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Overview
The master's essay or project offers students the
opportunity to pursue in depth a topic, issue, or project of the student's
choosing, under the guidance of a faculty member.
The master's essay or project provides evidence of the student's ability to independently produce, organize, and complete a graduate-level scholarly or creative work for academic credit. The master's essay or project
is an advanced program of independent study in which the student produces a
critical essay based on academic research or a creative, scientific, or
mathematical project accompanied by a 20-page analytic essay.
Timeline
Students should begin thinking of possible topics throughout their coursework.
Students may submit the proposal for the master's essay or project as early as during their tenth or
eleventh GLSP course, and must submit it no later than 3 weeks prior to
the start of the term in which the work will be done.
Students are expected to complete the essay or project in one term. If a
student is unable to complete the essay or project during that one term, the
student may petition to continue into the following term. No extensions
will be granted beyond the two term maximum. If the student does not
complete the final work by the end of the first term, the student will be given
an incomplete grade with a provisional grade. If the work is not completed by the
end of the second term, the provisional grade will become the final grade.
Students who do not complete the final work may register for a final course inside
their area of concentration, as long as
this is still within the maximum six year period of eligibility (up to eight
years by petition) and also within three terms of finishing the eleventh course.
The Proposal: Structure
The proposal is the
foundation from which the master's essay or project is developed. Students
should view the proposal not as just a description of what they intend to
accomplish in the master's work, but as the first step in the development of the
work. The proposal should be a detailed document that incorporates research,
coursework, and time frames for completion. Students should utilize the
appropriate publication manual for the chosen topic (see
below) and format the proposal in accordance with the guidelines described
at the end of this document. In addition to serving as a guide to the student
throughout the development of the master's essay or project, a thoroughly
developed proposal also demonstrates to the GLSP director that the student has a
clear vision and plan for accomplishing his/her goals.
Requirements
Title page
(1 page)
The title page must include a working title, formatted exactly as the sample in the essay guidelines.
Proposal
(2-1/2 to 4 pages)
1. Abstract
(3 or 4 sentences)
In one paragraph, state the central question, theme, or problem your essay or project will address. Do not use generalizations--you should state your issue in the form of a developed thesis statement.
2. Development of topic
Provide a detailed description of the topic and the academic context (i.e., the problems or issues in the field that the essay/project will address). This discussion may include a description of a hypothesis, anticipated results, process, product, artistic direction planned, or expected findings.
3. Methodology
Address the academic disciplines from which you will draw and explain which of these disciplines will inform the methodology you use. Provide a detailed description of the methods of inquiry and analysis.
4.
Literature review: analysis of scholarly context
Review the available literature on the topic: what is already known about the topic? What is not known? How does this information relate to the proposed work?
5.
Conclusion - anticipated findings
Provide a description of what you expect to find as the result of your research.
Appendices (in addition to the above)
1. Timetable
Document the key milestones required to complete the master's essay or project
in the specified timeframe and provide a description of how you will
interact with your faculty advisor: schedule of meetings, timeframe for response
and feedback, key dates to deliver information for review, review for
publication style compliance, etc.
2. Wesleyan resources
Describe the faculty and library resources available at Wesleyan that will
support your project.
3. Bibliography
(2 to 4 pages)
Preliminary list of the source materials to be used (libraries, readings,
references, labs, field area, etc.), documented using one of the publication
styles (i.e., APA, MLA, Chicago, or Turabian).
4.
Essay/Project Approval Form signed by advisor and student, submitted
to the GLSP director for approval.
5.
All documents required for IRB
approval (required only if student
plans to use human subjects as data)
The Proposal: Choosing a
Topic
Students will work closely with their chosen topic
and it is therefore important that students choose topics of compelling,
sustainable interest.
Requirements
- The topic must be within the student's area of concentration,
- The topic must be compatible with Wesleyan's liberal arts
curriculum,
- There must be an appropriate advisor for the topic (a Wesleyan
faculty member or visiting lecturer who taught a GLSP course within the past
year) who is available and willing to be an advisor, and
- The topic must be approved by the GLSP director.
