MAIS 797: Interdisciplinary Studies Proposal

Overview

All Interdisciplinary Studies capstone projects and theses are preceded by a formal research proposal approved by the student's entire 3-person committee. To help students prepare to write a successful proposal, they are required to take a 1-credit course, MAIS 797 - Interdisciplinary Studies Proposal.

This course provides a structured environment in which students work on their proposals with the MAIS 797 instructor and the student's project/thesis committee chair. The course culminates in the presentation of the research project/thesis proposal to an audience of peers and professors.

Preparing for MAIS 797

Prerequisites for MAIS 797 - Proposal consist of:

1. Completion of MAIS 796.
2. 21 credits of coursework towards the degree.
3. Completion of research methods course, if required. (The research methods course may not be taken concurrently with MAIS 797.)

Further, students getting ready for MAIS 797 should:

• Have a topic idea in mind.
• Have committee chair who is willing to work with them on their proposal.
• Be thinking about the other two members of the committee, who will also approve the proposal.
• Have sufficient time in their schedule. Though MAIS 797 is a 1-credit course, the amount of work involved in creating a graduate-level research proposal exceeds the work of a typical 1-credit course. 

Registration

The Interdisciplinary Studies graduate coordinator will admit a student to MAIS 797 after they have submitted the following items in soft copy to mais@gmu.edu:

1. An up-to-date curriculum worksheet signed by the concentration head.
2. An MAIS 797 Registration Checklist, available for download at right, that has been signed by the student's project/thesis committee chair.

Once the MAIS administrative coordinator has verified all of the items on the checklist, she will create a slot in the class. At that point, the student will log into Patriot Web to claim the slot.