Graduate Student Library Orientation

​​​​​​Culminating Projects in Graduate School

Every Master's degree program is required to include a culminating experience. The form of this experience differs according to degree programs, but all Master's students must satisfactorily complete either a thesis, a project, or take a comprehensive exam. Deciding between these three options is an important decision and it is essential to consult with your advisor or the graduate program director.

It is best to start narrowing your topic of interest during your first year as a graduate student and start preparing for your final. The following is a brief summary of each of the three culminating experiences:

1. Thesis: A thesis is the written product of the systematic study of a significant problem. It clearly identifies the problem, states the major assumptions, explains the significance of the undertaking, sets forth the sources for and methods of gathering information, analyzes the data, and offers a conclusion or recommendation. The graduate student is expected to work closely with the thesis committee chair and committee in the conception, design, and execution of the thesis. Normally, an oral defense of thesis will be required.

2. Project: A project or portfolio review is a significant undertaking of a pursuit appropriate to the fine arts, applied arts or to professional fields. It must be original and show independent thinking; appropriate form and organization; and a rationale. A project reflects applied field research or creative effort, often suited to the student’s individual and/or professional goals and allows application of technical skills and knowledge with a practical emphasis. Students completing this culminating experience still require a graduate committee and may require a written product and/or a formal oral defense, at the discretion of the academic program.

3. Comprehensive exam: A comprehensive examination is an assessment of the student’s ability to integrate the knowledge of the area, show critical and independent thinking, and demonstrate mastery of the subject matter. The results of the examination provide evidence of independent thinking, appropriate organization, critical analysis, and accuracy of documentation. An oral defense of the exam may be required. 

The Graduate Advisory Committee

Forming a graduate advisory committee is one of the most important decisions to be made in a master’s program. The committee chair, with assistance from the graduate advisory committee, directs the graduate student’s course of study and oversees the thesis, project, or comprehensive examination. The committee chair will assist in meeting the University style and format requirements for master’s theses and projects. 

Students should check with their graduate coordinator to determine the number of committee members required for their program (some programs require a chair and two members). Choose members for your graduate advisory committee, particularly the chair, that have a strong background in the appropriate academic area of your interest, preferably during the last two quarters of graduate school. All your committee members need to be approved by the committee chair, graduate coordinator and graduate dean.

• The committee chair must be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member who is from the program
• The second member must have the same qualifications as the committee chair. He/she can be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member associated with a program other than the one granting the degree, or a tenured or tenure-track faculty member who is fully retired from the program but willing to “volunteer” her/his time to serve on the committee
• The third member can be a person who has any professional achievement in an area related to the subject of the thesis or project. This may include professionals working in the community  

View more information about graduate degree requirements in the CWUP 5-130-060 policy.

Questions to ask your professors or advisors if you don't know the answer?

Preparation:

• Ask professors questions about the program during interviews.
• Identify peers in the program you can work with.
• Know if you need to have a committee.

International Graduate Students

To learn more about the process and requirements for international students, visit the Prospective International Studies page.

The APA (American Psychological Association) style format is the preferred citation style for social science research papers. APA is referred to as a citation style because it includes specific rules for how the references you cite should be formatted and indicated in your research paper. Proper citation ensures that you will never be accused of plagiarism and helps inform others to see where you got your information. It also provides style and writing guidelines to make sure that your research paper is easy to read and has all of the necessary elements.

Office 365 is available for free to CWU faculty, staff and students for personally-owned devices. It includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, & OneDrive. Click here to sign up for the free version and create an account using your CWU credentials. Physical books and eBooks on how to use Office 365 are also available at the CWU library, some examples provided below.

Additional CWU software available for faculty and students:

• Wolfram Mathematica
• IBM SPSS Statistics- CWU has a site license available for faculty & students for use on CWU computers as well as personal computers.
• Adobe Products- CWU has faculty/staff and student user-based licenses for most Adobe products.

Life during graduate school can be overwhelming at times, but staying organized is one way to ensure you stay on track. Chances are that you have other responsibilities in life besides your graduate education, so keeping your school materials organized becomes essential. You can set up different organization strategies to help you. Provided below is an example of a school organization example.

School Organization

• Organizing your learning for school and tracking assignments (internal and external deadlines)​
  • Find an organizational tool that works for you (planner, bullet journal, electronic calendar, etc)
• Organizing your notes for learning​
  • Decide on a note-taking method and use it regularly (digital vs. physical)
• Managing your resources​
  • Utilizing citation managers such as Zotero and Mendeley to keep track of resources and citations 
• Use tools to manage regular technical processes​
  • Password managers are useful for remembering passwords, security questions, and other information. There are many available, however, LastPass is a good, free option
• Setting realistic goals
  • Make S.M.A.R.T. goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound)

For more examples on school organizations and other types (e.g. personal organizations) you can visit our Organization Tips and Strategies libguide.

During graduate school, you may begin the process of publishing your first article. Publishing can be a tedious process and take a long time, so make sure you are well informed of the process. You should also research journals you're interested in publishing in to ensure that your work aligns with the focus on the journal. Many journals also have guidelines about how to submit your article for publication and if you're allowed to submit the article to other journals at the same time or not. Below is a quick overview of the publishing process.

It is also important to keep in mind that it is your responsibility to carefully examine any publication agreements and to negotiate any rights. According to the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), authors are increasingly empowered to make decisions concerning their scholarly work. When you publish in a traditional (subscription access) journal, you will sign over some or all of your copyrights to the publisher. Read more about an author's rights in this brochure.