* Please note that the following description refers to pedagogical projects only. Creative writing students, while they are not required to write a prospectus, must obtain the signatures of a first and second reader and the Graduate Coordinator on a the Prospectus Sign-off sheet and must file this with the department secretary to be enrolled in English 502.

Plan B culminates in a research project which investigates a pedagogical problem of some sort, usually one connected with the teaching of literature or composition to high school or community college students. Candidates should choose their topics in consultation with two faculty members who will serve as their readers. Before enrolling in English 502, each candidate must complete a written prospectus of the project.

The prospectus (normally 5-10 pages in length) will include the following:

• A discussion of the problem the writer intends to investigate and the reasons for choosing it. For instance, is the problem that high school students don't understand the language of Shakespeare or that English 1A students can't write effective transitions? What makes the problem significant? Why is it worthy of investigation?
• An explanation of how the writer intends to investigate the problem. Does he or she plan to visit high school English classes or analyze several sets of freshman composition papers? What difficulties does the writer expect to encounter in gathering the necessary data?
• A preview of the writer's proposals for dealing with the problem. Many projects involve the preparation of curricular material. Is the writer planning to prepare a guide to Elizabethan English for high school students or devise methods to help college freshmen learn how to link one idea to another? (This section should be omitted if the project does not involve the preparation of curricular material.)
• A critical overview and bibliography of pertinent secondary sources. This bibliography must follow the format prescribed in the current edition of the MLA Handbook, copies of which are available in the bookstore.

After completing the prospectus, the student should present it to his or her two faculty advisors for approval. The advisors should indicate their approval by signing a prospectus completion form, which also requires the signature of the graduate coordinator. Only when a copy of the prospectus, along with the signed prospectus completion form, is submitted to the English Department secretary will the student be permitted to enroll in English 500. Students may not enroll in English 500 through CASPER.

The student should understand that the prospectus stands as a working agreement that defines the scope of the project. It is not a blueprint from which one never deviates; indeed, after more research, the student may find that substantial changes must be made, and he or she should discuss these with the readers involved. If, however, the student decides to embark on an entirely new topic, he or she must repeat the process of preparing a prospectus and securing the approval of their readers.

For more information conerning formatting issues and thesis preparation, please visit the following link:

http://www.csus.edu/gradstudies/forms.htm

Overview of Thesis/Project format

All graduate students planning to complete a thesis or project beginning in Fall 2008 and beyond must consult with their committee and file a thesis/project contract with their prospectus. The contract will be drafted by your committee and must be signed by each reader and by the candidate.