Guidelines to Completing ...
- Thesis
- Applied thesis
- Creative project
- Internship / Internship Paper
WITH YOUR FACULTY ADVISOR, determine which of the following four options will serve your educational purposes and ministry goals.
1. Thesis:
An option for those who want to research a topic or question and/or those considering further advanced study. Following the Wheaton Graduate School guidelines, a thesis may take the form of historical research or empirical research, either qualitative or quantitative. This option is reviewed by the Graduate Academic Affairs Committee which must approve it. A copy of the thesis is placed among the holdings of Buswell Library. More>
2. Applied Thesis:
An option for those who have ministry experience and/or those who wish to develop concepts, programs, or curricular materials. These materials may involve media of various kinds. This option also must follow Graduate School guidelines for an applied thesis. The proposal must be submitted to the Graduate Academic Affairs Committee. A copy of this work is also placed in Buswell Library. More>
3. Creative Project:
An option for those ministering in a highly specific context who want to develop materials or a program that would have little applicability to other settings. A creative project is different from an Applied Thesis in that it needs only departmental faculty approval and does not become part of Buswell Library’s holdings. Yet, the accompanying paper must include a review of relevant and precedent literature. More>
4. Internship:
An option for those with little or no ministry experience or for those who desire to develop specific new skills under the guidance of an experienced ministry supervisor, the internship coordinator, and a faculty member skilled in that area. A summative paper, a required part of the option, will include reflections and analysis of the learning that occurred and its significance for future ministry, as well as a review of relevant and precedent literature. In other words, a master’s level internship has an applied research paper component. More>
Project Advisor:
When you have completed 12 hours of graduate credit, you may proceed with the process of selecting an advisor (1st reader) for your thesis, applied thesis, or creative project (the Internship Coordinator oversees internship projects upon advisor’s approval). The advisor must be a faculty member in the Christian Formation & Ministry Department (or an individual approved by the department chair). Faculty members will consider your request to advise your project; however, it will be ultimately your responsibility to conform/modify the project proposal sufficiently to enlist faculty support. No faculty member will be expected to advise more than four (4) theses/applied theses/internships any given semester.