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End of Program Assessment Manual for

Graduate Studies American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia, February 2016 Edition

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1

EOP Assessment Alternatives ................................................................................................................ 1

Important Notes ..................................................................................................................................... 2

Academic Dishonesty ............................................................................................................................. 3

For Comprehensive Exam Assessments ........................................................................................... 3

For Capstone Assessments ................................................................................................................ 3

Institutional Review Board ................................................................................................................. 4

CHAPTER I ............................................................................................................................................... 5

Master of Arts Comprehensive Final Examination ............................................................................... 5

Beginning the Comprehensive Exam ................................................................................................. 5

Comprehensive Exam Course ............................................................................................................ 5

Taking the Exam ................................................................................................................................. 6

Faculty Role ......................................................................................................................................... 8

Program Director’s Role ..................................................................................................................... 9

Proctoring ............................................................................................................................................ 9

CHAPTER II ............................................................................................................................................ 11

Master's Capstone: Thesis Option ....................................................................................................... 11

Beginning the Thesis Project ............................................................................................................ 11

Thesis Proposal ................................................................................................................................. 12

Preparing the Thesis ......................................................................................................................... 12

Approval of Thesis ............................................................................................................................. 13

Submission of Final Thesis .............................................................................................................. 14

Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts .................................................................................................... 14

Faculty Role ....................................................................................................................................... 15

Program Director’s Role ................................................................................................................... 16

CHAPTER III ........................................................................................................................................... 17

Master's Capstone: Creative Project ................................................................................................... 17

Beginning the Creative Project ......................................................................................................... 17

Creative Project Proposal ................................................................................................................. 17

Completing the Creative Project ...................................................................................................... 17

Approval of Creative Project ............................................................................................................. 19

Submission of Creative Project Report ............................................................................................ 19

Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts .................................................................................................... 20

Faculty Role ....................................................................................................................................... 20

Program Director’s Role ................................................................................................................... 21

CHAPTER IV ........................................................................................................................................... 23

Master's Capstone: Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper ............................................................ 23

Beginning the Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper ................................................................. 23

Practicum Proposal ........................................................................................................................... 23

Completing the Practicum ................................................................................................................ 24

Approval of the Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper ............................................................... 25

Submission of Critical Reflection Paper .......................................................................................... 26

Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts .................................................................................................... 26

Faculty Role ....................................................................................................................................... 27

Program Director’s Role ................................................................................................................... 28

CHAPTER V ............................................................................................................................................ 30

Master's Capstone: Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper Option ................................................... 30

Beginning the Portfolio Option ......................................................................................................... 30

iii

Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper ............................................................................................ 30

Completing the Capstone ................................................................................................................. 31

Approval of the Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper .................................................................. 32

Submission of Critical Reflection Paper .......................................................................................... 32

Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts .................................................................................................... 33

Faculty Role ....................................................................................................................................... 33

Program Director’s Role ................................................................................................................... 35

CHAPTER VI ........................................................................................................................................... 36

University Declarations and APUS Library Registration ..................................................................... 36

1. Declarations ............................................................................................................................. 36

2. Textual Components ................................................................................................................ 37

3. Images and Tables ................................................................................................................... 38

4. Video or Audio .......................................................................................................................... 38

5. URLs/Web Addresses .............................................................................................................. 39

6. Submission ............................................................................................................................... 39

7. Passed with Distinction (a.k.a., PWD) ..................................................................................... 39

CHAPTER VII .......................................................................................................................................... 41

Scholarly Research/Copyright Conduct .............................................................................................. 41

1. Copyright ....................................................................................................................................... 41

2. University Research Policies ........................................................................................................ 43

3. Institutional Review Board ........................................................................................................... 43

Appendices ............................................................................................................................................ 45

Appendix 1: Master’s Theses............................................................................................................... 45

Appendix 2: Master’s Creative Projects .............................................................................................. 47

Appendix 3: Master’s Practicum and Critical Reflection Papers ....................................................... 49

Appendix 4: Title Page (Required format for all theses). ................................................................... 51

Appendix 5: Sample of Copyright Page (Required format for all theses).......................................... 52

Appendix 6: Sample of Dedication Page (Optional) ........................................................................... 53

Appendix 7: Sample of Acknowledgments Page (Optional) ............................................................... 54

Appendix 8: Sample of Abstract of the Thesis (Required format for all theses). ............................. 55

Appendix 9: Sample of a Table of Contents ....................................................................................... 56

Appendix 10: Sample of List of Tables ................................................................................................ 58

Appendix 11: Sample of List of Figures .............................................................................................. 59

Appendix 12: Sample of Permission to Quote or Reproduce Copyrighted Material Letter ............. 60

Appendix 13: Sample of Practicum Organizational Consent Form ................................................... 61

Appendix 14: Critical Reflection Method Required for Completion of Practicum Paper ................. 62

Appendix 15: Sample of IRB Approval Letter ..................................................................................... 63

Appendix 16: Passed with Distinction Assessment Rubric ............................................................... 64

Appendix 17: Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper ......................................................................... 68

Appendix 18: Checklist for Thesis/Capstone Submission to APUS Library ...................................... 70

INTRODUCTION

This manual establishes the guidelines for completion of all graduate-level end of program (EOP) graduation requirements. The intended audience for this manual is all members of the American Public University System (APUS) academic community, including students and faculty. While it is intended to be a comprehensive overview of the general EOP requirements for APUS, students and faculty must follow any additional specific guidelines within their schools. Information regarding school-specific guidelines should be available from your supervisory professor or your program’s director.

APUS, including American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU), offers several options for assessing graduate program learning outcomes. These end of program assessments are designed to ensure APUS students have successfully met their program objectives, and each is designed to serve a different purpose.

EOP Assessment Alternatives

EOP assessment alternatives include:

• Comprehensive Exam

• Capstone, which includes the following variations (availability varies by degree program):

o Research thesis

o Creative project

o Practicum with critical reflection/integration paper

o Portfolio option with critical reflection paper

The comprehensive exam is recommended for students who will conclude their formal academic training with the completion of the Master of Arts/Master of Science program.

Students who anticipate seeking further professional training, such as a doctorate or a Ph.D., for example, are strongly encouraged to complete the Capstone/thesis option.

Students in particular sub-disciplines of the humanities may find the creative project option the optimal choice, while business and other professional disciplines may consider the practicum as the best option. Finally, various programs will find the portfolio option appropriate.

Note: Master’s students in the School of Education have a different set of requirements regarding end of program assessment. They should not rely on this manual, but rather must comply with the requirements outlined in the School of Education handbook.

Students are advised to work with their academic advisors to ensure that they take the correct courses during their degree and to enroll in the correct program version for their assessment preference, if available. Please be advised that some programs have only one EOP assessment option.

Important Notes

• The EOP assessment is meant to be a culminating experience, and as such, each student should expect to demonstrate not only that he/she possesses a thorough knowledge of his/her discipline’s literature, but also that he/she has achieved all of the graduate studies learning outcomes. The EOP is a unique exercise. A student’s GPA is not a factor in how well he or she will perform in his/her end of program exercise. Success depends on the student entering the experience fully prepared and dedicated to completing the EOP in the allotted timeframe.

• All students are expected to adhere to the conventions of standard English grammar and/or formal academic writing. Students who are struggling with their ability to communicate clearly in writing are strongly encouraged to complete COLL501 early in their graduate studies.

• After being checked with a plagiarism detection tool and graded by the faculty supervising the project and upon being approved by the program directors and school dean, all Capstone projects must be submitted to the APUS Library for archiving by the program director. The Capstone and critical reflection papers submitted must be a “clean” version of the paper. All spelling, grammar, citations, etc. must be correct and appropriate. Instructor feedback comments should not appear in the final version submitted to the library. See Appendix 18 for the Checklist for Thesis/Capstone Submission to APUS Library (which includes the link for the APUS Library Capstone Submission/Approval Form).

• Theses that receive a grade of Passed with distinction may be eligible for inclusion in the DigitalCommons@APUS repository. For more on the Digital Commons, see http://digitalcommons.apus.edu/faq.html.

• Critical reflection papers, while eligible for the grade of Passed with distinction, may not be eligible to be placed in DigitalCommons@APUS due to the personalized information that may be contained within the papers.

http://digitalcommons.apus.edu/faq.html

APUS takes academic dishonesty very seriously. Any evidence of plagiarism will result in the student’s work being rejected, and the student will fail the EOP exercise. Engaging in academic dishonesty and/or plagiarism will directly threaten the ability of the student to graduate from APUS. Academic Dishonesty

Evidence of academic dishonesty found in a comprehensive exam or Capstone paper will result in a grade of an F for the exam/course. If evidence of academic dishonesty is present, options for the student include:

For Comprehensive Exam Assessments • Accepting the grade and not receiving the degree. A letter of academic completion

may be provided, but a degree will not be conferred. • Upon approval of the Director of Graduate Studies, retaking the exam at an APUS site

(Charles Town, West Virginia, Manassas, Virginia, or location where an education coordinator is assigned; the student will be supervised by an advisor, program manager or Marketing site representative) on an APUS laptop computer disconnected from the Internet. The exam questions will be different from those on the previous exam and this exam will be graded by a different professor from the first exam attempt. The student must pass this second exam to have his/her degree conferred. The student will not be eligible for a Passed with distinction grade on any second attempt, and will not be eligible for Honors at graduation, regardless of GPA. The student must pay to retake the exam.

For Capstone Assessments • Accepting the grade and not receiving the degree. A letter of academic completion

may be provided, but a degree will not be conferred. • The student may be given the option (program dependent) to take the

comprehensive exam instead; however, the retake is subject to the same rules as noted above.

• Upon appeal approval by the Director of Graduate Studies, the student may be allowed, at his/her own expense, to retake the entire Capstone course. However, the plagiarism incident will still be recorded by the Registrar and the student will not be eligible for honors at graduation regardless of GPA.

Any additional incidents of academic dishonesty on the EOP exercise will result in the student being expelled.

For appeals to retake a comprehensive exam or Capstone after a reported incident of academic dishonesty, contact the Director of Graduate Studies at [email protected].

mailto:[email protected]

Note: Any evidence of academic dishonesty found in work produced in a student’s end of program comprehensive exam or Capstone may prompt a review of all of the student’s work at APUS. Evidence of repeated violations of academic integrity may result in disciplinary actions.

Institutional Review Board APUS requires all research using human subjects undergo an IRB review. More information on the IRB process can be found here: http://www.apus.edu/community- scholars/institutional-review-board/.

Failure to Secure IRB approval APUS is committed to the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). All human subjects research conducted under the aegis of APUS must undergo review by the APUS Institutional Review Board (IRB). All such research must follow the guidelines outlined in the IRB Manual. Failure to follow proper IRB protocols constitutes a violation of the RCR policy. Any breach of the APUS RCR policy is a serious violation of professional standards and will result in sanctions. Sanctions may vary depending upon the severity of the infraction, but may include written warning, termination, expulsion, termination of research, and/or the destruction of research data. Actions taken by the IRB and the University also will be subject to Federal reporting guidelines.

http://www.apus.edu/community-scholars/institutional-review-board/

CHAPTER I

Master of Arts Comprehensive Final Examination Note: This option is not available in all programs.

The master's comprehensive examination provides an opportunity for students to

• demonstrate they have mastered the research skills and substantive content expected in their field of study;

• demonstrate they have familiarity with major schools of thought and principal published works in the field; and

• culminate their graduate student experience as they complete their master's program and either continue or begin work in their chosen profession.

Beginning the Comprehensive Exam The examination is tailored specifically to each graduate program and must be the last course master’s degree students take from APUS. Thus, it can only be taken after the student has completed all of his/her course work. It cannot be taken concurrently with course work. Students must successfully complete this requirement before the award of a degree. Students must apply for graduation and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to be able to register for the course.

