PPA500: THESIS SEMINAR

Spring, 2003

California State University, Sacramento

Public Policy And Administration

Professor Miguel Ceja

3029 Tahoe Hall

cejam@csus.edu

(916) 278-5591

Office Hours

Tuesday & Thursday 4-5:30pm and by Appointment

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Provide faculty and peer guidance in preparation of material to satisfy the Master’s thesis/project requirement.

At the end of the seminar, you are expected to complete the following three sections of your thesis/project:

• Introduction
• Literature review; and
• Methodology

If you are beyond any of the sections listed above, you will be expected to complete the remaining components of your thesis/project.

MEETING TIME AND DATES

We will meet four times as a group during the semester. We will meet on Tuesdays from 6-8:50pm in Amador 308. Please note that our first class meeting will take place during the second week of the semester. The following is a schedule of our meeting dates.

• February 4
• March 4
• April 8
• May 6

In addition to our four meetings, you will be expected to consult with your thesis/project advisor throughout the semester. I also highly encourage you to meet with me during office hours throughout the semester to individually discuss the progress of your thesis/project.

COURSE FORMAT

The graduate seminar is a space of open discussion, inquiry, and discovery. The success of the seminar rests on the free and uninhibited intellectual and emotional engagement of all participants. Effective participation and learning requires that you read class material, reflect on the readings, and come to the seminar prepared to share your thesis/project ideas with classmates. For each of the sessions, students will be expected to report on their progress and will receive peer feedback and faculty consultation and guidance.

REQUIRED TEXTS

• Creswell, J.W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and mixed methods approaches, second edition. Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks.

-available for purchase at bookstore or on the web at www.amazon.com

• CSUS Guide for Thesis/Project Format, Latest Edition, Office of Research and Graduate Studies, CSUS,

-available for purchase at bookstore or free on web at http://www.csus.edu/rgs/gradstud/forms/MANUAL.PDF

SUPPLEMENTAL TEXTS (while these texts are not required for this course, these books can be helpful in helping you write your thesis/projects).

• Becker, H.S. (1986). Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article. The University of Chicago Press: Chicago.

- available for purchase on the web at www.amazon.com

• Galvan, J.L. (1999). Writing Literature Reviews: A Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Pyrczak Publishing: Los Angeles.

- available for purchase on the web at www.amazon.com

READINGS & ASSIGNMENTS

February 4^th

Course overview; Presentation of thesis/project prospectus; Putting together a literature review

Required Reading:
Creswell Chp.2
Assignments due for this session:

• 3-page typed prospectus describing your thesis/project. In your prospectus, be as clear as you can with regards to what your research question(s) are, and your proposed plan for completing your thesis/project (methods, sample, etc…)
  
  
• Be prepared to make a 10-minute presentation describing where you are in your thesis/project and any problems/issues you are facing. In addition to this I also want to know what your timeline to completing your thesis/project is, and who your primary advisor is.
  
  

March 4^th

Student presentation of literature review section; Writing the methodology section

Required Reading:
Creswell Chp.9-10

Assignments due for this session:

• Literature section due. Please bring two copies to class.
  
  
• 10-minute presentation of your literature review for feedback.
  
  

April 8^th

Presentation of methodology section; Writing the introduction section

Required Reading:
Creswell Chp.4-6

Assignments due for this session:

• Methods section due. Please bring two copies to class.
• 10-minute presentation of your literature review for feedback.
  
  

May 6^th

No required reading:

Assignments due for this session:

• Draft of introduction section due.
• Final drafts of literature review and methods section due
• 12-15 minute conference style presentation (conference style) using power point slides and orally peer-reviewed by the class. In this final presentation you will focus on your introduction, literature review, and methodology. Similar to conference presentations, you will need to be concise and clear about your study in this oral presentation. Make sure to time pace yourself so that you cover each section within the time allowed.