Graduate Thesis or Capstone Project

The Independent Research Study should focus on an issue of interest to the student that directly relates to the student's area of specialization. In cases where the topic rests or touches on more than one field, a teamwork project may be substituted for the independent study. Members of the team will be required to contribute material on the selected topic from the vantage point of their respective fields of interest. Students will have latitude in selecting their topic but all topics, whether for individual study or a team undertaking, will need faculty approval and will be conducted under the stewardship of one faculty person. The study may be a traditional research paper of a case study based on primary research, extensive interviews, and profiles of the protagonists, be they individuals or institutions and should reflect high standards of scholarship.