Comprehensive Exam Course The separate comprehensive examination course (eight or sixteen weeks depending upon the program) prepares graduate students for the comprehensive examination in their area of study. The purpose of the course is to provide a review of key concepts, theories and knowledge, and skill sets. Some classes provide weekly assignments and discussions, while others provide pointers regarding which materials to review and how to prepare for the exam.

As part of the course, students may be asked to consult texts, journal articles, print and media reports, and documentaries used in their classes. Collaboration with other students enrolled in the course is also an essential component. Comprehensive exam courses require students to submit answers to practice exam questions in order to become familiar with the types of questions that may be asked during the exam. Regardless of which approach the course takes, students are expected to participate fully in all course activities and must meet all assigned deadlines.

Students who do not complete required course activities leading up to the exam will not be allowed to take it. Students who fail the comprehensive exam and who have submitted all course practice questions may be eligible to re-register for a second attempt at passing the

comprehensive exam. Any new registration requires the student re-enroll in and pay for a new course. Those who do not submit all practice questions may be denied a second attempt at the exam or may be required to take the Capstone course if available.

Taking the Exam Instructors will provide students with the exam protocols at the beginning of the course. These protocols will provide guidance for the exam (e.g., if the exam requires a proctor, whether it will be open or closed book, etc.). If a proctor is required, the proctor must be approved by the instructor prior to taking the exam. The exam must take place during the last week of the course. However, to ensure confirmation of the test date and coordination of the password (if one is required), the exam should be scheduled no later than the seventh week of an eight-week course or the fifteenth week of a sixteen-week course.

Exams cannot be taken prior to the final week of the course. Faculty may not arrange with the student to grade the exam prior to the official course end date. Students will not have their degree conferred prior to the official end of their last course, including any extensions given. The final grade will not be awarded until after the course ends.

The instructor will grade the exam using the exam grading rubric (found under the Resources tab in the course classroom). Students should review the rubric prior to taking the exam. Students will answer a minimum of four essay questions that will be graded as follows:

1. Passed with distinction: This grade is rare and is only given to a student who passes three questions with distinction and the fourth with at least a Pass. With distinction (PWD) means the answers clearly demonstrate an understanding of the issue beyond what is typically expected of graduate students and are written using accepted academic writing conventions. The numeric indicator for this classification may differ by schools, but a Passed with distinction should mean the answer is the equivalent of an A+ or 96 percent or above.

2. Pass: This grade is assigned for essays that meet the requirements for a graduate- level essay. The answers must demonstrate a clear understanding of the issue and must be written using accepted academic writing conventions. Students who pass three questions with at least a Pass will pass the examination. One Fail grade on the four examination questions is allowed. A minimum of 80 percent is required to pass the exam portion of the exam course.

3. Fail: This grade is assigned for essays that do not meet the requirements for a graduate-level essay. This occurs when the answers fail to demonstrate a clear understanding of the issues and/or have not been written using accepted academic

writing conventions. Students who fail two or more questions will fail the examination.

Notes: • Self-plagiarism. The student must be careful not to self-plagiarize in his/her exam.

Self-plagiarism is “the presentation of one’s own previously published work as new scholarship.”1 Thus, using material from previous courses in your exam answers equals self-plagiarism. Evidence of academic dishonesty found in a comprehensive exam or Capstone paper will result in a grade of an F for the exam/course.

• A student who fails the examination the first time cannot receive a grade of Passed with distinction on the second examination. The highest grade possible is a Pass. The second examination is to be graded by a faculty member different from the first round of testing and will include different exam questions.

• Each new attempt at a comprehensive exam or Capstone requires the student register and pay for the new course. o If a student fails the comprehensive exam on the first attempt, and no

plagiarism is reported nor any evidence found that the student failed to adhere to standard English academic writing protocols, the student will have the option of registering again for a second attempt at the comprehensive exam, or may opt to take the Capstone course, if available, in lieu of his/her second attempt at the comprehensive exam.

o If a student fails the comprehensive exam on the first attempt and is allowed to retake the exam, rather than being required to take the Capstone course, the exam questions will be different, the instructor will be different, and the student must pay for a second comprehensive exam course. The student is expected to fully participate in all course activities in the new course.

o If the student fails the comprehensive exam on his/her first attempt because he/she has not adhered to the conventions of standard English grammar and/or formal academic writing, he/she may be required by the Director of Graduate Studies and the dean of the student’s school to complete COLL501, at the student’s expense, prior to being allowed to register again for the comprehensive exam course, or may opt to take the Capstone course if available, in lieu of a second attempt at the comprehensive exam. However,

1 Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 2010. 6th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, pg. 16. Section 1.10 Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism elaborates on the matter.

the student may still be required to complete COLL501 prior to being allowed to take the Capstone course.

o If the student fails the exam because of plagiarism, the student may be allowed to re-take the exam at a designated exam site with a proctor. All related expenses must be paid by the student.

o If a student has twice failed the comprehensive exam, he/she may be permitted, under special circumstances, to enroll in the Capstone project course for his/her discipline, if available. Students who have failed the comprehensive exam twice may appeal for this option by submitting a written appeal (which should include the student’s plan for completing the project and that addresses all comments from the previous two instructors) to the Director of Graduate Studies at [email protected]. In order for the appeal to be considered, the student must be prepared to enroll in the Capstone course within 180 days of the appeal approval. A student will not be given the opportunity to take a comprehensive exam a third time.

o The student has the right to appeal issues related to the comprehensive examination in line with the standard APUS appeals process. To appeal issues with regard to the comprehensive examination, contact [email protected].

Faculty Role Faculty in the comprehensive courses will

• ensure students and classrooms have the necessary course resources; • provide students with the exam protocols; • provide students with the exam rubric; • provide students with extensive in-text feedback on their work as a way to assist in

their preparation (feedback is also designed to help students understand what is considered a passing answer to exam questions);

• ensure students complete all activities leading up to the exam; • submit all exam questions to a plagiarism detection tool; • approve the proctor (if applicable); • grade the exam using the program-approved rubric;

o When submitting a failing grade, the faculty member must also use the provided drop down to notify the Registrar’s office of the main reason for the failing grade, so that those involved may quickly know which retake options should be made available to the student;

o The professor should also indicate, using drop down, if the student completed the practice questions during the comprehensive exam course;

mailto:[email protected]

o The faculty member in coordination with the program director will identify a second reader for the exam; and

• ensure the student does not take the exam prior to the last week of the course.

Program Director’s Role All program directors will

• ensure all comprehensive courses have appropriate grading rubrics; • ensure all faculty teaching courses are appropriately trained and follow the EOP

manual; • ensure a copy of the End of Program Assessment Manual for Graduate Studies is in

the classroom and accessible to students; • vet all questions and processes and ensure all course expectations and

requirements are consistent; • monitor and track all failures and secure readers to provide second reviews in the

case of failed grades; and • ensure that all faculty are submitting the report to the Registrar regarding the reason

for any failing grades.

Proctoring Comprehensive exams may be proctored pursuant to school and program requirements. If the student is enrolled in a comprehensive exam course that is proctored, faculty members will provide the following link to the APUS Web form during the first week of class: http://www.apus.edu/proctor/select-proctor.

APUS is not responsible for finding proctors for individual students. It is the student’s responsibility to do this and to complete the Web form process. If a student indicates on the Web form that he/she cannot find a proctor, proctor monitoring staff will contact the student to discuss possible options.

• Once the Web form is completed, the proctor monitor will be able to reach out to assist with proctor identification and the rest of the process.

• Note: Proctor monitors have no way to contact a student who has not completed the Web form.

The following are the requirements for proctors:

Your proctor will have overall responsibility for the security of the test administration. Your proctor must hold either a minimum of a bachelor's degree OR one of the following professional positions:

• administrator or faculty member of any accredited institution of higher education; • school teacher, counselor, local or regional librarian, or administrator;

http://www.apus.edu/proctor/select-proctor

• human resources manager, training manager, supervisor, or manager of higher rank; • for military personnel: DANTES test control officer, educational services officer, base

librarian, or officer; or • member of the clergy.

Note: Family members are not eligible to proctor your exam. Family members are defined as:

• spouse and his/her parents; • sons and daughters and their spouses; • parents and their spouses; • brothers and sisters and their spouses; • grandparents and grandchildren and their spouses; or • domestic partner and his/her parents.

Students with questions about the process should direct them to the assigned faculty member. If the faculty member is unable to assist, students may also contact [email protected].

mailto:[email protected]

CHAPTER II

Master's Capstone: Thesis Option

The master's thesis provides an opportunity for students to • plan and execute a major research project; • provide a contribution to knowledge in their discipline; • demonstrate mastery of the skills required of professional analysts and for more

advanced graduate studies; • demonstrate familiarity with major schools of thought and principal published works

in the field; and • culminate their graduate student experience as they complete their master's program

and either continue or begin working in their chosen profession.

Beginning the Thesis Project The master's Capstone thesis option includes a thesis or a major research project or paper in lieu of the final comprehensive examination. A thesis must have a substantial research component, present an original argument, use proper academic writing conventions, including carefully documented primary and/or secondary sources, and should be, at minimum, fifty pages in length. This page count does NOT include the front and back matter (e.g., table of contents, lists of figures, illustrations and tables, acknowledgment and dedication pages, abstract, end notes pages, bibliography, appendices, etc.).

Students electing this option will have three less graduate electives than those students enrolled in a comprehensive exam program. Students enrolling in a Capstone option program will already have this reflected in their online academic plan. This option is desirable for those students who wish to focus on specific subject matter or who would like to continue their education at a higher level. Students enroll in the course available in the given session and work with the professor on defining a thesis.

During thesis proposal process, the supervising professor may determine that the proposal requires a human subject review by the APUS Institutional Review Board (IRB). If IRB review is needed, the student will be advised by the professor to complete this process during the initial weeks of the class. The IRB process can take up to one month to complete. Note: Theses involving human subjects without an IRB approval will not be made available on the public Web. More information about the APUS IRB can be found at http://www.apus.edu/community-scholars/institutional-review-board/.

The course is tailored specifically to each graduate program and must be the last course master’s degree students take from APUS. The Capstone course may be taken only after the completion of all coursework. That is, no concurrent coursework is permitted. Students must successfully complete this requirement before the award of a degree. Students must also

http://www.apus.edu/community-scholars/institutional-review-board/

apply for graduation and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to be able to register for the course.

Thesis Proposal A formal thesis proposal is required and shall be prepared in accordance with the standards of the academic discipline. The formal proposal must provide a clear and lucid description of a question or problem and a proposed method for answering it. Capstone thesis faculty must approve the proposal before students move on to the next stage of the process.

The proposal should explain the question or problem to be investigated and convince the thesis professor that the question or problem merits investigation. It should show that the student has read the relevant and recent literature on the subject, and it should contain a list of academically appropriate resources consulted during the preliminary stages of research. In general, the thesis proposal should include background information related to the research topic, purpose of the research, methodology, and analytic procedures to be used.

Proposal drafting is considered a learning process and helps students avoid oversights and possible mistakes. The formal proposal should not exceed five pages (title page not included). For an overview of the required components a thesis should contain, see Appendix 1. For further guidance on the format of the proposal, see the requirements within the classroom.

Students are expected to work with their advisors and must follow all guidance provided in the course, including submitting all required components of the research process. Students should not expect to submit a final product at the end of the course without having completed each stage of the research process as outlined. Professors are not required to accept theses that have not undergone this review process.

Preparing the Thesis Thesis preparation entails a partnership between the student and professor. The student and professor shall coordinate the process for the student to submit and receive feedback on drafts of thesis sections. The student is also encouraged to ask other APUS faculty and professionals and leaders in his/her field of study to volunteer as thesis readers and provide feedback on drafts of thesis sections where these faculty members and professionals may have special expertise. For example, a student's graduate research methods instructor may be asked for feedback on the thesis research design.

Notes: • Self-plagiarism. The student must be careful not to self-plagiarize in his/her exam.

