Managing Thesis Research (Graduate Only)

This section describes the student’s thesis / capstone process at SCS and your role as a first or second reader. Please familiarize yourself with this section in its entirety. In addition to the following, please read over the section “Capstone Project Process” in the SCS graduate student handbook, which can be found at http://www.scs.northwestern.edu/forms/SCS_Grad_Handbook.pdf.

Students in all SCS graduate degree programs must complete either a capstone course (only available in a few programs) or an independent thesis / capstone project. Students who register for the independent thesis / capstone option must secure two faculty members or other approved individuals to supervise and, eventually, approve their work:

One is referred to as the “first reader” and has primary supervisory responsibility, oversight, and approval authority for the student’s project.
The other, referred to as the “second reader,” must also approve the student’s thesis / capstone final paper for the project to be completed.

The following guidelines are relevant to all SCS degree programs. At the end of the page, you will find guidelines and processes that apply to projects in the MA / MFA in creative writing programs.

What is the Capstone?

The capstone project is an opportunity for students to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have developed during their program and must contain elements of independent research and original analysis. Depending on program and content, this may be best achieved through any of a variety of means but it should be guided by a question, the answer to which will be of some significance to a definable audience. While exact details vary between programs, the capstone project is intended to be one of considerable scope and depth. As such, it is unlikely that it can be completed in a ten week quarter. It often will take three to six months, once registration has been approved.

Who Can be a Reader for a Capstone?

It depends on the program. If you are asked by a student to serve as a first or second reader, please request that the student double-check the SCS student handbook to ensure that you meet Northwestern University and SCS criteria.

Expectations for First and Second Readers

The first reader has two main roles: adviser and assessor. As an adviser, the first reader may lend assistance and guidance to a student’s proposal, research and analysis. The extent of this involvement will vary and is largely up to the reader’s discretion. As an assessor, the first reader determines whether the capstone has reached a sufficient standard of quality, befitting the culminating project of a master’s degree. Towards the end of the student’s project, the second reader acts as an additional assessor.

SCS expects that first and second readers will provide guidance, expertise, and feedback to students in a timely manner. First readers should ensure that the proposed thesis / capstone project topic is relevant, rigorous, and deserving of exploration in a culminating project. Readers must guide students, but not provide so much direction that the student’s sole authorship is compromised. All readers should only approve student work that meets a sufficiently high level of quality.

The Capstone Process

1. The student identifies a topic, secures a first reader, and writes a project proposal, which must be approved by the first reader and submitted by the student to SCS for registration. It is vital that the first reader ensure that the project plan is rigorous and appropriate. First readers should hold students to very high standards at this beginning point – both the student and reader will benefit from a rigorous initial proposal. The most common problems while supervising thesis / capstone work stem from poorly constructed, imprecise, or otherwise insufficient proposals. SCS administration grants the first reader significant authority in determining whether the student’s proposal is accepted for registration. However, SCS administration may provide feedback to the first reader on proposals that pose concerns.
2. Although not required, SCS strongly suggests that the first reader request a project plan from the student. The plan should specify deadlines and expectations of the first reader.
3. Once the proposal has been approved, the student works on the thesis / capstone until it has met the first reader’s approval. Throughout this process, the involvement of the first reader can vary, depending on the student’s and first reader’s needs. The frequency of communication and nature of the relationship should have been negotiated by student and reader in the initial planning stages. First readers should only approve work befitting the culmination of a master’s degree program.
4. Once the first reader has approved the final paper, the student submits the paper to the second reader for approval. The second reader should not approve until it has met his/her standards of quality. When the second reader provides approval, the process is complete. Until then, the student must continue to work on the project until both the first and second readers are satisfied.

Information for Faculty in Creative Writing

Students in the MA and MFA in Creative Writing programs must complete a thesis or capstone project, and they must find a faculty member to supervise their project. If you are approached to supervise a thesis or capstone project, keep in mind that it is your responsibility to ensure that the project reflects the quality of work expected of graduate students. The student’s final manuscript must be grammatically correct, error-free, properly paginated, and of “near-publishable” quality, and you should not approve it to be sent to the second reader until it meets those requirements.

The final project will vary according to the student’s interest, and should consist of work the student has previously workshopped in the program. Please remind students that it takes from three to six months – perhaps even longer – to complete a capstone project. If you are a first reader and the student’s final project does not meet your expectations, you should not sign off on it. Instead, you should inform the student that he or she must submit more revisions until the work is satisfactory. If you are a second reader and the student’s final project does not meet your expectations, you should return the manuscript to the first reader with your assessment and comments for revision. Second readers who find a project satisfactory will sign-off on the project, sometimes making general suggestions toward publication.

MA students take 590 one time, typically as the last course in their degree program, and have up to one year after registering for the 590 to submit the project. At the end of the 10-week quarter of initial registration the instructor (the “first reader”) submits an “in-progress” or K grade. When the project is complete, the program coordinator submits a change of grade and turns the K grade into a P. The MA prose thesis should be 75 double-spaced pages; no more than 100 pages. The MA poetry thesis should be 25 single-spaced pages; no more than 35 pages (limit one poem per page).

MFA students take 590 twice, typically as the last courses in their degree program, and students have up to one year after the first 590 registration to work on the project before they need to register for their second 590 class. At the end of the 10-week quarter of initial registration the instructor submits an “in-progress” or K grade. When the project is ready for the second 590 registration, or when it is complete, the program coordinator submits a change of grade and turns the K grade into a P. The instructor of the second 590 is considered the committee chair/first reader of the student’s MFA thesis. The MFA prose thesis should be 140 double-spaced pages; no more than 170 pages. The MFA poetry thesis should be 35 single-spaced pages; no more than 45 pages (limit one poem per page).