MN/MS Students: Thesis Options

MN/MS Students: Thesis Options - Scholarly Project Steps in the Development of a Scholarly Project
1. Select a topic of interest. Read about your topic and prepare to discuss it in the NMETH520 lab.

2. Select a project advisor/supervisory committee chair. The project advisor is the graduate faculty member with whom the student works most closely to develop and present the scholarly project, and should have expertise in the topic of interest. Students initiate the selection of their supervisory committee chair not later than the 4th week of the second quarter in the masters program. Set an appointment with the faculty member to discuss the topic, form an acquaintance and explore a possible advisee/advisor agreement.

3. With your project advisor, identify the primary focus of the scholarly inquiry and how the project will develop your mastery of a focused area of knowledge.

4. Form the remainder of the supervisory committee. See 'Steps in the Selection of the Supervisory Committee'.

5. Develop your project initial plan. With your committee chair (project advisor):

Establish a timeline for your work. Establish a schedule of regular appointments with the supervisory chair in order to enhance progression according to your identified time frame for completion.
Use the Master's Project Initial Plan and Final Product Report Form to develop your plan.
Determine when to share a draft of the plan with other member(s) of the committee. Committee members do not expect to get materials from the student unless the chair agrees that this should occur. Notify committee members (other than the Chair) that they are to expect something from you about two weeks prior to its arrival, so that they can plan for it in their workload. Expect a one week turn-around time. Committee members send their responses directly to your chair, who will arrange for an appointment with you to go over the comments. In the event of disagreement by committee members, the members themselves work this out and the chair has binding decision power.
When the project plan is approved, it is signed on the form by all committee members. A signed copy is placed in the School of Nursing file in Academic Services (T310).
When conducting research involving human subjects, the committee chair and student must sign the Use of Human and Animal Subjects for Theses and Dissertations form. Submit the completed form to Academic Services (T310).

6. Complete planned course work and activities. Work primarily with your supervisory committee chair, and with the entire committee if appropriate.

7. Complete final quarter requirements, including applying for your degree. An application for degree (warrant) is required for your final examination.

8. Final Examination. The Final Examination is the presentation of the project. Arrange your final examination with your committee during the quarter in which you expect to complete your project. The final examination may be written or oral; this decision is negotiated between the student and the committee members. It must be passed. All members of the Supervisory Committee participate.

If the final examination is written, it will consist of a special examination written by the committee; the project itself may not be considered the final examination. If the final examination is oral, the student will present the project to the committee members and other interested persons. Questions will be addressed to the student by those in attendance. The examination will last approximately one hour.

When the final examination has been concluded, all members of the supervisory committee sign your: 1) Application for Degree (warrant), 2) Verification of Degree form, and 3) Master's Project Initial Plan and Final Product Report form, and the chair completes the MN or MS Program Evaluation: Scholarly Inquiry Scale, sealing it in the envelope provided for you to return to Academic Services.

9. Return the following items to Academic Services:

signed Application for Degree (AS will take it to Graduate School);
MN or MS Program Evaluation: Scholarly Inquiry Scale, completed by chair and placed in sealed envelope;
signed Verification of Degree form;
abstract of project; and
completed and signed Master's Project Initial Plan and Final Product Report.

Return to MN/MS Students: Thesis - Scholarly Project