Self-plagiarism is “the presentation of one’s own previously published work as new

scholarship.”2 Evidence of academic dishonesty found in a comprehensive exam or Capstone paper will result in a grade of an F for the exam/course.

• Thesis formatting shall be in strict accordance with the End of Program Assessment Manual for Graduate Studies (EOP Manual) to ensure uniformity across the university.

• The citation approach and manuscript formatting is established by the program or school’s officially designated style manual; however, the following are required to follow the formats shown in Appendixes 4-8.

o Title page (required; Appendix 4) 3 o University publication license /Copyright Page (required; Appendix 5) o Dedication page (if included; Appendix 6) o Acknowledgements page (if included; Appendix 7) o Abstract of the thesis (required; Appendix 8)

• The Table of Contents, List of Tables, and List of Figures should be formatted according to the program’s or school’s designated style manual with the following exceptions (see Appendixes 9-11 for examples).

o Dot leaders (periods between words and pages) are required. o Pages should be left justified. o Double space between entries. o Note: Hyperlinking to sections within the thesis can add ease to navigation.

• Style manuals are located in the APUS Library at http://apus.libguides.com/APUS_ePress/style_guides.

• The thesis must also follow appropriate APUS Library declarations (see Chapter VI).

• Appropriate stylistic formatting and documentation are the student’s responsibility. Student papers that do not follow the prescribed style rules will not be accepted.

Approval of Thesis Once a final thesis manuscript is approved by the thesis professor, it will be graded based on the standards in the program’s grading rubric on a categorical scale of A+ through F. A grade of an A+ (or 96 percent and above) is the equivalent of the comprehensive exam designation of Passed with distinction (PWD). Thus, an A+ is only given to those papers that demonstrate excellence in originality, research, argument, and expression. Any thesis that receives this grade must be of such high quality that it is potentially publishable in a discipline-appropriate scholarly academic journal. (See Appendix 16 for the PWD rubric.) If

2 Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 2010. 6th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, pg. 16. Section 1.10 Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism elaborates on the matter.

3 This means that papers using APA formatting should not include the running head on the title page.

http://apus.libguides.com/APUS_ePress/style_guides

the thesis receives a grade of Passed with distinction (PWD), a completed grading rubric must accompany the thesis when it is submitted to the library. Theses with this grade distinction submitted without the rubric will not be accepted.

The following signatures are required for approval on the APUS Library Capstone Submission/Approval Form: Capstone professor, program director, and academic dean. Those programs that require a 2nd reader must include that person’s signature as well.

Submission of Final Thesis The last step in the thesis project is to submit the final manuscript (in Microsoft Word format) to the APUS Library. This is done by the program director and NOT the student.

All thesis Capstone papers are retained by the APUS Library. The program director must submit the student’s paper within one month of the course completion date. All spelling, grammar, citations, etc. must be correct and appropriate. Instructor feedback comments should not appear in the final version submitted to the library. The student’s paper must be checked using plagiarism detection software before submission.

In order to have your paper considered for inclusion, the paper must:

• have received a grade of A+ (i.e., equivalent of a Passed with distinction); • have been recommended by the instructor, the program director, AND the school

dean; • include the Institutional Review Board (IRB) authorization documentation, if

appropriate; • include a completed PWD rubric (see Appendix 16); • have been approved by the Assistant Provost and Director of Graduate Studies who

will apply standards outlined in the PWD rubric (see Appendix 16); and • have met the publication guidelines of the APUS Library.

See Chapter VI for detailed submission procedures and Appendix 18 for the Checklist for Thesis/Capstone Submission to APUS Library (which includes the links for the APUS Library Capstone Submission/Approval Form and PWD rubric).

Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts Students who have not successfully completed their Capstone project during the period allowed for the Capstone course may be allowed one extension opportunity to complete the requirement. Students who are permitted this opportunity will temporarily be issued an

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incomplete for the course and be allowed a 30-day extension to meet the requirements as outlined by the advisor. In order for students to be permitted any additional extensions on their original Capstone course the faculty member must forward all second extension requests in the Capstone course to [email protected]. The extension request will be reviewed by a committee of two that includes the dean of the student’s school and the Director of Graduate Studies. In the event the student fails to meet the extension deadlines, the original Capstone course grade will either remain as a failing grade or as a withdrawal, depending upon the documentation a student is able to submit. If a student has failed the Capstone, and it is determined to be caused by the student’s inability to use proper academic writing conventions, the student may be required to complete COLL501 prior to enrolling in a final attempt at the Capstone course. Note: Each new attempt at a comprehensive exam or Capstone requires the student register and pay for the new course. The student has the right to appeal issues related to the Capstone process in line with the standard APUS appeals process by contacting [email protected].

Faculty Role Faculty in the Capstone courses will

• ensure students and classrooms have the necessary course resources; • ensure the academic quality and integrity of the thesis; • direct the intellectual content and proper formatting of the thesis; • provide students with a detailed process to submit and receive feedback on drafts of

thesis sections; • approve the proposal before students move on to the next stage of the process; • provide students with extensive in-text feedback on drafts; • submit paper to plagiarism detection tool; • send the manuscript and a copy of the thesis and the thesis rubric evaluation to the

program director who will then forward to a second reader, if required; • issue a final thesis grade using the program-approved rubric; • in the event of the student fails the Capstone thesis, when submitting the final grade,

indicate the reason for that grade; o When submitting a failing grade, the faculty member must also use the

provided drop down to notify the Registrar’s office of the main reason for the failing grade, so that those involved may quickly know which retake options should be made available to the student.

mailto:[email protected]

• work with students who require an extension to ensure completion within the allotted timeframe; and

• submit the completed document to the program director to be signed by him/her and the school dean before being forwarded on to the APUS Library as outlined in Chapter VI. Submitted along with this are the following documents:

1. required cover letter/page;4 2. completed Submission/Approval e-form (see Appendix 18 for download link); 3. IRB documentation (if applicable; see Appendix 15); 4. Passed with Distinction Assessment Rubric (if grade awarded is PWD; see

Appendix 16 for download link).

Second Readers: Some programs require second readers for the thesis. The second reader will be chosen by the program director or school dean. The task of the second reader is to review the thesis using the program-approved rubric. The second reader will independently grade the work. Once the second reader has received the thesis, he/she has one week to review and respond to the thesis advisor. If the second reader’s evaluation does not concur with that of the thesis advisor, the paper will go to the appropriate program director or school dean to issue a decision about the final grade.

Program Director’s Role All program directors will

• ensure all Capstone courses have appropriate grading rubrics; • ensure all thesis courses are set up properly and include a requirement for a thesis

proposal; • ensure a copy of the End of Program Assessment Manual for Graduate Studies is in

the classroom and accessible to students; • ensure all faculty who teach the Capstone courses are appropriately trained and

qualified to do so; • vet all Capstone requirements and ensure course expectations and requirements are

consistent across courses; • monitor and track all failures and ensure faculty are reporting the reason for failing

grades; • select second readers, if appropriate; and • issue final approval for all Capstones, secure school dean’s signature, and submit

work to the APUS Library (see Chapter VI and Appendix 18).

4 The email message in the submission email may constitute the “cover letter.”

CHAPTER III

Master's Capstone: Creative Project

The master's creative project provides an opportunity for students to

• plan and execute a creative project; • provide a contribution to their discipline; • demonstrate mastery of the skills required of professionals in their discipline; and • culminate their graduate student experience as they complete their master's program

and either continue or begin working in their chosen profession.

Beginning the Creative Project The course is tailored specifically to each graduate program and must be the last course master’s degree students take from APUS. The Capstone course may be taken only after the completion of all coursework. That is, no concurrent coursework is permitted. Students must successfully complete this requirement before the award of a degree. Students must apply for graduation and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to be able to register for the course.

Creative Project Proposal A formal creative project proposal is required and shall be prepared in accordance with the standards of the academic discipline. The formal proposal must provide a clear and lucid description of a creative project and must include a discussion of how that project is situated within the discipline. The proposal should explain the goal and intent of the project and convince the professor that the project fits within the discipline, can be completed in the allotted time, and comports with discipline standards.

Proposal drafting is considered a learning process and helps the student avoid oversights and possible mistakes. It should show that the student has read the relevant and recent literature on the subject, and it should contain a list of materials consulted during the preliminary stages of research.

In general, the creative project proposal should include background information related to the project topic, the purpose of the project, and investigatory procedures to be used. The formal proposal should not exceed five pages (title page not included). For further guidance on the format of the proposal see requirements within the classroom. An overview of the required components of master’s creative project can be found in Appendix 2. Professors are not required to accept work that has not undergone this review process.

Completing the Creative Project Creative project preparation entails a partnership between the student and the professor who is responsible for directing the intellectual content and activities of the project. The

student and professor shall coordinate the process for the student to submit and receive feedback on project activities. The student also is encouraged to ask other APUS faculty and professionals and leaders in his/her field of study to volunteer to observe and provide feedback on project activities where these faculty members and professionals may have special expertise.

Notes: • Self-plagiarism. The student must be careful not to self-plagiarize in his/her exam.

Self-plagiarism is “the presentation of one’s own previously published work as new scholarship.”5 Evidence of academic dishonesty found in a comprehensive exam or Capstone paper will result in a grade of an F for the exam/course.

• Creative project length and depth shall be in accordance with disciplinary standards. • Formatting shall be in strict accordance with the End of Program Assessment Manual

for Graduate Studies (EOP Manual) to ensure uniformity across the university. • The citation approach and manuscript formatting is established by the program or

school’s officially designated style manual; however, the following are required to follow the formats shown in Appendixes 4-8.

o Title page (required; Appendix 4) 6 o University publication license /Copyright Page (required; Appendix 5) o Dedication page (if included; Appendix 6) o Acknowledgements page (if included; Appendix 7) o Abstract of the thesis (required; Appendix 8)

• Style manuals are located in the APUS Library at http://apus.libguides.com/APUS_ePress/style_guides.

• The thesis must also follow appropriate APUS Library declarations (see Chapter VI). • Appropriate stylistic formatting and documentation are the student’s responsibility.

Student papers that do not follow the prescribed style rules will not be accepted.

5 Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 2010. 6th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, pg. 16. Section 1.10 Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism elaborates on the matter.

6 This means that papers using APA formatting should not include the running head on the title page.

http://apus.libguides.com/APUS_ePress/style_guides

Approval of Creative Project Once a final project manuscript is approved by the Capstone professor, the creative project will be graded based on the standards in the creative project rubric on a categorical scale of grades A+ through F. A grade of an A+ (or 96 percent) is the equivalent of the comprehensive exam designation of Passed with distinction. Thus, an A+ is only given to those works that demonstrate excellence in originality, research, argument, and/or expression. The creative project that receives this grade must be of such high quality that it is potentially publishable in a discipline-appropriate academic journal. (See Appendix 16 for the PWD rubric.) If the thesis receives a grade of Passed with distinction (PWD), a completed grading rubric must accompany the thesis when it is submitted to the library. Theses with this grade distinction submitted without the rubric will not be accepted.

Submission of Creative Project Report The last step in the project is to submit the final manuscript (in Microsoft Word format) to the APUS Library. This is done by the program director and NOT the student.

All Capstone papers are retained by the APUS Library. The program director must submit the student’s paper within one month of the course completion date. All spelling, grammar, citations, etc. must be correct and appropriate. Instructor feedback comments should not appear in the final version submitted to the APUS Library. The student’s paper must be checked using a plagiarism detection tool before submission.

Critical reflection papers, while eligible for the grade of Passed with distinction, may not be eligible to be placed in DigitalCommons@APUS due to the personalized information that may be contained within the papers. The final decision for placement in DigitalCommons@APUS will be made by the Assistant Provost and Director of Graduate Studies. In order to have your paper considered for inclusion, the paper must:

• have received a grade of A+ (i.e., equivalent of a Passed with distinction); • have been recommended by the instructor, the program director, AND the school

dean; • include the Institutional Review Board (IRB) authorization documentation, if

appropriate; • include a completed PWD rubric (see Appendix 16);

http://digitalcommons.apus.edu/

• have been approved by the Assistant Provost and Director of Graduate Studies who will apply standards outlined in the PWD rubric (see Appendix 16); and

• have met the publication guidelines of the APUS Library.

