Proposal Requirements & Submission

Proposal Elements

All Interdisciplinary Studies proposals, for both projects and theses, include the following elements:

  • A statement of the problem to be addressed.
  • A review of scholarly literature that contextualizes the proposed research, informs its methodology, and establishes its originality.
  • A discussion of the proposed methodology or decision-making process.
  • A discussion of the expected significance of the results.
  • A timeline of work.
  • A bibliography or reference list.

A 3-Step Submission Process

Submitting an approved proposal is a three-step process:

  1. Pass MAIS 797 - Proposal (1 credit).
  2. Obtain formal approval of the entire project/thesis committee, as evidenced by their signature on the cover sheet.
    • NOTE: Any member of the committee may require significant revision to the proposal before they agree to approve it.
  3. Submit the proposal with signed cover sheet to Interdisciplinary Studies.

Committee Approval

Having committee approval of a proposal is not a requirement for passing MAIS 797, but it is required to register for project or thesis credits.

After completing MAIS 797, students must continue to work on the proposal until every member of the committee is willing to approve it. Students should not replace a committee member simply because they request revision to the proposal.

Signature Sheets

Students should circulate a signature sheet in hard copy for their committees to indicate approval of the proposal. Templates for the signature sheet differ between project and thesis and may be found in the menu at right.

Proposal Submission 

A copy of the final proposal and a signed cover sheet should be submitted in soft copy to the Interdisciplinary Studies program at mais@gmu.edu.

For more information about registering for project/thesis credits go here.