Whether project or thesis, the Interdisciplinary Studies capstone research experience should reflect students’ mastery of relevant subjects and skills in their course work, experiential learning opportunities, and research.
A thesis is a rigorous piece of research that requires the collection of original data, makes an original contribution to knowledge, and is presented in a traditional, formal, written format. Students interested in pursuing a PhD should seriously consider the thesis option.
A project involves the mobilizing existing research and applying it in a novel way. The project option enables students to produce a non-traditional deliverable. Interdisciplinary Studies projects can be:
A project should not be regarded as “easier” than doing a thesis, because both projects and theses have to make an original contribution, and the same quality of work is required. Also, all projects require a formal framing statement that includes a statement of the research problem, a literature review, and discussions of methodology and the significance of the results.
Project |
Thesis |
Requires a formal proposal. |
Requires a formal proposal. |
Involves original research but not necessarily the collection of original data. |
Involves original research and the collection of original data. |
Deliverable includes a formal piece of writing (framing statement) + an applied component. |
Deliverable is solely a formal piece of writing. |
Requires a 3-person committee. |
Requires a 3-person committee. |
Committee chair must be graduate faculty. |
All committee members must be graduate faculty. |
Stored internally for assessment purposes. |
Made publicly available through the library. |
Can be useful as a signature deliverable on the job market. |
Can be useful as a writing sample for a PhD program application. |