See Chapter VI for detailed submission procedures and Appendix 18 for the Checklist for Thesis/Capstone Submission to APUS Library (which includes the link for the APUS Library Capstone Submission/Approval Form). Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts Students who have not successfully completed their Capstone project during the period allowed for the Capstone course may be allowed one extension opportunity to complete the requirement. Students who are permitted this opportunity will temporarily be issued an incomplete for the course and be allowed a 30-day extension to meet the requirements as outlined by the advisor. In order for students to be permitted any additional extensions on their original Capstone course the faculty member must forward all second extension requests in the Capstone course to [email protected]. The extension request will be reviewed by a committee of two that includes the dean of the student’s school and the Director of Graduate Studies. In the event the students fails to meet the extension deadlines, the original Capstone course grade will either remain as a failing grade, or as a withdrawal, depending upon the documentation a student is able to submit. If a student has failed the Capstone, and it is determined to be caused by the student’s inability to use proper academic writing conventions, the student may be required to complete COLL501 prior to enrolling in a final attempt at the Capstone course. Note: Each new attempt at a comprehensive exam or Capstone requires the student register and pay for the new course. The student has the right to appeal issues related to the comprehensive examination in line with the standard APUS appeals process by contacting [email protected].

Faculty Role Faculty in these courses will

• ensure students and classrooms have the necessary course resources; • ensure the academic quality and integrity of the work; • direct the intellectual content and proper formatting of the project; • provide students with a detailed process to submit and receive feedback on project

drafts;

mailto:[email protected]

• approve the proposal before students move on to the next stage of the process; • provide students with extensive in-text feedback on project drafts; • issue a final project grade using the program-approved rubric; • submit all exam questions to plagiarism detection tool; • send the manuscript and a copy of the Capstone and the Capstone rubric evaluation

to the program director who will then forward to a second reader, if required; • in the event of the student fails the Capstone, when submitting the final grade,

indicate the reason for that grade; o When submitting a failing grade, the faculty member must also use the

provided drop down to notify the Registrar’s office of the main reason for the failing grade, so that those involved may quickly know which retake options should be made available to the student.

• work with students who require an extension to ensure completion within the allotted timeframe; and

1. required cover letter/page;7 2. completed Submission/Approval e-form (see Appendix 18 for download link); 3. IRB documentation (if applicable; see Appendix 15); 4. Passed with Distinction Assessment Rubric (if grade awarded is PWD; see

Appendix 16 for download link).

Second Readers: Some programs require second readers for the Capstone. The second reader will be chosen by the program director or school dean. The task of the second reader is to review the Capstone using the program-approved rubric. The second reader will independently grade the work. Once the second reader has received the Capstone, he/she has one week to review and respond to the Capstone advisor. If the second reader’s evaluation does not concur with the Capstone advisor, the paper will go to the appropriate program director or school dean to issue a decision about the final grade. In the event of a failing grade, the rubric must be provided to the program director who will appoint a second reader to review the work.

Program Director’s Role All program directors will

• ensure all Capstone courses have appropriate grading rubrics;

7 The email message in the submission email may constitute the “cover letter.”

• ensure all Capstone courses are set up properly and include a requirement for a creative project proposal;

• ensure all faculty who teach the Capstone courses are appropriately trained and qualified to do so;

• ensure a copy of the End of Program Assessment Manual for Graduate Studies is in the classroom and accessible to students;

• vet all Capstone requirements and ensure course expectations and requirements are consistent across courses;

• monitor and track all failures and ensure faculty are reporting the reason for failing grades;

• select second readers, if appropriate; and • issue final approval for all Capstones, secure school dean’s signature, and submit

work to the APUS Library (see Chapter VI and Appendix 18).

CHAPTER IV

Master's Capstone: Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper The master's practicum and critical reflection paper provide an opportunity for students to

• obtain experience in a focused area or discipline of their study; • critically reflect on work experience in light of theory learned in class; • demonstrate mastery of the skills required of professionals in their discipline; and • culminate their graduate student experience as they complete their master's program

and either continue or begin working in their chosen profession.

Beginning the Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper The course is tailored specifically to each graduate program and must be the last course master’s degree students take from APUS. The Capstone course may be taken only after the completion of all coursework. That is, no concurrent coursework is permitted. Students must successfully complete this requirement before the award of a degree. Students must apply for graduation and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to be able to register for the course.

Practicum Proposal A formal practicum proposal is required and shall be prepared in accordance with the standards of the academic discipline. The formal proposal must provide a clear and lucid description of the practicum including the location or organization in which the practicum will be completed, a description of the 160 hours of work required to complete the practicum, the schedule and objectives for the work to be completed, and the name and title of the supervising staff member at the organization. In addition, the students will need to describe how completing this practicum is consistent with their course of study and articulate the objectives they hope to achieve through the completion of this practicum.

The proposal should explain the objectives to be learned and convince the practicum professor that the proposed practicum merits application and integration of learning for the student and specified degree. It should show that the student has read the relevant and recent literature related to the practicum selection, and it should contain a list of materials consulted during the preliminary stages as part of the rationale for doing the practicum in the identified organization.

In general, the practicum proposal should include background information related to the learning objectives, identification, selection, and background of the organization and work to be completed, purpose of the practicum, and critical reflection process procedures to be used during it. The formal proposal should not exceed five pages (title page not included). Proposal drafting is considered a learning process and helps the students avoid oversights and possible mistakes. For further guidance on the format of the proposal see requirements

within the classroom. An overview of the required components of a master’s practicum paper can be found in Appendix 3.

Completing the Practicum Practicum preparation entails a partnership between the student, an outside organization, and a supervising professor who is responsible for directing the intellectual content and activities of the practicum. One hundred sixty on-site hours are required for successful completion of the practicum. The practicum may not be completed in the student’s current reporting structure at work, and it is preferred that it be completed at an organization other than the student’s current place of employment.

Selecting an appropriate mentor in the workplace who will support the learning of the student in this process is critical to the successful completion of the practicum. The professor will provide guidelines for selecting a mentor and the mentor’s role in the practicum.

Students are required to keep a log or journal during the practicum and to write a critical reflection paper on this experience. The integration paper will be between 25 and 30 pages and follow a method similar to David Kolb’s experiential learning style as the basis and method for writing the paper. Completion of the reflection paper and formatting shall be directed by the professor. The student and professor shall coordinate the process for the student to submit and receive feedback on practicum activities and the critical reflection paper. The student also is required to obtain the mentor (see above) who will provide feedback on practicum activities. Outside faculty and other professionals’ opinions and feedback also may be sought, especially where faculty members and professionals have special expertise. Before consulting outside sources, be sure to consult your course instructor.

Notes: • Self-plagiarism. The student must be careful not to self-plagiarize in his/her exam.

Self-plagiarism is “the presentation of one’s own previously published work as new scholarship.”8 Evidence of academic dishonesty found in a comprehensive exam or Capstone paper will result in a grade of an F for the exam/course.

• The paper’s length and depth shall be in accordance with disciplinary standards. • Formatting shall be in strict accordance with the End of Program Assessment Manual

for Graduate Studies to ensure uniformity across the university.

8 Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 2010. 6th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, pg. 16. Section 1.10 Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism elaborates on the matter.

o Title page (required; Appendix 4) 9 o University publication license /Copyright Page (required; Appendix 5) o Dedication page (if included; Appendix 6) o Acknowledgements page (if included; Appendix 7) o Abstract of the thesis (required; Appendix 8)

• Style manuals are located in the APUS Library at http://apus.libguides.com/APUS_ePress/style_guides.

• The thesis must also follow appropriate APUS Library declarations (see Chapter VI).

• Appropriate stylistic formatting and documentation are the student’s responsibility. Student papers that do not follow the prescribed style rules will not be accepted.

Approval of the Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper Once a final critical reflection paper is approved by the professor, final grading for the practicums and the critical reflection paper will be based on the standards in the APUS practicum and critical reflection rubric on a categorical scale of A+ through F. A grade of an A+ is the equivalent of the comprehensive exam designation of Passed with distinction (PWD). Thus, a grade of an A+ is only given to those projects that demonstrate excellence and are of the highest quality. The project that receives this grade must be of such high quality that it is potentially publishable in a discipline-appropriate scholarly academic journal. (See Appendix 16 for the PWD rubric.) If the thesis receives a grade of Passed with distinction (PWD), a completed grading rubric must accompany the thesis when it is submitted to the library. Theses with this grade distinction submitted without the rubric will not be accepted.

9 This means that papers using APA formatting should not include the running head on the title page.

http://apus.libguides.com/APUS_ePress/style_guides

Submission of Critical Reflection Paper The final step in the project is to submit the final manuscript to the APUS Library, which is done by the program director and NOT the student.

All Capstone papers are retained by the APUS Library. The program director must submit the student’s paper within one month of the course completion date. All spelling, grammar, citations, etc. must be correct and appropriate. Instructor feedback comments should not appear in the final version submitted to the library. The student’s paper must be checked by the plagiarism detection tool before submission.

Critical reflection papers, while eligible for the grade of Passed with distinction may not be eligible to be placed in DigitalCommons@APUS due to the personalized information that may be contained within the papers. The final decision for placement in DigitalCommons@APUS will be made by the Assistant Provost and Director of Graduate Studies.

• have received a grade of A+ (i.e., equivalent of a Passed with distinction); • have been recommended by the instructor, the program director, AND the school

dean; • include the Institutional Review Board (IRB) authorization documentation, if

appropriate; • include a completed PWD rubric (see Appendix 16); • have been approved by the Assistant Provost and Director of Graduate Studies who

will apply standards outlined in the PWD rubric (see Appendix 16); and • have met the publication guidelines of the APUS Library.

http://digitalcommons.apus.edu/

In order for students to be permitted any additional extensions on their original Capstone course the faculty member must forward all second extension requests in the Capstone course to [email protected]. The extension request will be reviewed by a committee of two that includes the dean of the student’s school and the Director of Graduate Studies. In the event the students fails to meet the extension deadlines, the original Capstone course grade will either remain as a failing grade, or as a withdrawal, depending upon the documentation a student is able to submit. If a student has failed the Capstone, and it is determined to be caused by the student’s inability to use proper academic writing conventions, the student may be required to complete COLL501 prior to enrolling in a final attempt at the Capstone course. Note: Each new attempt at a comprehensive exam or Capstone requires the student register and pay for the new course. The student has the right to appeal issues related to the comprehensive examination or Capstone in line with the standard APUS appeals process by contacting [email protected].

Faculty Role Faculty in these courses will

drafts; • approve the proposal before students move on to the next stage of the process; • provide students with extensive in-text feedback on project drafts; • issue a final project grade using the program-approved rubric; • submit all exam questions to plagiarism detection tool; • send the manuscript and a copy of the Capstone and the Capstone rubric evaluation

to the program director who will then forward to a second reader, if required; • in the event of the student fails the Capstone, when submitting the final grade,

indicate the reason for that grade; o When submitting a failing grade, the faculty member must also use the

provided drop down to notify the Registrar’s office of the main reason for the failing grade, so that those involved may quickly know which retake options should be made available to the student.

mailto:[email protected]

• work with students who require an extension to ensure completion within the allotted timeframe; and

1. required cover letter/page;10 2. completed Submission/Approval e-form (see Appendix 18 for download link); 3. IRB documentation (if applicable; see Appendix 15); 4. Passed with Distinction Assessment Rubric (if grade awarded is PWD; see

Appendix 16 for download link).

