While both thesis and master's project are scholarly research studies (either quantitative or qualitative), a project is more creative in nature. It requires an application of scholarly research to a specific topic in the student's concentration.
When choosing a topic it's best to choose something that is directly connected to your concentration. It can be something that you learned about in one of your classes and you want learn more about it. Perhaps you have an idea about what kind of job you want after graduation; you can choose a topic that would give you an edge up on the other prospective candidates for that job. If you are already in the human services field, there could be projects that you are doing at work that could also serve as a master's project. Your project must be approved by your project chair.
If you are still stuck with finding a good topic for your Master's project or thesis, you can look in the library archives to see what has been done previously. Students attend HMS 579 to prepare the project.
The time it takes to complete a master's thesis or project is dependent upon you. If you are diligent about working on it, it will take about two semesters. For others it takes longer. Keep in mind, all your course work must be completed within 6 years of being admitted into the program in order for you to officially graduate.
The University of Illinois at Springfield keeps all master's projects in the archive section of Brooken's Library. You can visit and view them there, but you cannot check them out. The HMS Graduate Assistant Office (BRK 341) has some master's projects that you can check out. Your advisor should also have some copies of past master's projects that they may lend to you.
Your Master's Project committee consists of three people that will read your project proposal and determine whether it is acceptable. The committee consists of committee chair, faculty member, and a Dean's representative. The committee chair is your advisor. The faculty member is chosen by you from the HMS faculty. The Dean's representative is someone that has knowledge about the field in which your project is being conducted and who has a Master's degree.
IRB stands for the Institutional Review Board. If your research involves human subjects, you must submit a Protocol Form to the human subjects review officer. A determination will be made as to whether a review by the full IRB is needed. Please allow a minimum of two weeks for review and approval or your protocol. Please note, students should only submit their research to IRB AFTER their project proposal has been accepted by their committee.
The Master's thesis strictly follows the APA style of writing research papers. Your thesis has five chapters. Chapter One: Introduction; Chapter Two: Literature Review; Chapter Three: Methods, Procedures and Activities; Chapter Four: Results; Chapter Five: Conclusions, Discussions, and Recommendations.
