The Capstone is designed to encourage the
integration of course work in the program and comes at the end of a
student's MLA career. The student works with the Associate
Program chair to determine the option best suited to the students needs
and goals. The MLA is more than just a string of courses and the
Capstone is design to help students integrate the graduate experience
in a thoughtful way. In spring 2005 the MLA will begin to put the
Capstone online in ebook format. Students will be able to go online to
see the graduate projects, theses and portfolios created by other
students. We also hope to have a searchable database available with the
name, title of project, year, advisor and abstract. We have all the
graduate projects and theses on file in the office and students are
encouraged to make an appointment to come by to see what others have
done.
The MLA
Program now
has three options for the Capstone: Portfolio, Graduate Project, and
Thesis.
Please start thinking about
the Capstone before it is time to register. You must have the
permission of the Associate Chair in order to register for any of the
options. Approval will only be given for the Graduate Project and
Thesis if the student has completed the contract, abstract,
and has an advisor. This should be done in the semester preceding the
actual course work. For the Portfolio, the student needs to meet with
the APC in the semester preceding the Portfolio completion. All three
options have deadlines that students. Please make sure that if you are
working with an Advisor that you have established a schedule and stick
with the deadlines.
If the student does not complete the
project during the semester/s of registration the student could lose
library privileges. In order
to continue use of the library the student must sign up for "Continuing Enrollment."
What
option is best for
you? Students should
consult with the Associate Program Chair to determine the best option
for the Capstone. For some students, taking a tenth course is important
for either professional reasons or for additional personal enrichment
in a particular area of study. The Portfolio option allows the student
to take a 10th course but also provides for an integration of the
courses and approaches. The Graduate Project allows the student to work
with a Johns Hopkins faculty advisor to integrate the educational
experience and to produce a piece of independent research. The Thesis
option is is for students going on for another degree (particularly a
doctorate) or for students with a project worthy of Thesis
consideration. Permission for the Thesis option is only given if the
APC and the Advisor agree that a particular project is worthy of Thesis
credit.
The
Portfolio (more)
Students
should keep copies of their
best work from each course taken. The Portfolio allows the
student to organize and integrate the graduate experience over a period
of time. Ideally the student begins with the first course to pull
materials together and to add to the Portfolio as he/she goes through
the program.
Graduate
Project (more )
Following the
completion of nine courses, you are required to complete a graduate
project. The Graduate Project provides you with the opportunity to
conclude your MLA degree by writing in an area of special interest,
independent of a course structure, and under the guidance of a faculty
member. The graduate project is interdisciplinary in scope and reflects
an emphasis or interest that you have discovered through the MLA
program. The project provides the opportunity for you to apply the
concepts and knowledge gained through the program to an independent
project of your design. The project should be thirty to fifty pages and
can include tapes, slides, and other materials. The final project is
generally in the form of a research paper.
Thesis Option (more)
Following the
completion of eight
courses, you may choose to do the two course Master Thesis option. The
thesis provides you with the opportunity to conclude your MLA degree by
making a substantial and original contribution to knowledge. Under the
guidance of a faculty advisor, you will find a worthwhile problem or
unsolved question, and write a formal analytical research paper of 75
to 100+ pages. The thesis is interdisciplinary in scope and reflects an
emphasis or interest that you have discovered through the MLA program.
The project provides the opportunity for you to apply the concepts and
knowledge gained through the program to an independent project of your
design. The final project is generally in the form of a research paper.
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