Where to begin
The best place to begin searching for
topic ideas is in the student's former coursework. Students should think back
through their GLSP courses for ideas and topics that can be developed into a
graduate level master's essay or project. The most successful master's essays
and projects usually arise from ideas developed in previous coursework.
Choosing a topic in which you have already done some research will make the
essay or project much more manageable because you already have a base of
knowledge and research from which to draw.
Students may also choose to consult with faculty members about ideas, and are welcome to examine previous master's essays/projects in the Olin Library archives (in closed stacks; advance notice required).
Many liberal arts topics, in the students'
concentration area, may be chosen for the master's essay or project. However,
professional projects such as lesson plans, instruction manuals, or purely
technical descriptions are not consistent with the GLSP curriculum and will not
be approved for the essay or project. Areas of inquiry not taught at Wesleyan
may not be approved.
The Proposal: Choosing a Faculty Advisor
The master's essay or project must be completed under the guidance of a faculty
advisor with expertise in the student's chosen topic. The faculty advisor
serves as the expert on the academic subject and discipline-specific style.
Requirements
The advisor must be either
- a member of the
Wesleyan faculty, or
- a GLSP visiting
lecturer who has offered a course in the program within the last two
years,
- The advisor's area of expertise must be within the student's area of
concentration,
- The advisor must be available to serve as an advisor throughout the
entire process, and
- The advisor must be approved by the GLSP director.
Where to begin
The best place to begin is with your previous GLSP instructors. Choosing a faculty advisor with whom you have previously studied is strongly encouraged because the faculty member is already familiar with your academic work and you are already familiar with the faculty member's expectations and critical methods.
If it is not possible to
work with a previous GLSP instructor, you will need to find a faculty member or
recent GLSP instructor who has expertise in the area of your master's essay or
project.
The Proposal Process
After doing some initial research on your proposed topic, you should prepare a
brief abstract, preliminary bibliography, and brief outline before approaching a possible advisor. These will help you to convince the faculty member of the value of your project as well as your ability to achieve your goals.
Once a faculty member has
agreed to serve as your advisor, you should agree on a timetable for meetings and submission of drafts. It is your
responsibility to keep your advisor apprised of your progress. In most cases,
students and advisors need to meet two to four times: initially, to finalize a
topic, then to review drafts. Keep in mind that your advisor must have enough
time to read and evaluate your work before returning it to you with comments,
and that you will need time to incorporate those comments. You should also be
prepared for the possibility that your advisor will request significant changes
to every draft, including your proposed final version.
The
Writing Preceptor
All students who plan to complete a
master's essay or project are expected to meet at least once with the GLSP
writing preceptor prior to submitting the proposal. The writing preceptor
is available to work with students at any time during the essay or project, and
students are encouraged to take advantage of her assistance. For more
information or to schedule an appointment, please contact
Naomi Kamins.
Proposal Submission and Review
Each proposal is reviewed by three
individuals: your
advisor, the writing preceptor, and the GLSP director. While you are
working on your proposal you should be asking for feedback from your advisor and
the writing preceptor. When you believe your proposal is ready, submit it
to your advisor along with the Essay and Project Approval Form for his or her
review and approval. Once your advisor has signed the Approval Form,
submit the following to the GLSP:
1. Proposal
2. Proposal Approval Form
3. GLSP Registration Form (course number is ESSY 692 or PROJ 692)
The student should allow at least 2 to 3 weeks
(excluding holidays) for review and comments or review and approval by the GLSP
director.
Revisions and Approval
Once the GLSP director has reviewed your
proposal, you will receive a letter in the mail stating (1) that the proposal
has been approved as is, (2) that it will be approved with the following
revisions, or (3) that the director would like you to make the following
revisions and re-submit the proposal. In the letter, the GLSP director will
comment on the concept, content/clarity, and formatting of the proposal. In
many cases, the GLSP director will ask for revisions to the proposal prior to
approval. Students should factor this possibility into their timeline.
Making Changes After Approval
The proposal is not intended to be a restrictive or
inflexible document. It should serve as a guide for both the creative project
and the research project. If, during the discovery and exploration of the essay
or project topic the student finds a need to shift direction, the faculty
advisor must be consulted and the student must explain in the final work the
reasons for moving from the original premise or assumptions. A portion of the
learning comes from the journey from initial intention to final outcome.
