Course Description
Students develop skills necessary to be successful graduate students, including identification of viable research questions. Students also learn about research areas and expertise of FHCE faculty, the requirements of the department and university, and how to locate and use the resources necessary to author a successful research proposal.
Athena Title
Research Development I
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This is the first of two courses designed to enhance students’ research capacity through: (i) the identification of compelling research questions; (ii) the formulation of research hypotheses that are likely to contribute to the literature; (iii) the development of rigorous, systematic methodological frameworks from both an analytical and a conceptual perspective; (iv) the overall organization of a research proposal to reflect the cogency, the priority, and perhaps urgency of selected issues. In this first course, students learn about the research areas and expertise of FHCE faculty; the responsibilities of students, major professors, and committees; and the requirements of the department and university. They work through the early stages of identifying a viable research topic and identifying literature, committee members, and coursework to support work in that research area.
Topical Outline
RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT I 1) Introduction a) Aims and Objectives of Theses, Dissertations, and Non-Thesis Research Projects b) Course Aims and Objectives 2) Finding a Major Professor and Choosing a Research Topic a) Guidelines and Expectations for Professors and Graduate Students b) Previous FHCE Thesis, Dissertation, and Non-Thesis Research Project Topics c) FHCE faculty expertise d) Current and Future FHCE Thesis and Dissertation Opportunities e) Responsibilities of Major Professor, Committee Members, and Student f) Identifying Coursework for Program of Study g) Identifying Potential Thesis, Dissertation, or Non- Thesis Research Project Topics: How to Choose? 3) Developing Potential Research Topics a) Identifying, Searching for, and Reading Relevant Literature b) Thesis or Dissertation Outline and Research Plan
Syllabus