While traditionally viewed as the culmination of a liberal arts student’s academic career and a rite of passage, the senior thesis is a more complicated beast on Columbia’s campus. Most Barnard seniors are required to write one, but at Columbia, it is usually optional for humanities students and social science majors, and not an issue for those studying science or engineering. Unlike the Core, the thesis project cannot be classified as a common “Columbia experience” that everyone bemoans and undergoes in supportive camaraderie.