Program Director’s Role All program directors will

• ensure all Capstone courses have appropriate grading rubrics; • ensure all Capstone courses are set up properly and include a requirement for a

Capstone project proposal; • ensure all faculty who teach the Capstone courses are appropriately trained and

qualified to do so; • ensure a copy of the End of Program Assessment Manual is in the classroom and

accessible to students; • vet all Capstone requirements and ensure course expectations and requirements are

consistent across courses; • provide guidelines for selecting a mentor and the mentor’s role in the practicum; • monitor and track all failures and ensure faculty are reporting the reason for failing

grades; • select second readers, if appropriate; and

10 The email message in the submission email may constitute the “cover letter.”

• issue final approval for all Capstones, secure school dean’s signature and submit work to the APUS Library (see Chapter VI and Appendix 18).

CHAPTER V

Master's Capstone: Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper Option

The master's portfolio option provides an opportunity for students to

• demonstrate a mastery of the area or discipline of their study; • critically reflect on the learning that has occurred during their study; • apply theory learned in class to real world situations and scenarios; • demonstrate mastery of the skills required of professionals in their discipline; and • culminate their graduate student experience as they complete their master's program

and either continue or begin working in their chosen profession.

Beginning the Portfolio Option The course is tailored specifically to each graduate program and must be the last course master’s degree students take from APUS. The Capstone course may be taken only after the completion of all coursework. That is, no concurrent coursework is permitted. Students must successfully complete this requirement before the award of a degree. Students must apply for graduation and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to be able to register for the course.

Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper Each program specifies the artifacts that make up the portfolio. Students are expected to retain these artifacts as they progress through their program. These artifacts will be reviewed and reevaluated by the student and the professor.

Students are required to keep a log or journal during their course of study at APUS. This will help the student when they have to write a critical reflection paper on their learning experience.

The final Capstone course provides the opportunity for students to reflect upon their learning and to demonstrate through their critical reflection paper that they have met the program learning outcomes. This will entail reflection on the various artifacts, but also application of critical discipline theory. Professors work with students as they demonstrate the program’s established competencies. The paper should also show that the student has read the relevant and recent literature related to the program and it should contain a list of materials consulted during the student’s course of study. It should be roughly 50 pages (not including front and back matter). An overview of the required components of a Master Critical Reflection paper can be found in Appendix 17.

Completing the Capstone Portfolio preparation entails a partnership between the student and the supervising professor who is responsible for directing the intellectual content and activities of the portfolio.

Completion of the reflection paper and formatting shall be directed by the professor. The student and professor shall coordinate the process for the student to submit and receive feedback on practicum activities and the critical reflection paper.

Notes: • Self-plagiarism. The student must be careful not to self-plagiarize in his/her exam.

Self-plagiarism is “the presentation of one’s own previously published work as new scholarship.”11 Evidence of academic dishonesty found in a comprehensive exam or Capstone paper will result in a grade of an F for the exam/course.

• The paper’s length and depth shall be in accordance with disciplinary standards. • Formatting shall be in strict accordance with the End of Program Assessment Manual

for Graduate Studies to ensure uniformity across the university. • The citation approach and manuscript formatting is established by the program or

school’s officially designated style manual; however, the following are required to follow the formats shown in Appendixes 4-8.

o Title page (required; Appendix 4) 12 o University publication license /Copyright Page (required; Appendix 5) o Dedication page (if included; Appendix 6) o Acknowledgements page (if included; Appendix 7) o Abstract of the thesis (required; Appendix 8)

o Dot leaders (periods between words and pages) are required. o Pages should be left justified. o Double space between entries.

• Note: Hyperlinking to sections within the thesis can add ease to navigation. Style manuals are located in the APUS Library at http://apus.libguides.com/APUS_ePress/style_guides.

11 Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 2010. 6th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, pg. 16. Section 1.10 Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism elaborates on the matter.

12 This means that papers using APA formatting should not include the running head on the title page.

http://apus.libguides.com/APUS_ePress/style_guides

• The thesis must also follow appropriate APUS Library declarations (see Chapter VI).

• Appropriate stylistic formatting and documentation are the student’s responsibility. Student papers that do not follow the prescribed style rules will not be accepted.

Approval of the Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper Once a final critical reflection paper is approved by the professor, final grading for the portfolio and the critical reflection paper will be based on the standards in the APUS portfolio and critical reflection rubric on a categorical scale of A+ through F. A grade of an A+ is the equivalent of the comprehensive exam designation of Passed with Distinction (PWD). Thus, a grade of an A+ is only given to those projects that demonstrate excellence and are of the highest quality. The project that receives this grade must be of high quality. (See Appendix 16 for the PWD rubric.) Because of the potential sensitive personal information contained in the critical reflection paper for the portfolio, PWD papers may not be eligible for inclusion in DigitalCommons@APUS.

Submission of Critical Reflection Paper The final step in the project is to submit the final manuscript to the APUS Library, which is done by the program director and NOT the student.

All Capstone papers are retained by the APUS Library. Program directors must submit the student’s paper within one month of the course completion date. All spelling, grammar, citations, etc. must be correct and appropriate. Instructor feedback comments should not appear in the final version submitted to the library. The student’s paper must be checked using plagiarism detection tool before submission.

Exceptional works, those that received a grade of an A+, will be considered for publication by the APUS Library in DigitalCommons@APUS as an example of a Capstone project that meets the highest level of distinction. Critical reflection papers, while eligible for the grade of Passed with distinction, may not be eligible to be placed in DigitalCommons@APUS due to the personalized information that may be contained within the papers. The final decision for placement in DigitalCommons@APUS will be made by the Assistant Provost and Director of Graduate Studies. In order to have your paper considered for inclusion, the paper must:

• have received a grade of A+ (i.e., equivalent of a Passed with distinction); • have been recommended by the instructor, the program director, AND the school

dean;

http://digitalcommons.apus.edu/

• include the Institutional Review Board (IRB) authorization documentation, if appropriate;

• include a completed PWD rubric (see Appendix 16); • have been approved by the Assistant Provost and Director of Graduate Studies who

will apply standards outlined in the PWD rubric (see Appendix 16); and • have met the publication guidelines of the APUS Library.

If a student has failed the Capstone, and it is determined to be caused by the student’s inability to use proper academic writing conventions, the student may be required to complete COLL501 prior to enrolling in a final attempt at the Capstone course.

Note: Each new attempt at a comprehensive exam or Capstone requires the student register and pay for the new course.

The student has the right to appeal issues related to the comprehensive examination in line with the standard APUS appeals process by contacting [email protected].

Faculty Role Faculty in these courses will

• ensure students and classrooms have the necessary course resources; • ensure the academic quality and integrity of the work;

mailto:[email protected]

• direct the intellectual content and proper formatting of the project; • provide students with a detailed process to submit and receive feedback on project

to the program director who will then forward to a second reader, if required; • in the event of the student fails the Capstone, when submitting the final grade,

indicate the reason for that grade; o When submitting a failing grade, the faculty member must also use the

provided drop down to notify the Registrar’s office of the main reason for the failing grade, so that those involved may quickly know which retake options should be made available to the student.

• work with students who require an extension to ensure completion within the allotted timeframe; and

1. required cover letter/page;13 2. completed Submission/Approval e-form (see Appendix 18 for download link); 3. IRB documentation (if applicable; see Appendix 15); 4. Passed with Distinction Assessment Rubric (if grade awarded is PWD; see

Appendix 16 for download link).

13 The email message in the submission email may constitute the “cover letter.”

Program Director’s Role All program directors will

• ensure all Capstone courses have appropriate grading rubrics; • ensure all Capstone courses are set up properly; • ensure all faculty who teach the Capstone courses are appropriately trained and

qualified to do so; • ensure a copy of the End of Program Assessment Manual for Graduate Studies is in

the classroom and accessible to students; • vet all Capstone requirements and ensure course expectations and requirements are

consistent across courses; • monitor and track all failures and ensure faculty are reporting the reason for failing

grades; • select second readers, if appropriate; and • issue final approval for all Capstones, secure school dean’s signature, and submit

work to the APUS Library (see Chapter VI and Appendix 18).

CHAPTER VI

University Declarations and APUS Library Registration This section of the manual addresses those factors, along with assistance, for the use of Microsoft Word, the university’s designated word processing software. The APUS Library is acting in its capacity as publisher of record and regulator for scholarly publication along with the maintenance of current Web standards. In addition to the faculty’s responsibility for subject area competence, the APUS Library retains approval rights for featuring Capstone writing projects. Only projects that have met the standard of Passed with distinction and have been approved are eligible for inclusion in the University’s online publication database, DigitalCommons@APUS. All successful Capstone projects must be submitted to the APUS Library following the guidance in this chapter. In keeping with scholarly standards, the university demands that all textual materials be warranted and constructed in good order, which implies writing in standard English, checking spelling and grammar, and conforming with stylistic rules from the student’s academic or professional program and its designated style manual (APA, Bluebook, Chicago/Turabian, or MLA). Style manuals are located in the APUS Library at http://apus.libguides.com/APUS_ePress/style_guides. Because APUS is an online school, student work products also must be designed with Web publication in mind. Graduate students are expected to demonstrate word-processing skills. The resulting paper must align with Internet delivery and search engine discovery, as well as with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) criteria for a semantic network and disabled student access under Section 508.

Note: The APUS Library is committed to open access, ADA accessibility methods, and long-term maintenance of all accepted submissions. While the library encourages the use of images, diagrams, media files, and datasets, it does not engage in long-term formal normalization and preservation methods for images, datasets, or media files.

1. Declarations The author must agree to and include the following statements at the bottom of the manuscript’s copyright page:

• University Publication License: The applicant must grant the university a nonexclusive license to publish the submission on its Web site and/or in the APUS Library. Use the following language:

http://digitalcommons.apus.edu/

http://apus.libguides.com/APUS_ePress/style_guides

The author hereby grants the American Public University System the right to display these contents for educational purposes.

• Copyright Warrant: The applicant assumes responsibility for meeting the

requirements set by United States copyright law (http://www.copyright.gov/eco/). Use the following language: The author assumes total responsibility for meeting the requirements set by United States copyright law for the inclusion of any materials that are not the author’s creation or in the public domain. See Appendix 5 for the required, correct page format for both statements.

2. Textual Components

Academic Style Manual Conformity The citation approach and manuscript formatting is established by the program or school’s officially designated style manual; however, the following are required to follow the formats shown in Appendixes 4-8.

• Title page (required; Appendix 4) 14 • University publication license /Copyright Page (required; Appendix 5) • Dedication page (if included; Appendix 6) • Acknowledgements page (if included; Appendix 7) • Abstract of the thesis (required; Appendix 8)

The Table of Contents, List of Tables, and List of Figures should be formatted according to the program’s or school’s designated style manual with the following exceptions (see Appendixes 9-11 for examples).

• Dot leaders (periods between words and pages) are required • Pages should be left justified. • Double space between entries. • Note: Hyperlinking to sections within the thesis can add ease to navigation.

Check the Styles Guides at APUS page of the APUS ePress website (http://apus.libguides.com/APUS_ePress/style_guides) for help where the style manual is

14 This means that papers using APA formatting should not include the running head on the title page.

http://www.copyright.gov/eco/

http://apus.libguides.com/APUS_ePress/style_guides

ambiguous or clashes with Web publication methods. You may also consult with a librarian: [email protected]. The APUS ePress provides abbreviated versions of the APA15 and MLA16 academic style guides at no cost. These editions are not the complete guides. (You are free to purchase your own copies of the style guides, either directly from their respective publishers or online via such suppliers as Amazon or Barnes and Noble.) The Chicago Manual of Style Online17 and The Bluebook Online are provided by the APUS Library to APUS students, faculty, and staff. (See footnote 17 below for information on the Turabian style guide.)

3. Images and Tables All images and tables must be numbered and clearly labeled according to style manual dictates. In addition to clarity and publication demands, this requirement helps to address the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) demands for universal access and parallel federal requirements under Section 508 to ensure access for those with disabilities.

