THESIS WRITING

This course (for upper class KAC students) is designed to develop the research, analysis, writing skills, and also ethical awareness necessary to complete an academic thesis. Students will be expected to choose their topic, conduct appropriate research, and make significant progress in the writing of their final thesis.

This course is intended as an overview of the academic processes involved in preparing a thesis. In particular, class members will refine the skills needed to plan, research, and prepare a thesis (or, a suitable draft). Course topics include: researching a field, identifying "gaps" or potential avenues for exploration, formulating clear research question(s), creating a literature review, and so on. Additional objectives include: 1 - Study the thesis document in deep detail, with attention to the overall outline, necessary content, appropriate & inappropriate organization/writing styles, and so on 2 - Create & refine a thesis goal (for each individual class member) 3 - Progress in the task of outlining and drafting the thesis document 4 - Create a feasible road map for completing the thesis document

Class rules will be elaborated in a separate syllabus to be distributed in class (via CTL) because this format is too limited to express them clearly and fully. These rules include the following general principles: 1 - Use English for class communications, inside and outside class (such as when writing emails and doing work) 2 - Submit all assignments in a timely manner & in the required formats. Any extension needs appropriate prior approval, which must be requested by email within a specific time frame. 3 - Use the class website effectively & frequently. 4 - Be aware, informed, & responsible. You are the manager of yourself, your work, & your actions, so monitor your progress & keep records of feedback, grades, etc. 5 - Save all work to cloud storage, always! 6 - Show academic honesty, along with integrity and originality. Plagiarism will be strongly punished, including “AI plagiarism” (the use of large language models to write your work) 7 - Participate positively in class 8 - Support one another during class, by sharing ideas, offering suggestions + feedback during in-class writing activities, and so on 9 - Reflect on your work to guide your growth 10 - Stay focused during class time; resist the temptation to use Kakaotalk, to surf the web, or to do work for another class during our class time!

Participants will need: 1 - skill and proficiency in APA formatting and citation (we will also discuss these in class, and materials will be provided online) 2 - willingness to communicate with a supervising professor in their major department 3 - time and energy to progress with their thesis research 4 - an open mind

This course is a great resource for the completion of one's graduation project: the thesis. Moreover, anyone considering attending graduate school, working at a think tank, or doing any number of careers in the future which rely upon original thought, critical analysis skills, research skills, and so on will benefit from understanding how to prepare for and write a thesis. The course will help you develop reflection and insight skills, too.