The Earth Systems WIM requirement can be fulfilled either through successful completion of EARTHSYS 200 or via EARTHSYS 260 iterative paper revisions. If the latter option is chosen, the following information applies:

Upon completion of the internship or research work, each student must submit a 15-page paper. This technical paper (i.e. written by an expert for other experts in the field) should include the following elements: clear introduction to the motivation for the work (premise and hypothesis statements; policy question analyzed, etc.); discussion of tasks or contributions if part of a group effort; concise explanation of research methods; thorough and technical presentation of data; discussion of results; conclusions.

The paper must be submitted to Julie Kennedy and to the internship supervisor. Formal review of the paper, with comments for revision, will come from Julie (and from the internship supervisor if appropriate). A WIM TA will also provide feedback on non-technical content. Students should expect a minimum of one round of draft revision, but they also should understand that further revision may be required. The Stanford Writing Center is an excellent resource for additional writing advice and help.

Learn more about the Stanford undergraduate WIM requirement: Writing in the Major.

Grading

All internships and research projects will carry a mandatory S/NC grade option. Assignment of the “S” grade will be based on the quality and depth of the internship paper and the evaluation provided in letter form by the internship supervisor.

Please note: It is the obligation of each student to request and obtain a letter of evaluation from the internship supervisor. Letters should be sent directly to Julie.

Dr. Julie A. Kennedy
Earth Systems Program
Yang & Yamazaki Environment and Energy Building, Room 133
Stanford University
Stanford CA 94305-4215