Use of Human Research Subjects
If your topic involves the use of human subjects (i.e., if you will interview people, etc.), you will need to get approval from Wesleyan's Institutional Review Board (IRB). The need for IRB approval extends to any manner of research, including experiments, interviews, surveys, and other data collecting methods. This process is designed to protect the rights and welfare of human participants by ensuring that they are selected equitably, participating voluntarily, fully informed of the risks and benefits of the research, and that the research minimizes risks to humans and protects their privacy and confidentiality.
Most proposals will be granted an expedited IRB review. However, if the
proposed research presents particular concerns, it will be subject to a full
board review. The full process for submitting all projects
to the IRB can be found
here. Your proposal to
the GLSP should include all of the information you intend to submit to the IRB.
After your proposal has been approved by the GLSP, you will submit the proposal
to the IRB.
The IRB must review and approve ongoing projects at least once a year and all projects involving human
subjects whenever changes occur in the research design. The IRB must be notified of any unanticipated problem involving
risks to subjects or others, including physical or psychological injury to subjects,
improper disclosure of private information, economic loss, or other potentially harmful occurrences.
Student-Advisor Relationship and Responsibilities
The student and faculty advisor will work together from
the development of the initial proposal through to the completion of the final
revisions. It is important for both the student and the advisor to understand
their responsibilities to ensure that the student-advisor relationship is
successful.
The faculty advisor should:
- Ensure that the student's proposal is sufficiently
detailed so that it communicates the intent and viability of the proposed
topic;
- Ensure that the student is meeting the goals of the
proposal during the development of the official draft;
- Serve as an academic subject expert to the student,
helping to identify source materials, etc.; and
- Be able to assist the student in meeting the
requirements of the style manual used for the particular essay or project
(e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian), unless other arrangements are made with
the student. Please note students should always use the latest edition of
any publication style manual.
The student should:
- Ask the advisor for help when necessary;
- Implement changes suggested by the advisor; and
- Keep in contact with the advisor on a regular basis.
The Master's Essay or Master's Project
The Master's Essay
The master's essay provides an opportunity for in-depth focus on a particular subject in the liberal arts. The essay should be
approximately 30 pages in length to allow the student to fully introduce and develop the topic, incorporate the relevant literature (as applicable), and summarize the conclusions. The essay must be completed under the supervision of a qualified faculty advisor.
The Master's Project
The master's project may take many forms including: creative writing; performance; theatre, film, or video production; experimentation/investigation; or artistic exhibition. It may be an original body of art, a creative performance, a mathematical project, or a laboratory science study.
The master's project may be used to demonstrate artistic or
creative ability. Examples of master's projects in this area could include an art
exhibit of new pieces, a music or dance performance, a play production, or a
film. In addition to the creative portion of the project, a written analytical
component that explains the nature of the project, incorporates the relevant
literature in the field, and analyzes the work in its artistic and academic
context, is also
required. This analytic paper of approximately 20 pages must
accompany the master's project. The analytic paper describes and evaluates the student's experience of
developing the project, and incorporates coursework, literature, and research
that are applicable and relevant to the creative work. For example, the paper
for a painting project might include research on and references to artists or
styles that influence the student's technique, or a subject or theme on which
the work is based. The paper accompanying a choreography project might include
research on a particular dance style, choreographer, or an event in dance
history.The master's project in the area of writing could include a collection of poems, short stories, a short novel, a screenplay, or other creative writing. Another possibility is an investigative work based upon empirical studies in a laboratory or in the field. Written original creative projects (i.e., short stories, poetry, etc.) must be accompanied by an analytic paper, at least 20 pages in length.
Project Documentation
Students who complete master's projects must submit
videotapes, photographs, slides, charts, and/or other appropriate forms of
documentation such as programs or gallery lists. Field projects might include a
research-style manuscript and/or videos, photographs, charts, computer files, or
other appropriate forms of documentation. The faculty advisor must view the
performance or studio work, preferably in person. Whenever possible, the GLSP
director or designee should also attend a show or performance.
Completing the
Master's Essay or Project
Submission of the Essay or
Project
Once the master's essay or project is completed the student must submit
one copy to the GLSP office to be kept in the student's file.