Image Insert/Formats Images are normally placed within the text using the Picture command, which is found under the Insert tab on the main toolbar. (When placed on a Web page, such materials are normally enhanced with a description using the alt tag.) Please use common sense to describe images (i.e., fire rescue, maps, Philadelphia). If in doubt, consult a librarian at [email protected] for specifics and added background. Acceptable digital formats include:

• .gif, especially appropriate for line drawings and graphs; • .jpg/.jpeg, the overall default format and the dominant style for mounting pictures on

the Web; • .png, Microsoft’s image format that works with most Web browsers; and • .tif/.tiff, the archival standard for preservation purposes that also produces extremely

large files.

4. Video or Audio Those seeking to submit digital audio or video files may utilize MP3 (audio) or MP4 (video) formats. File-size considerations should be kept in mind, and if the file is prohibitively large,

15 A.k.a. the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. It is currently available in print or Kindle format only.

16 A.k.a. the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. It is currently available in print format (with website access after purchase).

17 The Turabian style guide (a.k.a. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations) is based on the Chicago Manual of Style. It is currently available in print or Kindle and Nook format only.

mailto:[email protected]

a version without video inserts should be provided with the video and audio files provided as external files and references. These areas contain rapidly changing archival standards and normally require specialized formatting with Codecs (compression schemes) for presentation on the Web. In general, the applicant should expect to

• include identifying metadata within the file(s); and • include a textual equivalent (transcript) to meet universal access/Section 504

compliance.

With respect to submission to the APUS Library, if there are questions regarding the proper submission of supplemental digital audio or video files, contact [email protected]. 5. URLs/Web Addresses When noting a URL or Web address, the default format should be that of the style manual of your program. Note: Word will automatically embed the codes to link directly to the resources. Citations to permanent or persistent links are preferred (i.e., DOI: Digital Object Identifier). Do not use link-abbreviating tools (i.e., TinyURL, etc.). 6. Submission The APUS Library serves as the repository for all thesis/Capstone papers. Without exception, all passing graduate Capstone papers must be submitted to the APUS Library where they will be retained in the University’s digital archive. Papers submitted to the APUS Library by the student will not be accepted. The student should contact their Capstone advisor concerning submission on their behalf. The program director or school dean are to submit the Capstone documents.

File Format/Title The required format for the thesis files is Microsoft Word. The main thesis manuscript file should be titled with the author’s last name and submission year (e.g., jones-2007). Multipart submissions are to be placed in a similarly titled folder (e.g., lastname-yyyy). The submission to the APUS Library must include:

• the FINAL Thesis document in Microsoft Word format; • the completed Submission/Approval e-form (see Appendix 18 for download link);

o The e-form must be downloaded before the fields can be filled out. o The e-form requires Adobe Pro or the latest version of the Adobe Acrobat

Reader (https://get.adobe.com/reader/). • IRB documentation (if applicable; see Appendix 15); and

mailto:[email protected]

https://get.adobe.com/reader/

• Passed with Distinction Assessment Rubric (if grade awarded is PWD; see Appendix 16 for download link).

Submit the above via email to [email protected]. See Appendix 18 for step-by-step instructions. If you have any difficulties with submission, have additional files, have a file that is too large for email submission, or have any other questions, contact the APUS Library at [email protected]. After submission to the APUS Library, the thesis/Capstone paper, the email cover letter, and the submission/approval form are stored in the University’s digital archive. The librarian(s) in charge of thesis submissions will process the files for electronic storage and access. 7. Passed with Distinction (a.k.a., PWD) The student’s Capstone professor and program director are responsible for determining if the Capstone project meets the criteria for Passed with distinction and is therefore eligible for consideration to be published in DigitalCommons@APUS. Only projects that have met the standard of Passed with distinction, have been approved by the Assistant Provost and Director of Graduate Studies, and have met the publication guidelines set by the APUS Library are eligible for inclusion. Papers accepted for publication by the APUS Library will be posted publically on DigitalCommons@APUS with an active link to a PDF version of the paper.

mailto:[email protected]

http://digitalcommons.apus.edu/

CHAPTER VII

Scholarly Research/Copyright Conduct For quality assurance and approval, a condition of publication is that the Capstone advisor agrees to have his/her name displayed next to the master’s Capstone student-author. There will be no exceptions. All Capstone projects awarded an A+ will be considered for publication by the APUS Library in DigitalCommons@APUS as an example of a Capstone project that meets the highest level of distinction. Note: Critical reflection papers, while eligible for the grade of Passed with distinction, may not be eligible to be placed in DigitalCommons@APUS due to the personalized information that may be contained within the papers. The final decision for placement in DigitalCommons@APUS will be made by the Assistant Provost and Director of Graduate Studies. 1. Copyright Copyright concerns focus primarily on copyright law both for registering intellectual property and keeping to scholarly standards, especially the avoidance of plagiarism. In legal terms, the United States is a signatory of the international Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/berne/index.html). More importantly, internal enforcement is codified under Title 17 of the 1976 Copyright Act as amended. The Librarian of Congress is the officially designated interpreter of the act, which also is subject to decisions in the federal court system (See U.S. Copyright Office, http://www.copyright.gov).

Note: Foreign copyrights are valid in the U.S. Material published outside the U.S. and may not have clear-cut rules. Some authorities advise that it is not safe to assume a foreign work copyrighted in the last two hundred years is in the public domain.

Copyrighting Your Research Under the Berne Convention, original intellectual contributions are automatically copyrighted when captured in a fixed medium, such as in print or a video. Under U.S. copyright law, copyright for works created after January 1, 1978 normally extend for the life of the author plus 70 years. The creator also may choose to formally register copyright status. Registration is a legal formality that makes a public record of the exact details of a copyright claim. It is necessary in order to bring suit against an infringer for damages. Registration can be done online through the Electronic Copyright Office (http://www.copyright.gov/eco), as well as by mail and in person. It requires three elements:

• completed registration form

http://digitalcommons.apus.edu/

http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/berne/index.html

http://www.copyright.gov/

http://www.copyright.gov/eco/

• nonrefundable fee • nonreturnable deposit copy

Fair Use Exemptions and Citation Responsibility Copyright law balances between guaranteeing the creator appropriate recompense and the public good. Materials are either in the public domain or under copyright. Anything published by the government or before 1923 is normally in the public domain and may be freely used. At this time, assume that anything else is covered by copyright—especially if it displays the international copyright sign: ©. Normally, students have no problem directly quoting reasonable amounts of material within their narratives. The 1976 Copyright Act has even included exemptions for educational purposes under the doctrine of fair use. The main test is one of substantiality. The amount of material that may be freely quoted depends on the size and nature of its context. Feel free to use a full page or even excerpts that total a chapter from a substantial book. Yet, an entire poem or substantial excerpts from a short story may be too big and require permission. Consult with librarians at [email protected] in the APUS Library for specific guidance. Similarly, media (images, video, audio, and datasets) should be utilized with the copyright holder’s permission or, if not possible, judiciously and with evidence of obtaining the media creator’s permission. Papers submitted without proper permissions will not be featured by the library. Questions regarding copyright guidance can be sent to [email protected]. Please consult with librarians in the APUS Library ahead of time as much as possible if your research involves significant amounts of copyrighted media. More importantly, university policy mandates that students must be aware of the crucial importance of attribution for direct quotations, paraphrases, or the source of ideas that are used in their manuscripts. Graduate studies are intended to share within a discipline and build on the work of its scholars. The general rule is, when in doubt, cite. Check the appropriate style manual of your program for details.

Copyright Permission Although rarely needed, students may be responsible for securing copyright releases for substantial use of a copyrighted item. Permission also may be required as a courtesy for the use of materials from certain private collections and museums without respect to copyright. Any letter(s) of permission become part of the appendices in the submission (see Appendix 12 for a sample permission letter). Information about obtaining permission can be found http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-fairuse.html#permission.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-fairuse.html#permission

2. University Research Policies Misconduct in research implies the intent to deceive or defraud; it extends to the mistreatment of animals and human subjects. Misconduct includes, but is not limited to, fabrication of or employment of spurious data, purposeful omission of any conflicting data, deceptively selective reporting, misappropriation of intellectual property, and cases of frivolous accusations. It does not include honest error or honest differences in interpretation or judgments of data. Student research misconduct resulting from regular course assignments that are not published for public scrutiny remains under the purview of the instructor and is not subject to these protocols. Other common forms of misconduct covered by these protocols are defined as follows.

• Falsification of data is deliberately changing any form of evidence in such a way that it substantially affects its usefulness.

• Plagiarism is deliberately appropriating the writing or recorded work of another without his/her consent or improperly documenting for one's own benefit.

• Conflict of interest occurs when an individual serves or represents two distinct entities and neglects or breaches a duty to one entity to benefit the other or when a person uses his/her position with one entity to advance a personal gain or the gain of another entity.

• Fraud and misrepresentation are deliberate attempts to deceive others to secure unlawful or unfair advantage. This category of misconduct includes providing false or misleading information to or intentionally deceiving coauthors, granting agencies, editors, or other interested parties regarding the results or the status of a research project.

• Noncompliance is failing to comply with the published regulations of federal agencies, state agencies, the university, or granting agencies that support an individual's research.

• Misappropriation of research funds is any deliberate act or omission in the handling of research funds that violates university policy, or the policies of granting agencies either state or federal.

These policies apply to individuals (other than students involved in regular classroom assignments) engaged in any form of research and scholarship, funded or otherwise, in every discipline throughout the university.

3. Institutional Review Board Students engaged in research that involves human subjects and whose research is systematic and generalizable are required to complete an Institutional Review Board (IRB) application, which includes Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program

courses. Students who plan to engage in human subject research should discuss it with the course instructor at the very beginning of the course. The IRB process can take at least one month.

For a brief overview of the IRB, visit http://wpc.242f.edgecastcdn.net/00242F/academics/center-teaching- learning/web/IRB_Intro/IRB_Intro.html. For detailed information on the APUS Institutional Review Board, visit, http://www.apus.edu/community-scholars/institutional-review-board/.

Note: APUS takes academic dishonesty very seriously. Any evidence of plagiarism will result in the student’s work being rejected and the student will fail the EOP course. Engaging in academic dishonesty and/or plagiarism will directly threaten the ability of the student to graduate from APUS.

http://wpc.242f.edgecastcdn.net/00242F/academics/center-teaching-learning/web/IRB_Intro/IRB_Intro.html

http://www.apus.edu/community-scholars/institutional-review-board/

Appendices

Appendix 1: Master’s Theses Master’s theses are expected to contain the following elements: Abstract: Includes the following components: purpose of the research, methodology, findings, and conclusion. The body of the abstract is limited to 150-200 words.18 Introduction: Identifies student’s specific research question and sets the general context for the study. This section should include

• a statement of the problem or general research question and context leading to a clear statement of the specific research question;

• background and contextual material justifying why this case or topic should be studied; and

• a purpose statement.

Literature Review: Reviews the literature on a specific research question. The literature review focuses on discussing how other researchers have addressed the same or similar research questions. It introduces the study and places it in larger context that includes a discussion of why it is important to study this case. It provides the current state of accumulated knowledge as it relates to the student’s specific research question.

• Summarize the general state of the literature (cumulative knowledge base) on the specific research question:

o Study one: summarize to include researcher’s findings, how those findings were obtained, and evaluation of biases in the findings.

o Study two: summarize to include researcher’s findings, how those findings were obtained, and evaluation of biases in the findings.

o Include a minimum of at least three of the most important studies. • Include a short conclusion and transition to the next section.

