PLAN A OR PLAN B:
WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
UW Division of Social Work
Donna Leigh Bliss, PhD
Director and Associate Professor
Overview
• Graduate degree
requirement includes
completing a Plan A
(thesis) or Plan B (nonthesis) research project
• These are capstone
events that are an
integral component of
the graduate learning
experience
• Defense structure and
format is flexible but it
should allow opportunity
for the student to
demonstrate content
comprehension and
application, critical and
quantitative analysis,
creative thinking,
problem solving,
synthesis and evaluation
Plan A or Thesis
• 2-credit course in fall
and spring semesters
• Primary focus is on the
development of original
research
• The planning,
development, and
production of the thesis
is guided by the
committee chair and the
graduate committee
• For more information go
to
http://www.uwyo.edu/reg
istrar/university_catalog/
grad_students.html
Plan B or Practice Evaluation
• 1-credit course in fall and
spring semesters
• Primary focus is the use of
a theoretical framework to
inform practice evaluation
• Plan B non-thesis is
different from the Plan A
thesis in that it is not an indepth research project
• Paper should present the
results of study and at a
level of scholastic quality
commensurate with a Plan
A thesis project
• For more information go to
http://www.uwyo.edu/regist
rar/university_catalog/grad
_students.html
Decision Considerations
• Plan A
• Interested in conducting
an original research
study
• Have a research interest
in a particular topic area
• Want to learn how to
manage the research
process
• Don’t choose if you think
Plan B is not rigorous
enough
• Plan B
• Interested in learning
how to conduct practice
evaluation
• Want to learn how to
apply a theoretical
framework to guide
practice
• Don’t choose if you think
it is easier than a thesis
Putting Together Your Committee
• Committees are made
up of at least:
• Chair
• Inside member
• A faculty member from the
Division of Social Work
• Outside member
• A faculty member in a
division or department other
than Social Work, and/or
• A professional in the field,
who has an off-campus
affiliation, if approved by
chair or department head
• Considerations in
selecting members:
• Understands how to
•
•
•
•
•
manage a research project
Expertise in topic area
Able to provide support in
organizing and managing
workflow
Someone you respect
Has time to invest in your
project
Can work with others
Managing the Workflow
• Fall
• Get foundational work
done
• Key tasks:
• Spring
• Hit the ground running:
• Plan A - get IRB approval
• Plan B – defend proposal
• Plan A – submit proposal to
• Collect and analyze data
IRB
• Plan B – finalize your
proposal
• Write paper
• Be strategic in how you
use your time in the fall
semester
• Don’t assume you can get
caught up in the spring
• Defend final paper
• Finish all required revisions
by last day of classes
Sample Timeline
• Start of Fall Semester
• Start of Spring Semester
• Develop your research project idea
• Complete data collection/analysis
• Select a committee chair (who helps you
• Meet with committee chair to outline final
select other members of your committee)
• Mid-Fall Semester
• Submit committee assignment form to
•
•
•
•
Registrar
Submit proposal draft to committee in
preparation for defense
Defend research proposal
Submit signed/approved proposal defense
form
Submit IRB proposal, if needed
• End of Fall Semester
• Have committee/IRB approval to begin
data collection/analysis phase during
semester break
paper
• Begin writing draft of final paper
• Mid-Spring Semester
• Meet with committee chair to review and
revise draft of final paper
• Request defense date approval from
committee
• Secure room/equipment for final defense
presentation
• Submit final draft to committee 2 weeks
prior to defense
• End of Spring Semester
• Final defense presentation
• Make any required revisions
• Submit signed/approved final defense
forms for graduation
More Information
• Thesis
• Click here and then click
on Practical Guide to
Plan A
• Plan B
• Click here and then click
on Plan B Road Map