About the M.A. Research Essay
- 25-40 pages
- While incorporating original research and primary documents, these may not form the core of the work if there is strong analysis and discussion of secondary sources.
- Carried out through Research Capstone or under faculty supervision.
- Represents a strong understanding of the field and an original and insightful interpretation of it.
- Reflects the workload of one one-term graduate course for 4.0 credits.
- Takes approximately four months.
- Reviewed for approval by the supervisor and the graduate director, in consultation with the graduate committee.
- May or may not be publishable.
- Particularly valuable for students who:
- Have a wide range of scholarly interests and do not feel strongly drawn to a single topic
- Do not plan a future research career and would rather develop general writing and analytical skills
About the M.A. Thesis
- 75-100 pages
- Based on original research using primary sources (e.g. – documents, interviews, raw data, etc.).
- Original theoretically filling clear gap in existing literature.
- Designed, researched and written with regular consultations of the thesis adviser and faculty committee.
- Represents a distinct and original contribution to the field.
- Reflects the workload of at least two one-term graduate courses, each for 4.0 credits.
- Takes approximately eight months, but this varies considerably according to a wide range of factors.
- Defended before a formal thesis committee.
- As a distinct contribution to the field, should be publishable if it can be summarized into article length.
- Particularly valuable for students who:
- Strongly wish to study a particular topic in depth using primary resources
- Want to undertake a major piece of research to prepare themselves for eventual JD or Ph.D. studies
- Do not plan to proceed to the Ph.D. and seek a final research experience as a culmination of their academic career