Through the Junior Project students have the opportunity to spend the greater part of one academic year reading the works of a single author of their choosing from within their major discipline. Juniors also consider key critical works about these authors and their writings. Near the end of the spring semester, each junior joins three members of the faculty in a thirty-minute conversation about the works of his or her chosen author.
During their final year at the college, seniors have the opportunity to write a thesis and introduce the fruit of their study to their peers and members of the faculty through a sustained presentation and discussion of their work. This opportunity is open to students who wish to graduate with honors as well as to students who have not participated in the Honors Program.
Below is list of sample theses from recent years:
| Senior Thesis | Source Text |
|---|---|
| Here I Am: A Reflection on Human Understanding and Divine Providence in Boethius’ The Consolation of Philosophy and the Book of Job | The Consolation of Philosophy, Boethius |
| Atomized Man and How He Contributes to Totalitarian Movements | The Origins of Totalitarianism, Arendt |
| Jay Gatsby: A Failed Life and the Beauty Contained Within It | The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald |
| “And all these things shall be added unto you…”: Justice, Saint Louis, and the Compatibility of Sanctity and Rulership | Life of St. Louis, Joinville |
| Leisure and Contemplation: The Fight Against Nihilism | Leisure: The Basis of Culture, Pieper |
| A Time to Laugh: The Place of Laughter in Man’s Relationship with God | The Portal of the Mystery of Hope, Camus |
| What We Do in Life Echoes in Eternity: A Reflection on the Nature of Spiritual Warfare | Psychomachia, Prudentius |
| Like Father, Like Son (A Reflection on the Generations in Turgenev’s Novel Fathers and Sons) | Fathers and Sons, Turgenev |
| A Terrible Loyalty | Brothers Karamazov, Dostoyevsky |
| Veil What is Sacred: On The Guidelines of Portraying the Body in Art | Theology of the Body, John Paul II |
| Seven Notes of Liturgical Development: The Parameters of Liturgical Development: According to Cardinal Newman’s Theory of Doctrinal Development and Cardinal Ratzinger’s Liturgical Theology | Spirit of the Liturgy, Ratzinger |
| A Token of Love: A Reflection on the Beauty of Suffering with Love in Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov | The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoyevsky |
| Invisible Engines: Revisiting the Thomist Argument for an Immaterial Soul of Man | Summa Theologica, Aquinas |
| An Inquiry into the Relationship Between Socratism and Morality, as Understood by Friederich Nietzsche | The Birth of Tragedy, Nietzsche |
| A Terrible Loyalty | Brothers Karamazov, Dostoyevsky |
| The Least of These | Homilies on the First Letter of John, Augustine |
| Putting on the Mask: On Macbeth’s Misunderstanding of Gender Roles | Macbeth, Shakespeare |
| Imperial Virtue: Cato as an Illuminator of Dante’s Thought in The Divine Comedy on the Virtuous Life | The Divine Comedy, Dante |
| The Antigone Question: A Study of Man’s Response to Unjust Law | Treatise on Law, Aquinas |
| Words, Words, Words: A Study of the Power of Language in Shakespeare’s Othello | Othello, Shakespeare |
| Principaliter Cordis: Personhood and the Primacy of the Heart in Aquinas’ De Motu Cordis | De Motu Cordis, Aquinas |
Seniors who elect not to write a thesis will complete a Senior Portfolio. In this project, the student meets with his or her major tutor to develop and articulate a substantial, perennial question from within the student’s major discipline and to select a primary text and supporting texts that the student will consult in formulating a response (or responses) to this question. These then become the basis for an extended consideration of a perennial question that finds its ultimate form in a dialogic journal.
Students will have the opportunity to take one of the following courses for college credit. Taught in Socratic-style seminar discussions, each course enables students to explore a particular interest and consider whether they might like to pursue that academic discipline as a potential college major. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer, liturgy, sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Physics: Understanding Boomerangs, Billiard Balls, and Balance Beam Routines (1 credit) – Mr. John Klucinec
This course explores the laws of motion as described by Galileo and Newton by reading and discussing these authors and through classroom experiments. Students will gain an understanding of physics in concrete phenomena through studying air flight, fluid dynamics, the aerodynamics of the boomerang, the motion of billiard balls, and the physics of gymnastics and diving.
