Research Projects

Conducting research is a requirement to complete the MSCID degree. When taking CIDS698 Research Project, you should choose a topic that you are passionate about. During this process, you will have the opportunity to choose a minimum of two professors to mentor you. We recommend you take this course after completing 50% of your coursework. See below for the course description, requirements and forms.

A research project is carried out by a master’s degree candidate, through which the student’s mastery of the research process is demonstrated. Students can submit one of the following: 1) a grant proposal and application or 2) research for publication. This course qualifies for full-time status, requiring a minimum of 480 hours of work per semester of registration. Students cannot take CIDS698 until prerequisite (Research II or equivalent) is met. The course is repeatable for up to six credits.

Student Supervisory Committee – Master’s Degree Committee
A student’s project supervisory committee normally consists of a minimum of two members nominated by the department chair/program director/area coordinator in consultation with the student and appointed by the appropriate dean or graduate program coordinator. For a master’s thesis, the committee consists of the thesis advisor and two other members.

Exception: for an interdisciplinary master’s degree, a committee is appointed before initial registration. All other master’s degree student committees are appointed after some course work has been completed and before registration for thesis credits.

Only rarely may a student’s committee be changed while study or research is still in progress. This may be done only in consultation with the appropriate dean or graduate program coordinator. The chair of the supervisory committee is the student’s chief advisor. The function of the committee is to guide the student in his/her research and writing of the project/thesis. A student’s supervisory committee may be augmented with additional members for the oral defense of the thesis. These additional committee members have full voting rights. The term of service of a student’s committee is deemed to have expired when a student has graduated or when registration has been terminated.

Master’s Paper
The student who elects to complete a research project or grant paper as part of fulfilling the research requirement for the master’s degree reports it/them in conformity to the Andrews University Standards for Written Work. A student’s project supervisory committee normally consists of a minimum of two members nominated by the student in consultation with the department chair/program director/area coordinator. One copy of the research is submitted to the instructor under whose supervision it was prepared. It becomes the property of the department. Completed and signed approval forms for the project(s) must be filed in the Academic Records office no later than noon on Friday, one week before graduation, unless an earlier time is specified by the department. If students need time for project preparation beyond the semester(s) when regular project credits are accumulated, they may register for project continuation. Project continuation is a non-credit enrollment status that requires a small fee for each semester of registration.

There are two categories of the master’s paper that students can choose from: a research paper for publication or a grant writing paper. Additional details will be given during the master’s paper preparation and during graduate student orientation.

Institutional Review Board
The Andrews University Institutional Review Board oversees research. They have tightened the expectations for proposed research involving human subjects and have focused more carefully on meeting federal regulations.

The University is liable for any failures to meet federal expectations. Federal requirements will soon mandate that all faculty and graduate students must have specialized training in the ethical practice of research.

Any research involving people must be approved, consent forms and/or letters must be completed, and proper protocol must be observed. For more information, see:

FORMS

1. Course Instructions

This document explains the steps and expectations for the research project. The student must read it, sign it and submit it on LearningHub or to the CIDP office when registered for the course.

2. Course Contract

The course contract is an agreement between the committee members and the student, and it must be signed by both parties. The student will also list what activities they want to accomplish each semester. This contract must be renewed each following semester the student is enrolled.

3a. Research Paper - Monthly Report

Students will only use this form if they have chosen a research paper. Every month, they will need to fill out this form describing what they have accomplished.

3b. Grant Proposal and Application - Monthly Report

Students will only use this form if they have chosen a grant proposal and application. Every month, they will need to fill out this form describing what they have accomplished.

4. Course Completion/ Evaluation

At the end of each semester enrolled in CIDS 698, this form must be sent to the student's committee members. Members must write their evaluation of the student's work during the semester and initial beside their comments. When the evaluations are complete, the form should be submitted on LearningHub.

5. Report of Completion

Students will need to submit this form when they have completed the requirements for this course and have received approval from the program director.