The MA capstone is a paper or project completed in a course and expanded into a more rigorous and polished product the following quarter according to the requirements specified by the preceptor. Students must have their preceptor’s approval to turn a specific paper or project into a capstone. The preceptor is looking for a course paper or project that is substantively and analytically robust enough to serve as a strong foundation for a capstone. It should demonstrate the student's ability to engage deeply with a topic, conduct rigorous research and analysis, and present their findings in a coherent and professional manner.

These guidelines are broad enough to allow for many different kinds of papers and projects, from empirical research to statistical analyses to applied projects that can be shared with employers. If students are considering going on for a PhD, we recommend they consult their preceptor about what kind of paper would be a good choice for a writing sample.

In most cases, the capstone will directly build on or adapt a course paper or project. In some cases, by preceptor approval, it may be appropriate to develop a capstone that is premised on course material without expanding on a particular existing assignment. For example, a capstone could conduct a secondary analysis of publicly available data using specific statistical techniques covered in an advanced methods course. In all cases, the capstone project must clearly demonstrate development of concepts from a graduate level course taken at the University of Chicago.

Capstone Approaches

There are several ways to successfully complete a Psychology MA capstone:

• You may complete an original research project using publicly available data. This option is very similar to an MA thesis in psychology, but allows you to conduct research on any topic of interest to you as long as you are able to obtain relevant data.
  • This may take the form of a meta-analysis.
• You may complete a literature review or a systematic review. This should include a summary of what is currently known on the topic and suggestions for future research. It should synthesize the summarized work to articulate an original thesis statement or argument, for example identifying a critical gap, arguing for the integration of multiple literatures, or naming specific theoretical or methodological challenges that must be addressed in future work.
  • You may use the introduction of a research proposal as the beginning of a literature review. The revised literature review capstone should be substantially longer and more in depth than the introduction for the proposal. However, review papers should still be concise. You should read several published review papers in a similar area of psychology as your own interests and pay attention to their length, style, and content.
• You may propose a new theory. This should include a conceptual background, a review of relevant empirical evidence, and suggestions for future research.
• You may complete a program evaluation. Your final report should include an introduction that identifies the program and introduces the purpose of the evaluation (including the specific questions it is designed to address), a full method section, results, and a discussion including recommendations.
  • If you are interested in this option, you must take MAPS 30005: Graduate Practicum in the Social Sciences with Dr. Shelly Robinson during the Winter quarter.
  • Another useful resource for finding an organization to partner with is https://www.r4impact.org/
• You may revise a research proposal to meet the expectations of a US National Science Foundation (NSF) grant application.
  • For more information, see their description of how to prepare a proposal here: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/preparing-proposal
    • You should include a project summary, project description, and references. All other sections are optional.
  • If you wish to write a proposal following the guidelines for another grant that is more closely aligned with your research area, you would need to submit a description of the proposal requirements and a justification for why that grant is more appropriate for your research.
  • If you select this option, you should be aware that grant proposals will require increased rigor and be evaluated according to higher standards than a typical research proposal submitted as a class assignment.
• You may propose an alternative format for your capstone project. The proposal should be a complete plan for a project that meets the same standards of scholarship and academic rigor as the defined options. Your proposal plan should include a description of the goals of the project, an explanation of how the project builds on course material, the full format the completed capstone will follow, and a timeline for completion.

Restrictions

Your capstone project may not:

• Require collection of original data
• Require funding
• Require IRB approval
• Continue using data from previous research without the supervision of the original PI
• Be a project fully conceived outside of a course

Approval

To obtain approval for your capstone project, you must submit to your preceptor: