Research Plans
Candidates for master’s degrees will organize their graduate study to meet the requirements of one of four research plans:
• thesis, 6 graduate credits;
• research paper, 3 credits;
• creative project, 3 or 6 credits; or,
• graduate research methodology course plan, a minimum of 3 graduate credits.
The research requirement must be taken at Ball State University.
Capstone Projects: Thesis (THES 698); Research Paper (RES 697); or Creative Project (CRPR 698)
All research projects must be conducted using ethical conduct of research requirements and should receive institutional review by the appropriate research compliance committee, when required, before the project is begun. Although the concerned department has the responsibility for determining the manual or form to be followed in writing the thesis, research paper, or creative project, projects must also conform to Graduate School guidelines located on the Graduate School’s website.
Students completing a thesis must present a topic embodying the results of a study of some subject directly related to the area of specialization. The thesis must show that the candidate can pursue a research problem successfully and draw valid and significant conclusions. The student must have a committee of three faculty members selected and approved by the program advisor and the graduate dean.
Students completing a research paper must complete an original study of nonthesis proportions showing that the candidate possesses the abilities to pursue a research problem successfully and to draw valid and significant conclusions. It must be on some subject directly related to the candidate’s area of concentration and must meet the approval of the student’s project advisor, the program advisor, and the graduate dean.
Students completing a creative research project (3 or 6 credits) must complete a project in the student’s concentration area. Examples of creative projects are a musical arrangement, composition, or recital; painting(s), sculpture, or a craft project; a literary composition; or instructional units in science or social science. A creative research project must show evidence of superior craftsmanship and creative scholarship and must be limited to students, on the recommendation of the program advisor, who are capable of exhibiting these traits. It must meet the approval of the student’s advisor and the program advisor. The creative project must be supported by a written report that includes background research and other significant information basic to the project, as well as a thorough description of the project itself. The student is required to have a committee of three for the 6-credit project and an advisor for the 3- credit project. These members must be approved by the program advisor and the graduate dean.
Students may begin registering for the appropriate capstone course (i.e., THES 698, RES 697, CRPR 698) at the time when they begin planning their capstone, unless their department policy otherwise specifies. A student must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and be in good academic standing to register for these courses. Once the student has formally formed their committee (for 6-credit capstones) or chosen a project advisor (for 3-credit capstones), a student must submit a topic approval form to be approved by the student’s advisor, the student’s committee (when applicable), the program advisor, and the graduate dean. Approval forms are available on the Graduate School webpage.
A student is not permitted to submit the final approved capstone project before completing 12 credits of graduate work. A student’s thesis or 6-credit creative project may be approved with one dissenting committee vote. If one member of the committee dissents, the dissenting member and, if appropriate, the chairperson of the committee will file with the dean of the Graduate School a letter detailing the circumstances of the dissent. A student’s research project or 3-credit creative project must be approved by the student’s capstone advisor.
All approved capstone projects must be presented to the dean of the Graduate School in final form by the submission deadline during the term in which the student is to be certified for graduation. The final digital copy of the approved capstone, any accompanying materials, and a 250-300-word abstract of the project describing the nature of the work and findings must be submitted to the Graduate School electronically. Final documents, the Final Approval Form and the ETD Signature Form must be approved by all three members of the student’s committee (when applicable) and the program advisor, as well as the graduate dean. In the case of a thesis or 6-credit creative project, the approval form needs to be signed by all members of the committee, even if the capstone passes with a dissenting vote. The student who writes a thesis must enroll in THES 698: Thesis, for a total of 6 credits. The thesis is not used to meet the requirements for any course except THES 698.The student who writes a research paper must enroll in RES 697: Research Paper for 3 credits. The research paper is not used to meet the requirements of any course except RES 697. The student who writes a creative project will enroll in CRPR 698: Creative Project for a total of 3 or 6 credits. The creative research project is not used to meet the requirements for any course except CRPR 698.
The grading system used for THES 698/RES 697/CRPR 698 is credit/no credit. Capstone advisors are not to assign a grade of CR until the final, approved project has been submitted to the Graduate School and accepted. Grades of I or NC are to be assigned if credits are taken before this point, and then changed to credit once the project is complete, approved, and submitted.
Students must be registered during their final semester. If not registering for a course or courses, the candidate will register for MAST 600, Master’s Candidate, for a fee of $75. A master’s candidate may also take MAST 600 under other circumstances when not registered for a course or courses in order to access university services—for instance, while working off an incomplete grade—with the approval of the candidate’s committee chairperson or graduate advisor.
Graduate Research Methodology Course Plan
This course plan is not approved as a research plan option in some master’s degree programs. For these programs, a thesis, research paper, or creative project is required.
A candidate for a master’s degree choosing the graduate research methodology course plan will complete an appropriate research course at Ball State University totaling a minimum of 3 credits. The research course, with departmental approval, will constitute a part of the master’s degree major.
Each academic unit offering a master’s degree will identify the course or courses it will use to satisfy the research course requirement of 3 or more credits. The research course may be taken in another department with the approval of the major-area advisor.
Research methodology courses identified as appropriate should emphasize either basic or applied research skills, or both. Unlike other graduate courses in the major area dealing with research, this course will have research as its primary focus and will be taught by persons with special research competencies and interests. Course content should include preparation of a research study, report, or paper.