Completion
Once the essay or project is approved and graded,
three units of credit will be awarded. Provided
that all other degree or certificate requirements have been met, the student's program is considered completed. Please note that students graduate and diplomas are issued only during the annual spring commencement, held in late May. For letters of completion, students must submit a written request to the Associate Director for
Academic Services, allowing 2
to 4 weeks for requests to be processed. For an official transcript, students should contact the Office of the Wesleyan University Registrar, (860) 685-2810.
Publication Style Manual Guidelines
Students should select the style manual appropriate to
their discipline (ie., APA, MLA, Chicago Style, or Turabian). Students should
pay particular attention to and adhere to the style manual requirements in the
following areas (this list is not intended to be all encompassing):
- Title page (must adhere to the GLSP format shown in
the sample)
- Copyright page
- Preface or acknowledgements
- Margins
- Table of contents
- Chapters (headers)
- Footnotes or endnotes
- Use and placement of quotes and punctuation
- References, bibliography, list of works
cited/consulted
- Citations
- Figures (charts, graphs, maps, photos, drawings) and tables
- Appendices
Copies of the style
manuals listed below can typically be found in libraries or can be purchased at
a bookstore such as Broad Street Books, 45 Broad Street, Middletown, CT 06459;
(860) 347-1194. The following list of references is using the APA publication
manual.
American
Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American
psychological association (5th ed.). New York, NY: American
Psychological Association.
Gibaldi, J.
(1998). MLA style manual and guide to scholarly publishing. (2nd
ed.). New York, NY: The Modern Language Associate of America.
Grossman, J.
(1993) (Ed.). The Chicago manual of style: The essential guide for writers,
editors, and publishers. (14th ed.). Chicago, IL: The University
of Chicago Press. Turabian, K. L.
(1996). A manual for writers of term papers, term papers, theses, and
dissertations. (6th ed.). Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago
Press.
Protecting Intellectual Property
The GLSP suggests that students copyright their master's essay
or project work. Information on the paperwork for formally obtaining a
copyright can be found at the Graduate Services Office (Science Tower Room
130). Students can provide some level of copyright protection by inserting a
single page that contains only the copyright information in the front of the
document. The copyright information should be centered in the middle of the
page, detailed as follows:
Copyright 2003 Jane E. Smith
Academic Prizes
Faculty can nominate GLSP students for the following academic prizes to be awarded at commencement:
- The Rulewater Prize is an endowed prize designed to recognize excellence in interdisciplinary reflection and writing produced as the culminating essay for the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies or the Certificate of Advanced Studies.
- The Samuel Hugh Brockunier Prize honors the late Samuel Hugh Brockunier who taught American History and Social Studies at Wesleyan University from 1930-81. The Brockunier Prize is awarded to a GLSP student who has written the best essay on a Social Studies topic. Dr. Brockunier served as Armstrong Professor of History from 1950-71, as Emeritus Professor of History from 1971-81, and as a GLSP faculty member.
Honor System
Upon registration for courses at Wesleyan University, all
graduate and undergraduate students acknowledge acceptance of certain enduring
and quite specific standards of academic conduct known as the Honor System (view
or download the
GLSP
Student Handbook).
Under this system, the students' written exercises and assignments in or out of
the classroom may be conducted without faculty surveillance, with each student
neither using nor giving unauthorized aid during the exercise. When writing
course papers, essays, and project summaries, students agree they will not use,
without proper acknowledgment, the wording of any sentence, part of a sentence,
or the work of another author without citing the source of the information. In
conforming to the Honor System, students reflect in their work the standards of
intellectual honesty that are the foundation of education and scholarship. The
GLSP expects all students to meet these standards. A dictionary definition of plagiarism includes copying or
imitating the language, ideas, and thought of another and passing off the same
as one's original work. It is sometimes difficult, however, to assess the
degree of indebtedness to sources. Paraphrasing or borrowing an idea, for
example, is not the same as a direct quotation, but the source of the idea may
still need to be cited. In general it is better to say too much about sources
than too little. For guidance on citations and acknowledgments, the student
should consult the style manual or consult with his/her faculty advisor. Please
note that illustrations not original to the students work must also be properly
cited.
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