Capstone Work
Major Papers, Practicum, Thesis
Major Paper (3 Hours)
The major paper can be considered a “scaled-down” thesis. It does not necessarily involve formal analysis of primary sources. Instead, the major paper may consist of a case study or a comprehensive review of the theoretical literature related to a specific policy, planning, methodological issue or technique. The exact nature of the activities reported in a major paper will be approved by a student’s committee, and should be reflected in a written proposal signed by committee members and the Program Chair. Students selecting this option should sign up for UAP 5904 – Project & Report.
The Practicum (2 Hours)
The practicum provides graduating students with an opportunity to demonstrate their grasp of general concepts, principles, skills and techniques in planning, policy analysis or public management by executing a task typical of professional practice in these areas. Often the Practicum involves some kind of interaction with a client such as a urban planning department or an economic development agency. Students selecting this option should enroll in UAP 5804 – Practicum Problem.
The student completing a practicum is expected to demonstrate his/her ability to
- define and assess a problem;
- design an appropriate work program to assess the problem; and
- perform the work described in the work program.
Thesis (6 Hours)
The thesis presents the results of a well defined and original research effort that involves either:
- the analysis of primary or secondary data sources (an example of a primary source would be the statistical analysis of the results of a questionnaire you designed and mailed to a set of state economic development agencies, a secondary source would be a statistical analysis of HUD Housing Survey data in an innovative way);
- the analysis of primary or secondary document sources (an example of a primary document source would be a set of municipal ordinances relating to economic development which you collect and analyze, a secondary source would be a set of such sources collected by someone else but which you analyze in an innovative way);
- the analysis of a primary or secondary ethnographic sources (an example of a primary ethnographic source is a set of interviews with city planning directors who you interview personally, a secondary source would be a set of interviews someone else collected but which you interpret in your own original way); or
- the use of another academically legitimate analytical technique (such as history, jurisprudence, philosophy) with approval and guidance of your thesis advisor and your committee.
Students selecting this option enroll in UAP 5994 – Research & Thesis.
For additional information please email UAPAlexandria@vt.edu or see MURP Handbook (2007).