Politics & Public Administration

Early in the graduate program, after two to four courses have been completed, you should identify a possible topic and research methodology and discuss these with appropriate faculty members. Then request a faculty member to serve as your Thesis Advisor. With the guidance of your Thesis Advisor, prepare a Thesis Prospectus. This should specify the problem you are investigating, its significance, potential need and usefulness of the investigation, research methodology, plan of action for proceeding with the thesis research, and a summary of your initial library research-including a bibliography.

In consultation with your Thesis Advisor, request two other faculty members to serve on your Thesis Committee. Fill out a Thesis Committee Assignment Form.pdf at the MPA program office. Call a meeting of your Thesis Committee to review your Thesis Prospectus. With the advice and guidance of this committee, continue to investigate the topic and write the thesis. It is your responsibility to maintain contact with your Thesis Advisor and Thesis Committee, including setting up periodic meetings with the Thesis Committee. Before the thesis is officially submitted to the University, meet with your Thesis Committee for a formal "thesis examination," submitting the final draft of the thesis to them for approval. Prepare and submit the thesis document according to the standards of the University. See CSU Stanislaus Thesis & Project Guidelines.

If you choose to pursue the thesis option, you must plan to register for PADM 5710, Research Design in Public Administration after your thesis committee is formed and topic chosen. In addition, you will need to enroll for a cumulative total of at least three (3) units of PADM 5990, Thesis Research. You must be enrolled in at least one unit of Thesis Research each fall and spring semester from the time your thesis committee is formed until the degree is granted. Three of these units count toward the 42 units required for the MPA degree. Registration for PADM 5990 does not count toward fulfillment of the minimum requirement of at least 30 units of graduate (5000) level coursework. Usually, a grade of "SP" (satisfactory progress) will be assigned for these courses until your thesis is completed. When the thesis has been submitted, the "SP" grades will be changed to a letter grade assigned by your Thesis Committee.

Occasionally, a student will begin working on a thesis, register for PADM 5990, Thesis Research, and later decide to complete degree requirements by taking the comprehensive examination. If this should happen to you, first consult with your Thesis Advisor and Thesis Committee, then notify the MPA Graduate Studies Committee. This decision will require that you petition for "retroactive withdrawal" from all prior Thesis Research registration (a "W" symbol will be entered on your transcript).

You may not register for PADM 5990, Thesis Research without the formation of a Thesis Committee and the formal review and approval by that committee of your research topic and plan. A completed Thesis Committee Assignment Form.pdf must be submitted to the MPA Graduate Studies Committee.

The role of the Thesis Committee includes:

As soon as possible after the formation of the Thesis Committee, the members should meet with the graduate student and arrive at an understanding regarding the participation of each member in the advising and guidance of the student.
The initial responsibility of the Thesis Committee is to determine the feasibility of the proposed research topic and methodology. The student should meet with the Thesis Committee as often as necessary to reach a collective agreement regarding the scope, planning, progress, and culmination of the thesis research.
The Thesis Committee shall review and approve any instrument or questionnaire used in data collection, shall determine whether the student's research is subject to policies regarding Research on Human Subjects, and advise the student accordingly.
The Thesis Committee shall determine the adequacy of the bibliography.
The final responsibilities of the Thesis Committee are to conduct an examination of the student's work in accordance with the thesis requirements established by the Office of Graduate Studies of California State University, Stanislaus and the MPA program, determine the acceptability of the thesis, and assign a letter grade that will apply to PADM 5990, Thesis Research. The Thesis Committee will have discharged its obligations when each member has signed the approval page of the thesis and the graduation Clearance Form for the MPA program.

All costs of research, typing, reproduction, binding, and copyrighting are the responsibility of the student. You may arrange with Kiva Bookstore to have your thesis printed and bound in accordance with university requirements. Contact the CSU Stanislaus Office of Graduate Studies for information.

You are encouraged to submit papers based on your thesis for publication in professional journals or presentation at professional conferences.

The problem, its significance, the methods and sources of gathering data, the assumptions, the analytical methods, and the conclusions and recommendations should be clearly explained. The thesis must show originality, appropriate organization, clarity of purpose, critical analysis, and accuracy. Descriptions, historical review, cataloging and compilation—without substantially more—are not adequate.

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