The St. Mary’s Project (SMP) is a year-long, 8-credit, capstone of study at St. Mary’s.
SMPs are an independently designed and executed course of study. Working in close conjunction with one or more professors, in or outside of the department, students have the opportunity to explore, in depth, a question or idea that entrances and intrigues them.
An SMP may take the form of a research paper or a creative expression of the arts. It may include collaborative work and build upon components of internships, study-abroad programs, and other experimental formats, as well as traditional research skills.
History SMPs
History SMPs give students the chance to focus their years of study on a single topic. The year involves intense exploration and study preparing a student with the skills to succeed in a number of different industries.
Highlighted SMP
Matt Anthony ’13. “Pickin’ Up the Pieces: Country-rock and the End of the Sixties,”“My St. Mary’s Project offered a way for me to merge my love of popular music with my research interests. Working closely with my mentor, Dr. Chuck Holden, gave me an in-depth insight into the work of an historian. I had the opportunity to pursue research avenues that are not typically part of the undergraduate experience, including archival work at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library & Archives in Cleveland, Ohio, and conducting oral histories with several performers from the 1960s and 1970s. Even after a year of thorough research and writing, my SMP left me feeling that I have only scratched the surface of a very rich topic which I hope will be the basis of further study as I enter graduate school.”