18 The APUS Center for Graduate Studies and the APUS Library have created an instructional module on Writing the Abstract for Your Graduate Capstone Thesis at AMU/APU. It will take you through the entire process. You can access it here: http://apus.libguides.com/writing/thesiscapstone/abstract.

http://apus.libguides.com/writing/thesiscapstone/abstract

Theoretical Framework/Approach: The theoretical framework section develops the theories or models to be used in the study and shows how the student has developed testable research hypotheses. This section should include

• an introduction discussing gaps in the literature, how this study will help fill some of those gaps, and justification for the theory or model to be used in study;

• a summary of the theory or model to be used in the study, including a diagram of the model if appropriate; and

• a statement of hypotheses to be tested.

Research Design/Methodology: Describes how the student will test the hypothesis and carry out his/her analysis. This section describes the data to be used to test the hypothesis, how the student will operationalize and collect data on his/her variables, and the analytic methods that to be used, noting potential biases and limitations to the research approach. It should include

• identification and operationalization (measurement) of variables; • a sampling plan (i.e., study population and sampling procedures, if appropriate); • justification of case studies used; • data collection/sources (secondary literature, archives, interviews, surveys, etc.); • a summary of analysis procedures (pattern-matching, etc.); and • the limitations of study and bias discussion.

Findings/Results/Discussion: This section describes the results of the study. Keep in mind that the “results” are the direct observations of the research, while the “discussion” is the interpretation of the results and research. This should include, as appropriate:

• results, including tables, graphs, statistics; • significance and interpretation of the results; • discussion of results as they relate to thesis statement/research question; • discussion of results as it relates to the theoretical framework/approach; and • directions for future research.

Reference List: References the works the student has cited (direct quotes or paraphrases) in the text. This list must be formatted according to the school’s prescribed style guide.

Appendix 2: Master’s Creative Projects Master’s creative projects are expected to contain the following elements: Abstract: Includes the following components: purpose of the research, methodology, findings, and conclusion. The body of the abstract is limited to 150-200 words.19 Introduction: This section identifies the student’s specific creative project and sets the general context for it.

• Provide a clear and lucid description of the creative project including the goal and intent of the project.

• Discuss the schedule and objectives for the work to be completed.

Literature Review: The literature review focuses on how the creative project experience fits into the discipline. Specifically, it introduces the project and places it in a larger context that includes a discussion of how this experience helps the student meet the program objectives. It provides the current state of accumulated knowledge as it relates to the project.

• Describe how completing this project is consistent with the course of study. • Articulate the objectives the student hopes to achieve through the completion of this

project. • Provide a short conclusion and transition to the next section.

Findings Log/Journal: This section is where the student’s log/journal should be included and where the student describes how the overall project experience is situated within his/her discipline.

• Include the log/journal kept for the duration of the project. • Discuss how the experiences mirror, contradict, or reinforce existing theoretical

knowledge relative to the student’s experience and discipline. • Provide a summary of ways in which the experience helped the student meet the

program objectives. • Discuss the limitations of the student’s experience and bias.

The Project: This section is where the student includes his/her project, which must comport with discipline standards.

19 The APUS Center for Graduate Studies and the APUS Library have created an instructional module on Writing the Abstract for Your Graduate Capstone Thesis at AMU/APU. It will take you through the entire process. You can access it here: http://apus.libguides.com/writing/thesiscapstone/abstract

http://apus.libguides.com/writing/thesiscapstone/abstract

Reference List: This section should reference the works cited (direct quotes or paraphrases) in the text. This list must be formatted according to the school’s prescribed style guide.

Appendix 3: Master’s Practicum and Critical Reflection Papers The master’s practicum and critical reflection paper are expected to contain the following elements: Abstract: Includes the following components: purpose of the research, methodology, findings, and conclusion. The body of the abstract is limited to 150-200 words.20 Introduction: Identifies the student’s specific practicum experience and sets the general context for the study.

• Provide a clear and lucid description of the practicum, including the location or organization in which the practicum will be completed.

• Describe the 160 hours of work required to complete the practicum. • Include the schedule and objectives for the work to be completed. • List the name and title of the supervising staff member at the organization.

Literature Review: This section reviews the literature on the specific practicum. The literature review focuses on how the practicum experience fits into the discipline. Specifically, it introduces the practicum and places it in a larger context that includes a discussion of how this experience helps the student meet the program objectives. It provides the current state of accumulated knowledge as it relates to the student’s specific practicum experience.

• Describe how completing this practicum is consistent with the student’s course of study.

• Articulate the objectives the student hopes to achieve through the completion of this practicum.

• Provide a short conclusion and transition to the next section.

Findings—Log/Journal: This section is where the student includes his/her log/journal and where he/she describes how the overall practicum experience is situated within the discipline.

• Include the log/journal kept for the duration of the practicum. • Discuss how the student’s experiences mirror, contradict, or reinforce existing

theoretical knowledge relative to his/her experience and discipline.

20 The APUS Center for Graduate Studies and the APUS Library have created an instructional module on Writing the Abstract for Your Graduate Capstone Thesis at AMU/APU. It will take you through the entire process. You can access it here: http://apus.libguides.com/writing/thesiscapstone/abstract

http://apus.libguides.com/writing/thesiscapstone/abstract

• Provide a summary of ways in which the experience helped the student meet the program objectives.

• Discuss the limitations of the student’s experience and bias.

Reference List: Reference the works cited (direct quotes or paraphrases) in the text. This list must be formatted according to the school’s prescribed style guide.

Appendix 4: Title Page (Required format for all theses).

DRONES AS WEAPON OF WAR IN AF/PAK REGION

A Master Thesis

Submitted to the Faculty

American Public University

Richard James Smith

In Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Degree

Master of Arts

December 2011

American Public University

Charles Town, WV

Top margin: 2 inches

Do not capitalize “by” or “of”

Right margin: 1 inch

Spacing must be consistent and double-spaced.

Left margin: 1.5 inches

Month of graduation

Bottom margin: 1.25 inches

Appendix 5: Sample of Copyright Page (Required format for all theses).

The author hereby grants the American Public University System the right to display these contents for educational purposes.

The author assumes total responsibility for meeting the requirements set by United States copyright law for the inclusion of any materials that are not the author’s creation or in the public domain.

NOTES: • Text should begin just after halfway down the page. • This sample includes the exact language that must be used.

Appendix 6: Sample of Dedication Page (Optional)

DEDICATION

I dedicate this thesis to my parents. Without their patience, understanding, support,

and, most of all, love, the completion of this work would not have been possible.

NOTES: • Text should begin just after halfway down the page. • Text should be double-spaced.

Appendix 7: Sample of Acknowledgments Page (Optional)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to thank the members of my committee for their support, patience, and good

humor. Their gentle but firm direction has been most appreciated. Dr. Betty Morrow was

particularly helpful in guiding me toward a qualitative methodology. Dr. Judith Slater’s

interest in a sense of competence was the impetus for my proposal. Finally, I would like to

thank my major professor, Dr. Stephen Fain. From the beginning, he had confidence in my

abilities to not only complete a degree, but to complete it with excellence.

I have found my course work throughout the national security program to be

stimulating and thoughtful, providing me with the tools with which to explore both past and

present ideas and issues.

NOTES: • Text should begin just after halfway down the page. • Text should be double-spaced.

Appendix 8: Sample of Abstract of the Thesis (Required format for all theses).

ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS

DRONES IN NATO LED EFFORTS IN AF/PAK

Richard James Smith

American Public University System, July 1, 2007

Charles Town, West Virginia

Professor John Doe, Thesis Professor

Begin typing the abstract here, double-spaced. The abstract must include the

following components: purpose of the research, methodology, findings, and conclusion. The

body of the abstract is limited to 150-200 words (no less than 150 and no more than 200).

NOTE: The abstract is a required component of the thesis/Capstone paper. If you are not sure of what an abstract is or of how to write one, the APUS Center for Graduate Studies and the APUS Library have created an instructional module on Writing the Abstract for Your Graduate Capstone Thesis at AMU/APU, viewable at http://apus.libguides.com/writing/thesiscapstone/abstract

http://apus.libguides.com/writing/thesiscapstone/abstract

Appendix 9: Sample of a Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... .......... 1

II. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................. 5

Competing Perceptions of National Security....................................................... 5

Drones as a Weapon of War ................................................................................ 8

Afghanistan Security .......................................................................................... 12

Pakistan Security ............................................................................................... 15

III. METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................. 24

Subjects and Setting .......................................................................................... 24

Data Collection Technique ................................................................................ 25

Statistical Analysis ............................................................................................. 27

Limitations of the Study ..................................................................................... 30

IV. RESULTS ............................................................................................................. 34

Legal Framework ................................................................................................ 34

Impact of Drone Strikes on War Effort .............................................................. 38

Impact of Drone Strikes on U.S.-Pakistani Relations....................................... 40

Impact of Drone Strikes on U.S. Regional Interests ........................................ 48

Refer to the notes on the following page for formatting information.

V. DISCUSSION ....................................................................................................... 49

Ethics and Legality of Using Drones ................................................................. 49

Competing Conceptions of Self-Defense and National Security ..................... 50

Controversy about Use of Drones in Warfare ................................................... 52

Summary ............................................................................................................ 54

Recommendations ............................................................................................. 56

LIST OF REFERENCES ..................................................................................................... 60

APPENDICES …………………………. .................................................................................... 66

NOTES: • Follow your style guide for exact formatting requirements. • Dot leaders (periods between words and pages) are required. • Pages should be left justified. • Double space between entries. • Hyperlinking to sections within the thesis can add ease to navigation.

Appendix 10: Sample of List of Tables

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE PAGE

1. Physical Education Teacher Demographic Data ............................................... ....... 15

2. Current University Student Demographic Data......................................................... 17

3. Number of High or Low Value Orientations for Respondents .................................. 25

4. Teacher Value Orientation Profile by Gender ............................................................ 28

5. Teacher Value Orientation Profile by Academic Rank .............................................. 33

6. Teacher Value Orientation Profile by Teaching Experience ..................................... 39

7. Student Value Orientation Profile by Gender ............................................................ 41

8. Student Value Orientation Profile by Academic Major ............................................. 45

9. Student Value Orientation Profile in Different Year at University ............................ 51

Appendix 11: Sample of List of Figures

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE PAGE

1. Physical Education Teacher Demographic Data ............................................... ....... 15

2. Current University Student Demographic Data......................................................... 17

3. Number of High or Low Value Orientations for Respondents .................................. 25

4. Teacher Value Orientation Profile by Gender ............................................................ 28

5. Teacher Value Orientation Profile by Academic Rank .............................................. 33

6. Teacher Value Orientation Profile by Teaching Experience ..................................... 39

7. Student Value Orientation Profile by Gender ............................................................ 41

Appendix 12: Sample of Permission to Quote or Reproduce Copyrighted Material Letter

Date___________________________

I (we) _______________________________________________________________ owner(s) of

the copyright to the work known as ______________________________

_____________________________________________________________________ hereby

authorize _______________________________________________________ to use the

following material as part of his/her thesis to be submitted to American Public University

System.

Page Line Numbers or Other Identification

_____________________

Signature

Appendix 13: Sample of Practicum Organizational Consent Form

Date___________________________

Name of organization _________________________________________________

Program _________________________________________________________

Work to be completed_________________________________________________

Dates of practicum/schedule ____________________________________________

I (we) _______________________________________________________________ as (state position title) ______________________________ attest to the fact that (student’s name) will be completing the above described practicum in our organization. We hereby authorize (name of student) to work with us in completion of his/her master’s degree at American Public University System. It is our understanding that he/she will write a critical reflection paper on this experience. The student may use/identify our name in the paper/the student is required to keep our name anonymous in completing the reflection paper. (Name of person) will serve as the mentor for this student in our organization throughout his/her work with us.

