SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES CAPSTONE PROPOSAL (Plan A Thesis or Plan C Special Project) Revised 7/5/19 Attached Capstone Proposal Prepared For: Individual XXXXXXXXXXGroup Name(s): CCSU ID(s):...

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SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES CAPSTONE PROPOSAL (Plan A Thesis or Plan C Special Project) Revised 7/5/19 Attached Capstone Proposal Prepared For: Individual Group Name(s): CCSU ID(s): Major: Degree (select one): Primary Capstone Advisor: Title of Capstone: Check Appropriate Box If Human or Animal subjects are involved, attach your proposal: IRB IACUC No Human or Animal subjects were involved. Required Signatures: Primary Capstone Advisor: Signature Print Name Date Committee Members: Signature Print Name Date Signature Print Name Date Signature Print Name Date Accepted By: Dean, School of Graduate Studies Capstone Type (select one): Plan A: Master's Thesis Plan C: Special Project Signature Print Name Date Names: CCSU IDs: Major: Title of Capstone: Print Name: Date: Print Name_2: Date_2: Print Name_3: Date_3: Print Name_4: Date_4: Print Name_5: Date_5: CheckBox_1: Off Check Box2: Off Degree: [] Capstone Advisor: Check Box5: Off Check Box6: Off Check Box7: Off Check Box8: Off Check Box9: Off The Special Project as the Capstone Experience Table of Contents Page Introduction 1 Chapter 1 Special Project as the Capstone Experience 2 ▪ Registering for the Special Project 2 ▪ Guidelines/Approaches/Common Characteristics 3 ▪ The Special Project Process 4 ▪ Steps for Planning, Executing, and Writing the Special Project 5 ▪ Five Key Issues: Time, Cost, Access, Faculty Support and Approval 6 ▪ Writing Strategies 8 Chapter 2 School of Graduate Studies Policies and Requirements 10 ▪ Submission Requirements 10 ▪ Special Project Cover Page Sample 11 ▪ Abstract Cover Page 11 ▪ Biographical Note 11 ▪ Digitized/Electronic Submission 12 ▪ Special Project Deadlines 12 ▪ Capstone Rubric 12 Special Project Checklist 12 Chapter 3 Specific Department Requirements 13 ▪ Table 1 - Department Plan C Special Project 13 ▪ Table 2 – Department Plan E Special Project 14 References 16 Graduate Studies Forms (http://www.ccsu.edu/grad/resources/capstone.html) Graduate Capstone Course Registration Capstone Proposal Final Capstone Submission Rubric for Special Project Graduation/Program Completion Application Other Forms Description of the Institutional Review Board and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee http://www.ccsu.edu/grad/resources/capstone.html 1 Introduction Congratulations! You are going to engage in the Special Project, one of the graduate capstone experiences at Central Connecticut State University for students in master’s programs. Your project will be a demanding and intellectually challenging task. You will learn and practice the skills required for organized research and documentation, analysis of information and effective communication. In doing your project you will be making the transition from one who is a consumer of knowledge to one who actively contributes to the knowledge base of their field or discipline. You are becoming part of the Graduate Studies Community of Scholars by advancing knowledge through innovation and research. This handbook contains general guidelines for completing the Special Project capstone. However, since Special Projects can take multiple forms, such as applied research, action research, exegesis, exhibitions, performances, and curriculum design and development, the students should consult their departments for specific guidelines for the various approaches. The Special Project Handbook has three chapters, and reference forms which can also be found on the Graduate Studies Forms webpage; http://www.ccsu.edu/grad/resources/capstone.html. Chapter 1 provides general guidelines that govern all Special Projects, regardless of the approach used by the department. Chapter 2 discusses specific standards (policies and requirements) required by the School of Graduate Studies regarding Special Projects. Chapter 3 provides an overview of the courses designated as Special Projects and the approaches that departments may choose for their Special Projects. The forms found on the website provide important information. These cover the Institutional Review Board and Institutional Animal Use and Care Councils, as well as sample forms and documents that are needed for your Special Project. The Special Project Rubric is a rubric developed and approved by the Graduate Studies Committee meant to inform you of criteria by which your Special Project will be assessed. Lastly, is the Graduation/Program Completion Application. This form must be completed and submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in order for your planned program to be audited and processed for graduation. Many thanks to the Graduate Studies Policy Standing Committee and all faculty members who contributed information to this handbook to help students successfully complete their capstone. While every effort will be made to keep this Handbook up-to-date, please confer with your graduate advisor about any recent changes that may have taken place. Please contact the School of Graduate Studies at 860-832- 2363 if you have questions. Writing a Special Project takes time, hard work, and patience. Nonetheless, you should find it to be a worthwhile and rewarding endeavor. I wish you successful completion of your Special Project work. Christina A. Robinson Christina A. Robinson, Ph.D. Interim Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies, Research and Faculty Development http://www.ccsu.edu/grad/resources/capstone.html 2 Chapter 1 The Special Project as the Capstone Experience The Special Project is a culmination of the Master’s Program for students who elect Plans C or E for their Graduate Studies capstone experience at CCSU. Specific guidelines depend on the approach the Special Project takes within the individual departments. Nonetheless, all Special Project Capstones provide an opportunity for students to complete an academically rigorous, professional project that contributes in some meaningful way to the discipline and communities to which they belong. The Project should reflect an understanding of knowledge related to the discipline or field and an ability to apply this knowledge. The capstone represents the student’s ability to demonstrate a synthesis of the master’s program. Students completing Plan C receive valuable mentoring by their faculty supervisor and committee members. Students in Plan E are in classes with other students who are all working on similar approaches to the Special Project, led by an instructor who provides mentoring and guidance. Registering for the Special Project To register in the Special Project capstone, Plan C, you must complete the Graduate Capstone Course Registration and obtain the necessary signatures. The Dean, School of Graduate Studies or designee, is the last person to sign the form which must be submitted to The School of Graduate Studies. You should register for the Special Project in the registration period for the semester you intend to begin work with your Special Project advisor on the proposal. You must register using the Capstone Course Registration Form during the regular registration period. No capstone forms will be accepted after the add/drop registration period ends (i.e., after the third week of classes). To register in the Special Project capstone, Plan E, you must register for the department’s designated course during the regular registration period as you would for any other coursework. (Some departments require special permission by the department chair.) In order for you to register in the Special Project Capstone (whether plan C or E), graduate policy requires that you have at least a 3.00 overall GPA and that you have completed 18 credits in programs with 30-35 credits or 24 credits in programs with 36 or more credits. Students only register for their Capstone one time. If the student receives a grade of incomplete (INC) and then does not register for any other course work, the student must then register for CREG 001 each fall and spring semester until the project is completed and a grade change has been submitted to the Dean’s office. This allows students continued access to computer facilities, the library, parking, and the faculty. 3 Special Project Guidelines Each Special Project, regardless of the form it ultimately takes, must contain the following: 1. Abstract 2. Definition of the Project 3. Project Objective (its purpose, a rationale for conducting the project) 4. Review of Literature 5. Research Methods or Plans for conducting the Project 6. Results and/or Findings 7. Summary/Conclusion 8. Bibliography/References 9. IRB/IACUC approval or exemption if appropriate 10. Appendices as appropriate (For maximum clarity, please provide a title for each appendix in the table of contents; example- Appendix A: IRB Forms, Appendix B: Participant Questionnaire, etc.) Approaches to the Special Project Various approaches exist for completing Special Projects, such as those that follow: 1. An extended research paper, based on primary and/or secondary sources. 2. An artistic exhibition or creative performance. 3. An action research project in a classroom or professional setting. 4. An applied project of practical research that includes details of the design and implementation of a product. 5. An internship with an accompanying paper that documents the experience and includes descriptive data with analysis. 6. A curriculum project that is designed, implemented, and evaluated. As indicated above, what constitutes an appropriate Special Project varies between disciplines and among the departments offering this option. Although no single description of a Special Project exists, each is an exercise in rigorous research and application to the discipline. Common Characteristics A Special Project is an exercise in applied research. Special Projects stress problem solving and knowledge application. They normally consist of an expansion or synthesis of work from courses within the student’s planned program. In this regard, to complete the Special Project successfully, the student must demonstrate mastery over both the specific content area and the methodology of the discipline. A second common element to all Special Projects involves examining a specific topic of interest related to the discipline, chosen with the Special Project faculty supervisor. The topic should focus on a limited area and explore an issue or question related to their discipline. Students are asked to demonstrate their skills in using the methodologies of their fields and applying their knowledge to the selected topic of interest. It also requires the student to have an in-depth understanding of the particular area of interest. The student must know the current “state of the art” or literature if they are to add to it. Third, a Special Project represents an opportunity to work closely with one or more faculty members in your field. One characteristic of good graduate education is the opportunity for faculty and students to work together 4 in a close relationship characterized as mentoring. Nuances, connected to the discipline, are best conveyed in the context of a close working relationship. Working on a Special Project under the supervision of faculty provides an opportunity for learning that goes beyond what is found in other graduate school activities. A final characteristic of a Special Project is more personal in nature: a Special Project is an exercise in self- discipline. Completing a Special Project requires sustained initiative and focus for an extended period of time. YOU, the student, provide the structure of your work. The choice of topic is largely yours. Faculty will generally look to you to be the initiator of your Special Project work. A Master’s degree acknowledges you as a professional in your field; the mark of a professional is the ability to be self-motivated and self-directed. To recap, a Special Project is a document that entails independent activity, with research that is integrated into its application. The Special