Moral Philosophy: How Do We Make the Right Decisions? (1 credit) – Rev. Fr. Stephen Rocker
Natural law morality and utilitarianism are incompatible frameworks of moral reasoning, yet elements of both are mixed in the public mind. Catholic moral teaching and the Western system of law are grounded in natural law. This course will present these two moral frameworks and apply them to moral issues.
Poetry and Politics in the Western Tradition (1 credit) – Dr. Mary Mumbach
This course will examine poetic form and political form in the tradition of the West. Students will explore, in particular, how the Incarnation shapes the roles of imagination, prudence, and the heroic in literature and political philosophy. Readings in poetry, fiction, and American Founding documents will be considered.
$395.00 USD
Tuition includes room and board. The purchase of a book may be required for some classes. Students should bring spending money for off-campus trips.
Students will have the opportunity to take one of the following courses for college credit. Taught in Socratic-style seminar discussions, each course enables students to explore a particular interest and consider whether they might like to pursue that academic discipline as a potential college major. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer, liturgy, sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Theology of the Body: The Deeper Meaning of Love, Sex, and Marriage (1 credit) – Dr. Ryan Messmore
When it comes to romantic relationships and marriage, today’s culture is awash in confusion. The Church calls people to see a deeper meaning to sexual desire and marriage. But what is that, and how can it be pursued in modern times? Saint Pope John Paul II has provided valuable teaching in this area. Along with his “Theology of the Body,” this course will explore the nature of love, the meaning of betrothal and marriage, and sexual ethics from a Christian perspective. Class discussions will be theological and philosophical as well as practical.
Philosophy & Humanities: Friendship in Western Culture (1 credit) – Dr. Brian FitzGerald and Dr. Erik Van Versendaal
One of the most important features of human experience is friendship. Drawing on the great books of Western culture in literature, history, philosophy, and theology, from Aristotle and St. Augustine to Jane Austen and C.S. Lewis, this course will reflect on the nature of friendship across the centuries. Why do we need friends? What makes a good one? What are some obstacles to friendship? What happens as friends grow and mature in different ways?
Christ in Scripture (1 credit) – Deacon Karl Cooper
“Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” In this course we will seek to meet and understand Christ as he presents himself in all the Scriptures. We will read, discuss, enjoy, and pray through the most crucial texts, and focus our work on the living and present Christ.
$395.00 USD
Tuition includes room and board. The purchase of a book may be required for some classes. Students should bring spending money for off-campus trips.
Students will have the opportunity to earn one college credit by taking one of the following courses offered at Magdalen College. Taught in Socratic-style seminar discussions, each course enables students to explore a particular interest and discover if it could lead to a college major or area of focus. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer liturgy, and sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Myth in Philosophy: Seeking Wisdom through Poetry and Story (1 credit) – Dr. Erik van Versendaal
What is the relationship between poetry and philosophy? Why does speaking about ultimate things lead philosophers into the realms of poem and story? This course considers philosophical works that are undertaken in a poetic mode alongside poems that express philosophic truth.
Physics: Understanding Boomerangs, Billiard Balls, and Balance Beam Routines (1 credit) – Mr. John Klucinec
This course explores the laws of motion as described by Galileo and Newton, by reading and discussing these authors and through classroom experiments. Students will gain an understanding of physics in concrete phenomena: through the aerodynamics of the boomerang, the motion of billiard balls, fluid dynamics, air flight and the physics of gymnastics and diving.
Theology of the Body: The Deeper Meaning of Love, Sex, and Marriage (1 credit) – Dr. Ryan Messmore
When it comes to romantic relationships and marriage, today’s culture is awash in confusion. The Church calls people to see a deeper meaning to sexual desire and marriage. But what is that, and how can it be pursued in modern times?
$325.00 USD
Students will experience the joy of learning in a variety of liberal arts fields, including courses in literature, philosophy, theology, and politics. Taught primarily in Socratic-style seminar discussions, these courses allow students to read classic texts and wrestle with big questions across a range of disciplines. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer, liturgy, and sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
$125.00 USD
