Depending on your graduate program, you may be required to complete a capstone, thesis, or dissertation as part of your degree requirements. This page is designed to help you determine which, if any, of these you will need to complete for your program, and provide guidance on department and campus resources available to you.
The Different Types of Culminating Projects
See each section below for details on what comprises each type of culminating project.
Typically completed during the final semesters of a graduate degree program, a Capstone project serves as the culmination of a student’s educational experience. Usually, the Capstone project is completed alongside a semester-long seminar course designed to help a student workshop and fine-tune their ideas with their peers.
Specifications for the Capstone project will vary by department. Please see your academic department’s website or your faculty academic advisor for additional details.
A thesis is a final research paper required for the completion of many master’s degree programs. All students completing a thesis should follow University guidelines for preparation and submission.
Your department may also have specific requirements that you should be aware of. Please see your academic department’s website of your faculty academic advisor for additional details.
A dissertation is a final research paper required for the completion of many doctoral degree programs. Dissertations usually call for doctoral candidates to conduct their own research, and offer the opportunity to contribute new knowledge to their field of study.
Internship or Field Experience
Academic Portfolio
Comprehensive Exam
Program Information
Use the table below to find out what the project requirements are for your specific degree program. Also linked are any available program resources. We recommend referring to your department, faculty academic advisor, or thesis/capstone advisor for additional information.
|
Program |
Degree |
Culminating Project |
Department Resources |
|
Biology |
MS |
Thesis (Research or Literature Review) |
|
|
Business Administration |
MBA |
Capstone (Practicum) |
|
|
Business Administration - Engineering |
MBA |
Capstone |
|
|
Business Administration - Accounting |
MBA |
Capstone (Practicum) |
|
|
Business Administration - Business Analytics |
MBA |
Capstone (Practicum) |
|
|
Business Administration - Finance |
MBA |
Capstone (Practicum) |
|
|
Business Administration - Health Management |
MBA |
Capstone (Practicum) |
|
|
Business Administration - Sustainability |
MBA |
Capstone (Practicum) |
|
|
Creative Writing |
MFA |
Thesis |
None |
|
Adult and Higher Education |
MS |
Internship/Directed Study and Professional Portfolio |
|
|
Counseling - Clinical Mental Health |
MS |
Internship and portfolio |
|
|
Counseling - Rehabilitation |
MS |
Internship and portfolio |
|
|
Counseling - School Counseling |
MS |
Internship and portfolio |
|
|
Educational Leadership |
MSEd |
Tk20 Subscription |
|
|
Educational Psychology - Applied Behavioral Analysis |
MS |
Culminating Project (SPY 607) |
|
|
Educational Psychology - School Psychology |
MS |
Internship |
|
|
Literacy Education |
MSEd |
Practicum (EDU 639) |
|
|
Montessori Early Childhood Education |
MSEd |
Capstone |
|
|
School Psychology |
MS |
Internship |
|
|
Special Education - Effective Instruction and Assessment for Students with Suspected and Identified Disabilities |
MS |
Capstone |
|
|
Special Education - In-Service |
MS |
Capstone |
|
|
Special Education - Integrated General Education and Special Education Education Initial Teacher Certification |
MS |
Capstone |
|
|
Special Education - Pre-Service |
MS |
Capstone |
|
|
Teacher Leadership |
MSEd |
Capstone |
|
|
Teacher Education - Extended Teacher Education Program |
MSEd |
Capstone |
|
|
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) |
MSEd |
Practicum (EDU 623) |
EDU 623 Course Description |
|
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) - K-12 |
MSEd |
Practicum (EDU 623) and Internship (EDU 640) | |
|
Leadership Studies |
MA |
Capstone project OR thesis |
|
|
Music - Composition |
MM |
45 Minute Recital |
|
|
Music - Conducting |
MM |
Exit requirements vary by department |
|
|
Music - Jazz Studies |
MM |
Recital and written exam |
|
|
Music - Music Education |
MM |
Professional Portfolio (MUE 615) or Thesis (MUE 695); Tk20 Subscription |
|
|
Music - Pedagogy |
MM |
Final lecture, recital, or thesis; written or oral exam |
|
|
Music - Performance |
MM |
Written or oral exam; recital varies by degree |
|
|
Nursing - Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner |
MS |
568 clinical hours; Clinical Project |
|
|
Nursing - Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner |
MS |
568 clinical hours; Clinical Project |
|
|
Nursing - Education |
MS |
224 experiential hours (Practicum); Clinical Project |
|
|
Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner |
MS |
Practicum and clinical project |
|
|
Nursing - Option for Non-Nurses |
MS |
Practicum and clinical project |
|
|
Nursing - Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner |
MS |
Practicum |
|
|
Nursing - RN to Master of Science Degree Program |
MS |
According to APRN track above |
As above according to SPRN track |
|
Occupational Therapy |
MOT |
Fieldwork |
|
|
Policy, Planning, and Management |
MPPM |
Capstone, Internship, or non-credit Portfolio |
|
|
Public Health |
MPH |
Capstone |
|
|
Social Work |
MSW |
Research Project or Thesis Option |
|
|
Statistics |
MS |
Project or Thesis (up to 6cr) option |
|
|
Leadership |
PhD |
Dissertation |
|
|
Nursing |
DNP |
DNP Project |
|
|
Public Policy - Educational Leadership and Policy |
PhD |
Dissertation |
|
|
School Psychology |
PsyD |
Dissertation |
Campus Resources
Listed here are a few of the resources available for students who working on their capstone, dissertation, and thesis guidelines. This list is by no mean exhaustive, and we recommend referring to your department, faculty academic advisor, or thesis/capstone advisor for additional suggestions.
Office of Research Integrity and Outreach (ORIO) - ORIO can assist students who are conducting research to navigate complicated issues such as:
- Using human or animal subjects
- Biosafety
- Avoiding and managing conflicts of interest
- Adhering to guidelines for responsible research
USM Libraries - See the library for assistance with:
- Locating research articles
- Questions regarding binding and printing
- Publishing your capstone, thesis, or dissertation to the Digital Commons
Contact: Jessica Hovey, Library Specialist - Digital Initiatives and Access Services