Graduate Research Requirement
All graduate students must complete a research component as part of their requirements for graduation. The requirement may be met through one of three options as prescribed for the individual’s approved program. These options are:
- Research Paper:
A research paper, at a minimum, is a paper that surveys the literature on a particular topic. In such papers, students should demonstrate that they understand various arguments, hypotheses or theories put forward in the literature, can compare and contrast such, and draw appropriate conclusions therefrom. Term papers meeting these specifications can qualify as research papers. Research papers can be written either individually or as a team as directed by the academic program. The student’s advisor must approve the research paper and file the Research Component Form with the Graduate Office.
- Scholarly Paper:
A scholarly paper is a monograph of research conducted by the student that may or may not be experimental in nature. The report includes a statement of purpose, a report of investigation, analysis, and conclusions. The scholarly paper requires approval of the supervising graduate research faculty member and the Dean of the Graduate School. An oral defense of the paper is not required. The scholarly paper will be submitted electronically to the Dean of the Graduate School.
- Thesis:
A thesis is an in-depth scholarly examination of a particular topic which makes a contribution to the student’s academic field. The specific format of the thesis may vary by academic department. However, in general, a thesis is based on the examination of a hypothesis or research objective and includes the following components: an abstract, a review of literature, methods and procedures, data summary or findings from primary sources, and a discussion of the findings. The thesis requires approval of the supervising graduate research faculty member, the thesis committee and the Dean of the Graduate School. An oral defense of the thesis before the thesis committee is required. The thesis will be submitted electronically to the Dean of the Graduate School for approval by a prearranged date.
- Guidelines for Research Paper, Scholarly Paper, and Thesis:
The scholarly paper/thesis will be submitted electronically according to the style adopted by the department, to the Dean of the Graduate School for approval by the pre-arranged date.
In submitting the scholarly paper/thesis electronically, the following conditions must be met: (1) The general graduate guidelines must be followed for general format (a copy of the approved guidelines for general format is available online or from the Graduate Office); (2) A specific manual prescribed by the department must be followed exactly for the internal format of the paper; (3) Careful attention must be given to all composition skills involved; (4) An errorless original document must be submitted electronically to the Graduate Office for final approval and; (5) Consistent typing with a uniform font must be evident for the entire scholarly paper/thesis, except that photography or reduced tables may be allowed.
With student and advisor approval, the electronic scholarly paper/thesis will be forwarded to the B.D. Owens Library. Binding of the scholarly paper/thesis will be the responsibility of the student. Each graduate program within the department should keep files of significant research completed by each master’s degree recipient.
For students not required to complete a scholarly paper/thesis for submission to the library, each graduate degree area will arrange for a permanent department file of the results of its research component. The name of the student, the title of the research, the graduate degree, date earned, and degree area are to be sent to the Graduate Office for filing in the student’s permanent files. (See “School of Education” requirements for Ed.S. research requirements.)
Northwest Missouri State University subscribes to the policy that all research involving human subjects which is conducted by faculty, students, and staff must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board prior to the initiation of the research.
Northwest Missouri State University subscribes to the policy that all research involving animals which is conducted by faculty, students, and staff must be reviewed and approved by the Animal Welfare Committee prior to the initiation of the research. The Animal Welfare Committee meets once a trimester or when needed.
Second Degree
A second master’s degree may be earned by completing all degree requirements for the second degree. If required courses for the second degree have been completed in the first degree, appropriate course substitutions will be approved by the advisor to complete the required number of graduate credit hours required for the second degree.