MA Capstone Projects
The Capstone Project (ENG 676)
Approving the Proposal:
Students should begin considering possible capstone topics by the beginning of their third semester (or after having completed 15 hours of graduate courses). A good term paper can serve as the foundation for a project. Talk to your professors, peers, and concentration advisor about possible topics. In consultation with a faculty member who agrees to direct the project, develop a brief description of the project, its rationale, and a preliminary bibliography of resources. Before registering for ENG 676 in the final semester, submit this description together with an ENG 676 approval form; this form must be signed by the capstone project advisor, the student's concentration advisor, and the Director of Graduate Programs and submitted to the Graduate Services Coordinator. The graduate student is responsible for selecting a member of the graduate faculty as the project director. Upon request, the DGP will assist the student in finding a member of the faculty to serve as project director.
Download ENG 676 Proposal Form
Submitting the Finished Project:
Copies of capstone projects should be signed on the title page by the project advisor and submitted to the DGP for final approval and for filing in the department archives.
Projects can take many forms. Those that take the form of an academic essay should have a title page and an abstract of 250-300 words.
Download Sample Abstract and Title Page
Depending on length, the essay could/should have a table of contents, a brief intro followed by section (or chaper) division, a brief conclusion, notes, and works cited. Lengths of essays will vary but will typically be 30-50 pages, including notes and bibliography.
Projects that take other forms, such as screenplays, documentary films, curricular units, anthologies, electrontic texts, and other options, should also include a title page and brief abstract as well as a short (5-10 pages) written narrative describing the project and its objectives.
The project's title page should include the following entries (all centered on the page):
- the title,
- the phrase, "by [student's name],"
- the statement: "A project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in English at North Carolina State University,"
- a line for the advisor's signature and a line for the Director of Graduate Programs,
- the date.
Graduate Symposium:
All students will present their capstone projects in the Graduate Symposium. The symposium will be scheduled during the final exam period following each semester or summer session. Students will offer 15-20 minute presentations during which they will summarize for members of the graduate faculty and other students the intellectual and/or creative merits of their capstone essays or projects. A brief (5-10 minutes) question and answer period will follow each presentation.
