal setting and wrap up session at the beginning and end of the day. Registration will cap at 25 participants.