Final Field Work and Research Projects
Registration must be completed during the regular registration period. Students who elect the 6-credit project option will be registered and billed for all 6 credits in one semester. Credits will not be split over the course of multiple semesters.
The field work or research project is a culminating activity and therefore should follow all necessary work to assure adequate content and methodology. It is required in some degree programs and may be optional in others. Students may elect to do either a 3-credit or a 6-credit field work or research project. Students who elect to do a field work or research project must complete a Permission to Enroll form and submit a written proposal to be approved by the field work or research adviser or instructor, program director and the Office of the Registrar. The 6-credit research project is similar to a master’s thesis in structure, complexity, depth of study and rigor. The registrar will continue to re-register students each Fall and Spring semester for the field work or research project as “IP” (In Progress) until a final grade is submitted. Students are responsible to pay the Graduate School comprehensive fee each semester until the project is completed.
The 3-credit field work or research project is a disciplined application of theories and techniques learned during the master’s study and applied in a field work setting with clearly defined learning objectives. It is graded Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U). A grade of "S" is equivalent to a minimum grade of B (82%) at the graduate level. See Grading System section. The grade is awarded by the field work or research adviser or instructor. (The dean of the Graduate School will review the report and verify the approval of the Reading Committee.)
The student is responsible for initiating either a 3- or 6-credit field work or research project proposal and for securing a field work or research adviser or instructor for the project, who will serve as the chair of the Reading Committee. The adviser and the student, in consultation, will identify two additional persons to serve on the Reading Committee.
The basic procedure established for the master’s thesis should be followed for the 6-credit research project. The procedure for a well-structured independent study should be followed for the 3-credit field work or research project.
The approved final paper, must be uploaded to MD-SOAR in accordance with the thesis/project deadlines published in the Academic Calendar. Students should review the guidelines for formatting and electronic submission processes in the Final Thesis, Projects, Capstones, and Research section of ww.hood.edu/gradforms
The title of the report will also be noted in the student’s academic record.