The culminating experience involves the completion of a thesis or professional project or comprehensive examination. Students writing a thesis are expected to identify a significant technical or policy problem or question (depending upon the student's emphasis), and to apply a relevant theory (or theories to the problem); thesis students conduct a thorough literature review of material relevant to the topic, formulate an appropriate research approach to the problem, collect and analyze data, draw pertinent and defensible conclusions, and produce a well written, coherent thesis.
While a thesis is theoretical in nature, a professional project is an applied approach to a specific issue. Students selecting a professional project apply the expertise and knowledge they develop from their coursework to evaluating an issue or solving a specific problem. Rather than a thesis, the end result of a professional project is a practical “deliverable” such as a handbook or a report. Students electing to take a comprehensive examination are expected to complete a set of readings and to successfully answer questions that are based upon subject matter covered in the MCTP courses and in the specified reading list. Comprehensive examinations are given twice a year, in February and in July.
