Thesis Due Dates Clash with Exams

To the consternation of economics concentrators writing senior theses, four economics classes have midterms on or near the thesis due date of March 16.

Economics 1051, “Game Theory in Economics,” and Economics 1661, “Environmental and Resource Economics and Policy,” have midterms on March 16. Economics 1420, “American Economic Policy,” and Economics 1530, “International Monetary Economics,” have scheduled their exams for March 17.

Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies in Economics and Senior Lecturer Jeffery Wolcowitz said that the department has no control over when professors schedule midterms.

“There is no set policy on when students can take their midterms. It is up to the individual professor,” Wolcowitz said.

Richard N. Cooper, Boas professor of international economics, who teaches Economics 1530, “International Monetary Economics,” said that to be fair he would not change the date of the midterm.

“I think that horizontal equity in a class of this size is extremely important,” Cooper, who teaches the class of 28 said. “Either I would have to give the same exam a second time and there is a possibility of cheating, or I would have to write another exam and the grades may not be equal.”

He also said that the possibility of the midterm coinciding with the due date is small, because most economics concentrators do not write theses.

The Economics department requires only students wanting high or highest honors to write theses. According to the Office of the Registrar, there are 74 students enrolled in Economics 985, “Senior Research Seminars,” the senior thesis tutorial in the department.

While the mid-March midterm dates may not affect all students, there are some seniors who will definitely experience an overlap between their midterms and their thesis deadlines.

Mridula S. Raman ’06 who is writing an economics thesis said she decided not to take English 34, “Elements of Rhetoric,” because the class has an inflexible midterm date.

Some teachers are allowing thesis-writing students to skip midterm exams.

Sabrina E. De Abreu ’06, who is enrolled in “American Economic Policy,” is trying to find a solution for thesis-writers.

“The professors have been very flexible,” De Abreu said. “They have given the option of having the final count more for seniors.”

Jeffrey B. Liebman, professor of Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government, said that he will allow thesis-writers in Economics 1420 to skip the midterm.

“If a student has a thesis due between 7 days before or 7 days after the midterm, they have the option to skip the midterm and have the final count extra,” Liebman said.

Assistant Professor of Economics Attila Ambrus, who teaches “Game Theory in Economics” said that he scheduled the midterm close to the thesis date because he expected mostly sophomores and juniors to take his class.

“There is another game theory class at the same time which targets seniors,” Ambrus said.

However, he added that if more than one or two seniors take the class, he would move the midterm.

Courses other than economics are addressing midterms that conflict with a senior thesis. Neil Levine, Gleason professor of history of art and architecture, who teaches Literature and Arts B-34, “Frank Lloyd Wright and the Modern City and Suburb,” said he will allow seniors who are writing theses to miss the midterm.

“The midterm is only worth fifteen percent. I think it is only fair for seniors to have that option. The kind of work that goes into a senior thesis can be very demanding,” Levine said.

—Staff writer Adrian J. Smith can be reached at smith9@fas.harvard.edu