________________________________________________________________________

Signature Title Date

Appendix 14: Critical Reflection Method Required for Completion of Practicum Paper

1. Description of the experience (5 - 7 pages)

2. Critical reflection on this experience and the related discipline practices experienced and observed during the practicum in light of theory and literature relative to the work of the practicum (8 - 10 pages)

3. Discussion of ways the theory and literature challenges/affirms the experience and ways the experience challenges/affirms the literature and theory. (5 - 7 pages)

4. Recommendations for future practice and/or theory (5 - 6 pages)

I (we) _______________________________________________________________ owner(s) of

the copyright to the work known as ______________________________

_____________________________________________________________________ hereby

authorize _______________________________________________________ to use the

following material as part of his/her thesis to be submitted to American Public University

System.

Page Line Numbers or Other Identification

_____________________

Signature

Appendix 15: Sample of IRB Approval Letter

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Application Number: Application Title: Dear The APUS IRB has reviewed and approved the above application. Date of IRB approval: Date of IRB approval expiration: The approval is valid for one calendar year from the date of approval. Should your research using human subjects extend beyond the time covered by this approval, you will need to submit an extension request form to the IRB. Changes in the research (e.g., recruitment process, advertisements) or informed consent process must be approved by the IRB before they are implemented. Please submit a protocol amendment form to do so. It is the responsibility of the investigators to report to the IRB any serious, unexpected, and related adverse events and potential unanticipated problems related to risks to subjects and others using the unanticipated problems notification. Please direct any question to [email protected]. The forms mentioned above are available at http://www.apus.edu/community-scholars/institutional-review- board/apply.htm. Sincerely, Jennifer Douglas, PhD IRB Chair

Appendix 16: Passed with Distinction Assessment Rubric A Microsoft Word version of this rubric may be downloaded from http://ezproxy.apus.edu/login?url=http://ebooks.apus.edu/EOPManual/PWDRubric.docx.

Passed with Distinction Assessment Rubric

__________________________________

Dimensions to Consider

Below

Expectation

Does not meet the basic expectations for graduate-level research writing. Would not be acceptable for most graduate coursework.

Meets

Expectation

Exhibits the qualities of graduate-level research writing appropriate to graduate coursework and emerging researchers.

Exceeds

Expectation

Exhibits the qualities of scholarly research writing appropriate to advanced graduate studies, such as thesis/ dissertation writing. Would be suitable to prepare for publication.

Introduction | 12 possible points

1 point

2 points

3 points

Contextualizes research in the field: why is it important? How/what does it contribute?

Describes research area in general terms: what BIG question does the research try to answer? What’s new? Why is it significant?

Describes research area in specific terms: what is the focus of the research project? Research questions and implications?

Refers to relevant, related work through thorough and appropriate literature review.

Continued on next page

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Methods | 9 possible points

1 point

2 points

3 points

Approach and techniques clearly articulated, occur in logical order, can be reproduced from text or cited literature.

Statistical analyses articulated.

Section aligns with target journal style (format, headings, etc.).

Results | 9 possible points

1 point

2 points

3 points

Describes results obtained in logical order, integrates findings across measured variables; subheadings used if appropriate.

Data are presented concisely in Tables and Figures, without duplication; all data are represented in the text.

Tables and Figures align with statistical approach and report estimates of statistical significance.

Discussion | 15 possible points

1 point

2 points

3 points

Re-establishes importance of reported approach; may state the acceptance/rejection of the hypotheses in general terms.

Aligns/compares findings with literature to build consensus or establish new paradigm.

If new paradigm, builds strength for new model through closely aligned literature.

Integrates findings and extends the field, but does not over-interpret the data.

Final summary aligns findings with hypotheses and with the importance of the findings related to the field.

Literature Cited/References

9 possible points

1 point

2 points

3 points

Citations are complete and correct.

Literature cited is relevant, uses reviews and primary literature appropriately.

Literature cited format aligns with journal format.

Style | 18 possible points

1 point

2 points

3 points

Engages the reader, wants the reader to read on, and communicates thinking as a researcher in the field.

Articulates importance and relevance using powerful words.

Leads the reader through text in consistent order.

Minimizes redundancy in text, data presentation.

Avoids using hedging language (“It may be…”, “It is possible …”).

Avoids indefinite openings (”It is believed that…”, “It was hypothesized that …”).

Form—functions as scholarly,

professional document 9 possible points

1 point

2 points

3 points

Organization: clearly organized? Coherent?

Focus and Summaries: Can main points be easily identified? Summarized at end?

Editorial: Grammar, punctuation, length are appropriate for targeted journal.

TOTAL

POINTS

SCORING KEY

81 possible points

73-81 = Passed with Distinction (PWD)

Below 73 = Pass

Appendix 17: Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper The master's critical reflection paper for the Portfolio option is expected to contain the following elements: Abstract: Includes the following components: a brief overview of what your paper will cover and a short explanation of how you will use the paper to demonstrate you have met the learning objectives of the program. The body of the abstract is limited to 150-200 words.21 Introduction: Provides the reader with an overview of the purpose of the paper and details regarding how the paper will articulate how all of the program objectives have been met. The Body: This section of the paper should include the following elements:

1. Philosophy of Learning. This section provides a reflective narrative on the student’s learning process.

2. Achievements in Learning. Here the student should discuss elements that demonstrate key learning achievement. This could include, transcripts, course descriptions, résumés, honors, awards, internships, tutoring, or mentoring.

3. Evidence of Learning. Here the student should contextualize artifacts from the portfolio within disciplinary theoretical frameworks. These artifacts may include research papers, critical essays, field experience logs, creative displays/ performances, data/spreadsheet analyses, course electronic listserv entries, reports for projects.

4. Assessment of Learning. In this section, the student should discuss how his/her learning was assessed. For example, include a discussion of his/her trajectory of professional growth based on instructor feedback, course test scores, exit/board exams, lab/data reviews, research project results, practicum reports, etc.

5. Relevance of Learning. The focus here is on demonstrating mastery of the programmatic learning objectives. The student can also discuss the practical applications of his/her learning, and how the learning related to personal and professional domains or to his/her ethical/moral growth. In addition, the student could discuss how the learning impacted his/her ability to lead or his/her ability to transfer what was learned to external environments such as professional affiliations, hobbies, or volunteering.

21 The APUS Center for Graduate Studies and the APUS Library have created an instructional module on Writing the Abstract for Your Graduate Capstone Thesis at AMU/APU. It will take you through the entire process. You can access it here: http://apus.libguides.com/writing/thesiscapstone/abstract

http://apus.libguides.com/writing/thesiscapstone/abstract

6. Learning Goals. Finally, the student can use this section to discuss how he/she plans to enhance, connect, and apply his/her learning.

Appendix: This section should contain am example or two of the learning artifacts along with the log/journal that was kept during the student’s course of study. Reference List: Reference the works cited (direct quotes or paraphrases) in the text. This list must be formatted according to the school’s prescribed style guide.

Appendix 18: Checklist for Thesis/Capstone Submission to APUS Library The program director is responsible for submitting the student’s thesis to the library.

1. Download the APUS Library Capstone Submission/Approval Form from: http://ezproxy.apus.edu/login?url=http://ebooks.apus.edu/EOPManual/Submission ApprovalForm.pdf This e-form contains interactive fillable fields. It is recommended you save this file to your APUS laptop for ease of repeated use.

• The e-form must be downloaded before the fields can be filled out. • The e-form requires Adobe Pro or the latest version of the Adobe Acrobat

Reader (https://get.adobe.com/reader/).

2. Complete the Submission/Approval Form Note that all fields except Keywords and 2nd Reader’s Signature are required. Check to make sure the spelling of the student’s name and paper title is correct.

3. Send the following as attachments to an email addressed to [email protected]:

a. The completed Submission/Approval e-form b. The FINAL version of the thesis document in Microsoft Word file format c. IRB Review docs (if applicable) d. Passed with Distinction Assessment Rubric (if grade awarded is PWD)

A Microsoft Word version of this rubric may be downloaded from http://ezproxy.apus.edu/login?url=http://ebooks.apus.edu/EOPManual/PWD Rubric.docx.

4. The subject heading for submission email should be Thesis Submission [student surname]. Example: Thesis Submission Jackson

5. Only one (1) thesis may be sent per email.

If you have any difficulties with submission, have additional files, have a file that is too large for email submission, or have any other questions, contact the APUS Library at [email protected].

http://ezproxy.apus.edu/login?url=http://ebooks.apus.edu/EOPManual/SubmissionApprovalForm.pdf

https://get.adobe.com/reader/

mailto:[email protected]

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mailto:[email protected]

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION

EOP Assessment Alternatives
Important Notes
Academic Dishonesty

For Comprehensive Exam Assessments
For Capstone Assessments
Institutional Review Board

Failure to Secure IRB approval

CHAPTER I

Master of Arts Comprehensive Final Examination

Beginning the Comprehensive Exam
Comprehensive Exam Course
Taking the Exam

Notes:

Faculty Role
Program Director’s Role
Proctoring

CHAPTER II

Master's Capstone: Thesis Option

Beginning the Thesis Project
Thesis Proposal
Preparing the Thesis

Notes:

Approval of Thesis
Submission of Final Thesis
Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts
Faculty Role

Second Readers: Some programs require second readers for the thesis. The second reader will be chosen by the program director or school dean. The task of the second reader is to review the thesis using the program-approved rubric. The second reader wi...

Program Director’s Role

CHAPTER III

Master's Capstone: Creative Project

Beginning the Creative Project
Creative Project Proposal
Completing the Creative Project

Notes:

Approval of Creative Project
Submission of Creative Project Report
Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts
Faculty Role

Second Readers: Some programs require second readers for the Capstone. The second reader will be chosen by the program director or school dean. The task of the second reader is to review the Capstone using the program-approved rubric. The second reade...

Program Director’s Role

CHAPTER IV

Master's Capstone: Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper

Beginning the Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper
Practicum Proposal
Completing the Practicum

Notes:

Approval of the Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper
Submission of Critical Reflection Paper
Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts
Faculty Role

Second Readers: Some programs require second readers for the Capstone. The second reader will be chosen by the program director or school dean. The task of the second reader is to review the Capstone using the program-approved rubric. The second reade...

Program Director’s Role

CHAPTER V

Master's Capstone: Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper Option

Beginning the Portfolio Option
Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper
Completing the Capstone

Notes:

Approval of the Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper
Submission of Critical Reflection Paper
Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts
Faculty Role

Second Readers: Some programs require second readers for the Capstone. The second reader will be chosen by the program director or school dean. The task of the second reader is to review the Capstone using the program-approved rubric. The second reade...

Program Director’s Role

CHAPTER VI

University Declarations and APUS Library Registration

1. Declarations
2. Textual Components

Academic Style Manual Conformity

3. Images and Tables

Image Insert/Formats

4. Video or Audio
5. URLs/Web Addresses
6. Submission

File Format/Title

7. Passed with Distinction (a.k.a., PWD) ...

CHAPTER VII

Scholarly Research/Copyright Conduct

1. Copyright

Copyrighting Your Research
Fair Use Exemptions and Citation Responsibility
Copyright Permission

2. University Research Policies
3. Institutional Review Board

Appendices

Appendix 1: Master’s Theses
Appendix 2: Master’s Creative Projects
Appendix 3: Master’s Practicum and Critical Reflection Papers
Appendix 4: Title Page (Required format for all theses).
Appendix 5: Sample of Copyright Page (Required format for all theses).
Appendix 6: Sample of Dedication Page (Optional)
Appendix 7: Sample of Acknowledgments Page (Optional)
Appendix 8: Sample of Abstract of the Thesis (Required format for all theses).
Appendix 9: Sample of a Table of Contents
Appendix 10: Sample of List of Tables
Appendix 11: Sample of List of Figures
Appendix 12: Sample of Permission to Quote or Reproduce Copyrighted Material Letter
Appendix 13: Sample of Practicum Organizational Consent Form
Appendix 14: Critical Reflection Method Required for Completion of Practicum Paper
Appendix 15: Sample of IRB Approval Letter
Appendix 16: Passed with Distinction Assessment Rubric
Appendix 17: Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper
Appendix 18: Checklist for Thesis/Capstone Submission to APUS Library