CCCP Thesis II

The second year of the CCCP program is dedicated primarily to the research and writing/production of a final thesis.

This can take the form of: a written thesis on a historical or theoretical topic; a portfolio of critical writings; a print-based demonstration and visualization of rigorous, original research, or; it could involve the conceptualization, design, and a detailed prospectus and documentation for, or when feasible the production of, an exhibition, publication, institute, major event, web-based initiative, time-based project, etc. Regardless of format, it must contain evidence of substantive research and conceptual rigor, and involve a written component and other materials that can be submitted in the form of a bound document in its final presentation. Each student conducts his/ her research independently, under the supervision of a faculty advisor, as well as participating in mid-term and final reviews each semester.

The thesis is intended to be the culmination of a CCCP student’s education and work at the GSAPP. It provides the opportunity to undertake and develop a project in detail, a project that demonstrates the student’s capacity to make a significant and original contribution to the field of architecture (or a closely related discipline), and which allows them to synthesize their critical approach, experience, and expertise in a relevant format of his/her choice. In this regard it is also conceived as an opportunity to build on and demonstrate critical and research skills that will be relevant to subsequent pursuit of a professional or academic career, whether as an architectural critic, theorist, journalist, historian, editor, publisher, curator, gallerist, institute director, teacher, designer, research-based practitioner, etc. Concomitant with the ambitions of the CCCP program more generally, emphasis is on forging new critical, theoretical, and historical tools, and producing new concepts and strategies for researching, displaying, and disseminating modern and contemporary architecture and closely related fields.

Prospectus In the Fall semester, students begin by developing a 3-5 page written prospectus under the supervision of their primary advisor. This document should:

1. Introduce the project, including setting out its critical stakes or ambitions, its relation and intended contribution to the field or mode of practice in which it participates, its general scope and proposed content, its format, its intended audience, and any other important characteristics of the work.

2. Identify the theoretical or methodological framework through which you will approach the thesis, including a bibliography or list of relevant or related work and key resources (whether they be archives, libraries, institutions, technologies, spaces, buildings, faculty, other experts, etc.) This part of the document can also indicate the other courses a student intends to take during the second year which relate to the development of their thesis.

3. Outline a schedule for the development of research during the Fall semester and for the writing or production of the thesis during the Spring semester. This should indicate both a set of self-imposed deadlines and those of the program, and it should clarify the format and scope of each phase of the thesis, including what will be presented at each of the four reviews (described below). While this schedule might change during the course of the thesis year as the work develops, it should be set out as a guideline to direct the work and, along with the collective reviews, keep the student on schedule. The completed prospectus must be submitted to both the CCCP Director and the student’s advisor by the end of the fourth week of the Fall semester. It can be updated during the year and serves as a syllabus for the project.

Reviews Students will be required to present their thesis project four times during the course of the year. In the Fall semester there will be a collective mid-term and a final review of each student’s research. In the Spring semester there will be a mid-term and final review of the overall project in a format appropriate to the work. In addition to being attended by all students, these reviews will include the CCCP Director, the advisors, and invited critics. Students are encouraged to suggest names for invited critics to the CCCP Director.

At each review students make a 15-minute presentation for the purpose of feedback and discussion of their thesis. The presentation format can vary according to the format of the thesis, but in all cases should include a succinct thesis statement, and an indication of working method, and proposed contribution to the field. The ambition, as with any review, is not only to present the work to a more public audience but also to get feedback for further development.