Final
Project Committee>>
Final
Project Options>>
The M.A. Final Project in Women's Studies
Students in their final semester of graduate studies
are required to complete what's known as the Final Project, for
which they must enroll in WSS 690 (3-4 credits). In the previous
semester, students ideally begin preparation and research for their
final project, which may include their enrollment in WSS 689 (Master's
Project Proposal Writing). The Final Project is an opportunity
for students to apply what they have learned in their degree program
by completing a project based on original research. This project
is an application and integration of feminist theory and practice,
which also demonstrates in its research an analysis of the intersections
of gender, race, class, sexuality, and nationality. Students also
have four options in the way that they develop this Final Project.
No one option is easier than another since all of the options require
the same level of research, the same time commitment, and the same
comprehension of research questions and methods that will prove
the most useful in shaping and completing the project. Students
should choose their project options based on their own knowledge
strengths and individual expertise. The Graduate Director will
help students identify research topics for the Final Project, as
well as help them identify potential faculty with whom they could
work on this project.
Final
Project Committee
Chair: Your final project committee typically consists
of two faculty members: the chair and a second member. The chair
is the faculty member with whom you will work most closely on
your project. The chair is also typically a member of the Women's
Studies core or joint faculty, chosen by you, with expertise
in the research or creative project area.
Second Member: Typically, the other committee member
is a Women's Studies core, joint, or affiliated faculty, but
this is not always the case, especially if the student has had
interactions with outside faculty whose expertise in her/his
project area would be appreciated. Second members may meet with
the student almost as regularly as the committee chair, or they
may become involved in the project only at significant points.
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Final
Project Options
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FINAL EXAM: The examination will be based
on a reading list of at least 25 book-length texts (four
articles are the equivalent of one book-length text) developed
by the student in consultation with her or his final project
committee. The research method for this project option is
intensive critical reading and a thorough literature review
of key and relevant texts (including, when applicable, searching
for and reading texts in their original edition) comprising
an area of specialization reflecting the student's interest.
The final project committee, whose areas of expertise correspond
with the student's interests, will also serve as examiners.
Once the student and her/his committee agree on a coherent
and focused final list, the Graduate Director must then approve
the reading list, which will also be copied and become part
of the department's permanent file, as will the completed
examination. Students who choose this option will be expected
to complete the exam during a specific time period (you may
choose to complete the exam in a three-hour time span or
over 2-3 days). Students who are simultaneously completing
work in doctoral programs at the University may include this
exam option in their PhD comprehensive exams, provided that
at least one exam area is a recognizable Women's Studies
subject.
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FINAL PAPER: The final paper, or thesis,
will be based on original research and should be approximately
40-50 pages, including endnotes and works cited (research
materials - graphs, illustrations, interview questions -
not included). The final project committee chair will meet
regularly with the student during the process of researching
and writing the paper to insure that the paper emerges from
a developmental and synthetic process, that it undergoes
revision over time, and that its final draft reflects more
depth than the typical seminar paper. If the paper is based
on research involving the use of human subjects, the student
will need to secure the approval of the Institutional Review
Board at the University at Albany. Before working on the
final paper, students must submit the Master's Project Proposal,
which must be approved by the final project committee and
Graduate Director. The final paper will become part of the
department's permanent file. At the student's option, the
final paper may later be revised as a manuscript for publication
(between 25-40 pages) in a peer-reviewed academic journal.
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CREATIVE PROJECT: The creative project, like
the final paper, will be based on original research and will
reflect original work in any medium, depending on the availability
of materials, faculty expertise, and students' own talents
and experience. Creative projects should reflect a student's
prior work rather than a desire to explore an unknown medium.
For instance, it is terribly risky for a student who has
never written creatively to propose the writing of a novella,
or for a student who has never composed music to propose
a music project. However, if the student has prior experience
with the creative process, s/he must consider how the intense
process of conducting original research will weigh alongside
the intense process of creating art. It is always exciting
to experiment with new forms of expression at any stage of
our lives, but since the purpose of the final project is
to focus on original research as it demonstrates feminist
inquiry and an analysis of the intersections of gender,
race, class, sexuality, and nationality, it is best to engage
these issues in a medium with which the student is familiar.
Students must submit with their creative project an essay
(10-15 pages, including endnotes and references) that describes
the project's concepts, process, and assessed outcomes. Typically,
essays accompanying creative projects will also demonstrate
the student's understanding of the theoretical issues raised
by the project, place the project in the context of a related
feminist creative work, and include a bibliography of sources
consulted in the process of creation. As with the final paper,
any research involving the use of human subjects must first
be approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University
at Albany. When applicable, students who know ahead of time
that they will choose the creative project option for their
final project should take related courses that instruct them
on the creative process.
Please note that the essay, which accompanies the creative
project, is separate from the Master's Project Proposal,
which must be approved by the final project committee and
Graduate Director. At the student's option, the creative
project may be developed for publication or presentation
before the general public. The creative project will become
part of the department's permanent file.
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COMMUNITY PROJECT: The community project,
like the final paper and the creative project, is also based
on original research and is conducted in conjuction with
the student's political or cultural involvement with a community
typically outside the University. The research method for
this project option may be action research or other engagements
of social science methods in the interests of feminist and
social justice concerns of the community. Students who know
ahead of time that they will choose the community project
option for their final project should enroll in WSS 592 -
Graduate Internship - a year in advance to identify potential
communities and begin related community research. Since they
are also primarily dealing with human subjects, this research
must first be approved by the Institutional Review Board
at the University at Albany. Subsequently, students may approach
the community project in two ways:
A. APPLIED RESEARCH PROJECT: Students should expect
to conduct 40 hours of on-site work for the semester
in which the research is done. The final project committee
may include a third member from the non-academic community
who will be involved in the student's work. At the conclusion
of the project, the student will submit a written report
describing the project and assessing its progress or
outcomes. Typically this report includes a discussion
of feminist theories applied to the conception and implementation
of the project, an analysis of the project's effectiveness
and what the student might do differently in the future,
as well as a bibliography that demonstrates the theory
base for the project.
B. PEDAGOGY PROJECT: Students may choose to engage feminist
pedagogy in their original research by designing and
implementing a course, seminar, workshop, conference,
curriculum plan, or an education program that explores
her/his research subject. The pedagogy project may also
include a plan for library and archival acquisitions
or the creation of a database for educational resources.
The project may envision a course or an alternative educational
outlet designed for the college classroom and campus
or beyond the academic setting (i.e. a local school,
community center, nonprofit, company, prison, house of
worship, museum, "classroom without walls" field
study, distance learning, etc.). The written work should
include a rationale and educational philosophy, description
of possible venue(s) and resources for teaching, and
detailed syllabus, with course goals and objectives,
required texts, assignments, and schedule. A bibliography
demonstrating the theory base for the project must also
be submitted. Students may engage in actual teaching
(as paid work) while completing this project; in all
cases, the student must include an analysis of the impact
of feminist pedagogy.
Please keep in mind that exceptionally accomplished students
may creatively combine two or more of these project options
into one final project. Please also note that - whatever your
project option - you must submit a Master's Project Proposal,
or Prospectus, approved by your committee members and the Graduate
Director, before you can enroll in WSS 690. A copy of your
project proposal and your completed final project will become
part of the permanent files of the department as well as your
own individual file. For more information on the final project
and proposal process, as well as the curriculum in general,
please consult the M.A. Student Handbook, available for download and
also in the departmental office.
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