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GCAC-642
Culminating Experience - Research Master's

GCAC-642

Culminating Experience - Research Master's

This policy was recently revised. The below version will be effective Fall 2024 (8/12/2024).

View the current effective version.

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Purpose

To define the acceptable culminating experiences for the research master’s degree (M.A. and M.S.).

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Academic Goal

To ensure that all students pursuing a research master’s degree (M.A. or M.S.) complete their studies with a high-quality, approved culminating experience that integrates the knowledge and research experience acquired during their time in the degree program.

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Scope

All research master’s degree programs (M.A. and M.S.).

A degree is not conferred for a mere collection of credits. A well-balanced, unified, and complete program of study is required, including the preparation and acceptance of a high-quality approved culminating experience.

Policy Statement

  1. A culminating experience is required for all research master’s degrees. The options for the culminating experience for the research master’s degree are:
    1. a thesis based upon original research in the field;
    2. a scholarly paper or essay that is research-oriented; or
    3. a capstone course that includes a work product that demonstrates evidence of analytical thinking and synthesis of knowledge in the field of study.
  2. Programs may offer one, two, or all three options, as approved through the Graduate Council curricular review process.
  3. The transcript for all students graduating with an M.S. or M.A. degree will be notated to reflect the applicable culminating experience.
  4. The supervisor of the master's culminating experience must be a member of the Graduate Faculty.
  5. Requirements for a thesis:
    1. A thesis is prepared under the direction of an adviser from the graduate major program.
    2. M.A. or M.S. candidates enrolled in a dual-title degree program must integrate concepts from both graduate programs into their thesis.
    3. Approval of thesis:
      1. Each graduate program must specify in their handbook the structure of their program's thesis approval process, including (but not limited to):
        1. Whether a formal committee of Graduate Faculty members will be appointed to oversee the thesis, including the structure of the committee, membership, and responsibilities of each member.
        2. Whether additional readers, beyond the necessary approvers, are required if there is no committee.
        3. Whether there is a master's thesis defense and what, if any, portions of the defense are public.
        4. Whether there is a separate required public presentation of the work.
      2. In addition to the program's thesis approval process, the thesis must receive final approval by at least three individuals: the thesis adviser approves as the primary overseer of the student's research, one other member of the Graduate Faculty approves as an additional scholarly review, and the graduate program head or DGS/PIC approves on behalf of the program signifying that program standards and policies have been met appropriately. If the adviser is also the program head or DGS/PIC, the other program leader should approve on behalf of the program. If the adviser is also the program head and there is no DGS/PIC, the program head should designate another member of the Graduate Faculty to approve on behalf of the program.
        1. If the student is pursing a dual-title at least one of the approvers must be from the dual-title program.
        2. Non-members of the Graduate Faculty may be Special Signatories for master's theses at the discretion of the program. Special Signatories do not have to be affiliated with Penn State.
    4. The thesis must be made available to the public as an official University record through inclusion in the University Libraries.
      1. The thesis must meet editorial standards specified by the Graduate School as defined in GSAD 510-Thesis Submission.
  6. Requirements for a scholarly paper or essay:
    1. The nature and extent of the scholarly paper or essay shall be determined by the graduate major program.
    2. A scholarly paper or essay is prepared under the direction of an adviser from the graduate major program.
    3. M.A. or M.S. candidates enrolled in a dual-title degree program must integrate concepts from both graduate programs into their scholarly paper or essay.
    4. Approval of scholarly paper or essay:
      1. Each graduate program must specify in their handbook the structure of their program's scholarly paper or essay approval process, including (but not limited to):
        1. Whether a formal committee of Graduate Faculty members will be appointed to oversee the scholarly paper or essay, including the structure of the committee, membership, and responsibilities of each member.
        2. Whether additional readers, beyond the necessary approvers, are required if there is no committee.
        3. Whether there is a scholarly paper or essay defense and what, if any, portions of the defense are public.
        4. Whether there is a separate required public presentation of the work.
      2. In addition to the program's scholarly paper or essay approval process, the scholarly paper or essay must receive final approval by at least three individuals: the adviser approves as the primary overseer of the student's research, one other member of the Graduate Faculty approves as an additional scholarly review, and the graduate program head or DGS/PIC approves on behalf of the program signifying that program standards and policies have been met appropriately. If the adviser is also the program head or DGS/PIC, the other program leader should approve on behalf of the program. If the adviser is also the program head and there is no DGS/PIC, the program head should designate another member of the Graduate Faculty to approve on behalf of the program.
        1. If the student is pursing a dual-title at least one of the approvers must be from the dual-title program.
        2. Non-members of the Graduate Faculty may be Special Signatories for master's scholarly papers and essays at the discretion of the program. Special Signatories do not have to be affiliated with Penn State.
    5. Graduate programs may require all students in the program to submit their scholarly paper or essay to an appropriate Penn State repository and/or may require one or more copies of the scholarly paper/essay for the program's library or files.
  7. Requirements for a capstone course:
    1. The nature and extent of the capstone course shall be approved through the Graduate Council curricular review process.
    2. M.A. or M.S. candidates enrolled in a dual-title degree program must integrate concepts from both graduate programs into their capstone course work product.
    3. Graduate programs may require all students in the program to submit their capstone course work product to an appropriate Penn State repository and/or may require one or more copies of the scholarly paper/essay for the program's library or files.

Process

  1. Documenting Culminating Experience to be Completed
    1. Culminating experiences should be reported in the student information system as early as possible. Graduate Enrollment Services may establish specific deadlines to facilitate graduation processes.
    2. In cases when the student changes degrees, the culminating experience must be reported in the student information system upon the change of degree.
  2. The graduate program is responsible for ensuring that the students approved culminating experience is appropriately recorded as soon as it is approved.

Revision History

  • Approved by Graduate Council, November 15, 2023. Effective date: Fall 2024 (8/12/2024)
    • Policy revised extensively to clarify standards for the three approved types of culminating experience for a research master's degree. Major changes include indicating that programs may set their own culminating experience requirements (e.g., committees, additional readers, defenses, presentations) but must specify these requirements in their student handbooks, requiring that three members of the Graduate Faculty approve theses and scholarly papers, and specifying that candidates enrolled in a dual-title master's program must integrate the concepts from the dual-title into their culminating experience work product.
  • Adapted from Graduate Bulletin: July 2018.
  • Approved by Graduate Council, Dec. 14, 2016. Effective date: Fall 2017 (08/14/2017).
    • The requirements for the culminating experience for the M.A. and M.S. were revised to add a third possibility: either a thesis based upon original research in the field; a scholarly paper or essay that is research-oriented; or a capstone course that includes a work product which demonstrates evidence of analytical thinking and synthesis of knowledge in the field of study. The transcript for all students graduating with an M.S. or M.A. degree will be notated to reflect the applicable culminating experience. Programs may offer one, two, or all three options, subject to approval of the Graduate Council Joint Curricular Committee.
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