Senior Essay

Senior essays can be 1-term or 2-term essays. The difference between a 1-term and a 2-term essay is that the 2-term essay is broader in scope and/or goes in greater depth. Most economics majors do 2-term essays.

Senior essays can be done in one of several ways:

1-Term Essays

• Enroll in Econ 4491 in the fall of your senior year.

• Please note that a 1-term essay cannot be done in the spring term of your senior year.

2-Term Essays

• Enroll in Econ 4491 and Econ 4492

• Expand a term paper from a fall-term seminar in your senior year and enroll in Econ 4492 (depends on availability of seminar instructor for both semesters)

For those students writing a senior essay by expanding a term paper from a seminar, the seminar instructor serves as the advisor (Note: it is the responsibility of the student to seek and obtain agreement from the seminar instructor to serve in this role, and the instructor is not obligated to say “yes”). Those enrolling in Economics 4491 need to find an advisor. The department has a webpage for finding an advisor. If you have difficulty with finding an advisor, see the Economics 4491 instructor, TF, or the DUS for suggestions. There are many economics faculty members who may be ideal advisors for your topic. Students may also choose a campus economist from outside of the department. (Permission of the DUS is required to choose a non-economist adviser.)

For the class of 2026

Fall 2025

• Enroll in Econ 4491 (not necessary if you are doing a senior essay out of a fall seminar)
• Choose an advisor and a topic. You should refer to the Potential Advisors webpage for help finding an advisor who is available and is appropriate for your topic. If you have difficulty finding an advisor, see the ECON 4491 instructor or the DUS for suggestions. There are many economics faculty members who may be ideal advisors for your topic.  Students may also choose a campus economist from outside of the department. (Permission of the DUS required to choose a non-economist adviser.) In order to do an essay out of a fall seminar, you need the seminar professor to agree to be your advisor (for both semesters in the case of a 2-term essay).
• Meet with your advisor regularly. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that these regular meetings occur.
• Submit a “Senior Essay Prospectus” on or before Monday, September 29, 2025 by 4:30 pm. The prospectus must be signed by your advisor. All students planning to write a senior essay must hand in a prospectus at this time. Failure to do so results in your not being permitted to write an essay. A late prospectus will not be accepted without a Dean’s note.
• Students enrolled in a 2-term essay must submit a written progress report to their advisor on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. For essays involving substantial data collection and statistical analysis, a description of the research question and the data that has been gathered for analysis may be appropriate. For others, a portion of the essay itself or a detailed outline describing the thesis question, existing literature, and planned method of analysis is suitable. Based on this report, your advisor will be asked to give you a temporary grade of satisfactory or not satisfactory for the fall term. This temporary grade will be replaced by the final grade on your senior essay in April.
• You are allowed to switch advisor, with DUS permission, but no later than the progress report due date. In this case you need to submit a new prospectus form signed by the new advisor by the progress report due date.
• A student who wishes to change a 1-term essay to a 2-term essay must get permission from the advisor and the DUS prior to the Thanksgiving break. To convert, a student must have made satisfactory progress on the essay by that time. No conversions will be allowed after Thanksgiving.
• 1-term senior essays are due to your advisor on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 by 4:30 pm. The advisor will evaluate and grade the paper, which will be your grade for the course. The grade and evaluation will be used for determination of distinction and departmental prizes. A final version of the 1-term senior essay must be submitted on or before Wednesday, April 1, 2026 by 4:30 pm via email to Maria Volonte, Undergraduate Registrar, at maria.volonte@yale.edu for grading by the outside anonymous reader. Late essays will be accepted only with a Dean’s Extension. Essays that are submitted late without a Dean's Extension will receive a grade penalty (which will grow with the length of the delay).
• Note: students doing the 1-term essay may continue to make additional revisions beyond the fall term before the April due date. Please bear in mind, however, that advisors of 1-term essays may have other commitments and are not obligated to advise you beyond the fall term.

Spring 2026

• For students doing 2-term essays, enroll in Econ 4492.
• 2-term senior essays must be submitted on or before Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 4:30 pm via email to Maria Volonte, Undergraduate Registrar, at maria.volonte@yale.edu. Late essays will be accepted only with a Dean’s Extension. Essays that are submitted after the deadline without a Dean's Extension will receive a grade penalty (which will grow with the length of the delay).
• Advisor’s Reports with grades and comments and Reader’s Reports with grades and comments are usually available by the end of reading week in the Economics Undergraduate Registrar’s Office.

Economics 4491 counts toward the senior requirement. Economics 4492 counts only as an elective, it cannot count toward the senior requirement.

Students writing a one-semester essay will receive a letter grade at the end of the fall semester based on the quality of their senior thesis.  Students writing a two-semester essay by taking 4491 and 4492, will receive a temporary 4491 grade (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) at the end of the fall semester. That grade will be replaced by a letter grade given for 4491 and 4492 based on the quality of the senior essay. Students who write a two-semester essay by taking a seminar and then 4492 will receive a grade based on the requirements of the seminar in the fall. In the spring they will receive a grade for 4492 based on the quality of the senior essay. Your senior essay will be graded by your advisor.

Senior Essay Course Lecturer:

Rebecca Toseland will be the Fall 2025 lecturer for The Senior Essay (Econ 4491) course.

Lecturer and TF office hours are by appointment only. Schedule a time on office hours sign-up sheet below.

Senior Essay TF:

Carles Aulés-Blancher will be the Fall 2025 TF for The Senior Essay (Econ 4491) course.

Lecturer and TF office hours are by appointment only. Schedule a time on office hours sign-up sheet below.

Office Hours Sign-up Sheet

Lecturer and TF office hours are by appointment only. Schedule a time on this sign-up sheet (must be signed-in with Eli Apps to view and edit).

If you would like to request an appointment at a different time, please email the Lecturer or TF.