Writing a thesis is an incredibly exciting experience in one’s graduate career, as it allows for one to further explore and research a field of their interest. Throughout our graduate courses, we are taught skills that, through practice and mastery, become tools that students can implement in their writing and research outside of graduate learning. Although the initial overall planning of thesis work can seem daunting, taking it one step at a time will ensure a successful outcome.
After deciding on a research topic for your thesis, you will need to identify which of the three thesis capstones would best fit your work. The three possible options, research thesis, creative thesis, and curricular artifact capstone, all have different guidelines that will help to identify which is best for your research, and also serve as a guide for what to write in your thesis proposal. It is important to note that before writing your thesis proposal you should identified/already have selected your thesis chair, as they will also be able to help you both decide which capstone option is best for your research, along with helping you write and revise your thesis proposal.
The first option is a research capstone thesis, which is the more traditional version of the research that you are most likely familiar with. With this option, in your proposal you would need to answer questions such as “what topic will your thesis explore” and “what is the purpose of your intended work and research.” Along with this, your proposal will also need to include sections such as a literature review, purpose, expected chapter outline of finished thesis, limitations to consider, expected timeline, and a works cited/bibliography. For this particular thesis, the chapter outline would look something like:
- Introduction
- Literature review
- Body of the Thesis
- The body of the thesis reflects the work expected within the field of study. English draws from a broad range of methodologies. Your thesis chair can provide meaningful specifics to help you shape your work.
- Conclusion
Another option for your thesis is a creative thesis capstone. This type of thesis connects with the traditional model of thesis research, but incorporates more elements that do not require a thesis defense. With a creative thesis, students will asked questions such as “what sparked your desire to explore this creative genre” and “what is the purpose of your intended work and research.” The following subsections after the introduction will include a literature review, purpose, expected chapter outline of finished creative text/writing, limitations to consider, expected timeline, and works cited/bibliography. An example of what a chapter outline would look like for a creative thesis would be:
- Introduction
- Literature review
- Creative Work
- Creative reflection
- Conclusions and Discussions
The third and final option for a thesis is a curricular artifact capstone. This type of thesis involves successfully navigating the culminating experiences of the degree. This thesis requires students to ask questions such as “what is the area of your classroom practice you are going to focus on,” “what course will be changed, adjusted, or created, and why,” and “what sparked your desire to introduce a curricular change in your placement.” Subsections after the introduction include literature review, pedagogy, institutional context, purpose, expected chapter outline of finished curricular artifact, limitations to consider, expected timeline, and works cited/bibliography. An example of what a chapter outline would look like for a curricular artifact capstone would be:
- Introduction
- Literature Review
- Explanation of Curricular Artifact Design
- Material Artifact Section
- Curricular Artifact Reflection
- Conclusions and Suggestions
Each capstone option provides a lot of room for so many different thesis projects and research to become more than just an idea. Keep these in mind when talking with your thesis chair and to go with which out of the three works best for you.