KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY
: SIMPLE COURSE CHANGE
Cover Sheet 10-15-02 (draft)
Course Number/Program Name:IPM 7765: Capstone: Practicum or Thesis
Department Political Science and International Affairs
Degree Title (if applicable): Master of Science in International Policy Management
Proposed Effective Date: Fall 2011
Minor Changes:
1.
Minor changes are defined as a change to one of the following a.
_____ change to the title of a course
2.
b.
_____ simple editing changes to a course description c.
_____ course deletion d.
_____ course numbering change e.
_____ degree program name change f.
___X_ credit hour change (typing mistake on original course proposal)
Multiple changes to any combination of title, numbering, or description DO NOT
3.
constitute a Minor Change, and must go through the full course revision proposal approval process.
Changes that appear to be more than simple editing changes must go through the full
4.
course proposal approval process (committee chair discretion).
Proposals that meet the criteria as being minor changes, are exempt from the twoweek submission prior to the first reading rule
Submitted by: Michele Zebich-Knos, Ph.D.___10/19/2010
Faculty Member Date
Not Approved Approved
Approved
Approved
Approved
Approved
Approved
Approved
Approved
Not Approved
Not Approved
Not Approved
Not Approved
Not Approved
Not Approved
Not Approved
Department Curriculum Committee Date
Department Chair Date
College Curriculum Committee Date
College Dean Date
GPCC Chair
Dean, Graduate College
Date
Date
Vice President for Academic Affairs Date
President Date
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KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY
GRADUATE COURSE MINOR CHANGE FORM
I. Current Information
Page Number in Current Catalog 124; 277
Course Prefix and Number IPM 7765
Course Title Capstone: Practicum or Thesis
Class Hours___6__Laboratory Hours___0__Credit Hours__6_
Prerequisites: Second-year status in the MSIPM program
Description: No change
II. Proposed Information (Fill in the changed item)
Course Prefix and Number: No Change
Course Title: No Change
Class Hours 6 Laboratory Hours 0 Credit Hours 6
Prerequisites: No Change
Description: No Change
Change Grades Allowed (Regular or S/U): S/U
III. Justification
1) For Records Purposes Only : This course change is intended to correct a typing mistake made on the original course proposal. Course credit hours should read 6 hours and are correctly stated as such in the overall Program Proposal approved by the Board of Regents on page 11 of the Program Proposal. The 2010-2011 KSU
Graduate Catalog correctly reflects 6 credit-hours for IPM 7765. No change is needed in the catalog. Ref: See pages 124 and 277 of the Graduate Catalog.
2) Change Grades Allowed (Regular or S/U): from Regular to S/U.
This meets
Graduate College academic grading policy. ( 2010-2011 KSU Graduate Catalog , p.
32)
There are no multiple changes to any combination of title, numbering, or description.
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VII. COURSE MASTER FORM
This form will be completed by the requesting department and will be sent to the Office of the
Registrar once the course changes have been approved by the Office of the President.
DISCIPLINE International Policy Management
COURSE NUMBER
COURSE TITLE FOR LABEL
(Note: Limit 30 spaces)
7765
Capstone
CLASS-LAB-CREDIT HOURS
Approval, Effective Term
Grades Allowed (Regular or S/U)
If course used to satisfy CPC, what areas?
6-0-6
S/U
N/A
Fall 2011
Learning Support Programs courses which are
required as prerequisites N/A
APPROVED:
__________________________________________________
Vice President for Academic Affairs or Designee __
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COURSE SYLLABUS (Attach here)
Master of Science - International Policy Management
Department of Political Science and International Affairs
Kennesaw State University
I. During this final semester students should be able to demonstrate the ability to:
 clarify and refine the global policy issues presented during the internship, professional experience or during the thesis hypothesis generation stage
 understand and articulate the policy management context of the problem
 develop a project work plan
 identify appropriate methodologies for: collecting, organizing relevant information
 identify policy recommendations for successful management of the issues
 communicate results effectively in writing and orally
II. Petition to Graduate: By the time the student is ready to take the capstone course, he or she must be aware of the Petition to Graduate procedure. Each student must file a Petition to Graduate form at least one semester before he or she intends to graduate. The form is posted in our IPM 7765 online course and must be completed, signed and sent to the MSIPM Program Director electronically by the specified date. The Petition to Graduate fee is included in the cost of the program.
III. Selection of Capstone Option:
Students can select one of two options for this capstone course:
(a) an internship or professional experience (both referred to as a practicum); or,
(b) a thesis.
Students can register for either option only after consultation with the Program Director and the written
Request for Capstone Option form is approved. See form on last page of this syllabus.

Option (a): Internship or Professional Exercise Practicum
Option (a) represents an applied experience undertaken within a public or private sector organization. Internship students are required to work for a minimum of 150 hours at an approved site during the term. The student and supervising faculty member will jointly determine objectives for the internship or professional exercise, readings, and research topics. This option requires completion of a final written paper that summarizes how the internship or professional exercise objectives were met and culminates in an oral presentation that demonstrates how the candidate's internship/professional experience has enhanced his or her professional policy management skills within a global context.
An oral defense of one’s research and findings is required upon completion of the student’s written paper. Oral defense will take place on the Kennesaw State University
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campus at the end of the student’s final semester in the program. Other locations for the oral defense are acceptable only if approved in advance by the Program Director.
Prior to registration students must submit a Request for Capstone Option form along with a signed letter of agreement from the site supervisor to the Program Director. These documents can be scanned and sent electronically.
The research or fieldwork project is an in-depth study of a significant issue or problem involving global policy management which MSIPM candidates will identify and select in consultation with the Program Director and other pertinent faculty. A Written Proposal and the accompanying Request for Capstone Option form must be submitted to the
Program Director before August 17 for fall semester registration. Proposals must be received and approved before you will be able to register for IPM 7765.
Proposals should be 2000-2500 words and be based on a preliminary review of the literature on the topic and include an initial working bibliography related to the project.
Proposals shall include responses to these questions:
1.
What is the issue or problem?
2.
How did it arise and how is it important?
3.
What is the purpose of the project?
4.
How does it relate to the professional and academic literature on the topic?
5.
What resources are necessary to carry out the project?
6.
What information will be used to examine the problem?
7.
How will the information be analyzed?
8.
What methods will be used?
Grade Scale: Pass/Fail coded as S/U. Your final grade (S or U) will be weighed 75% for the formal paper and 25% for the presentation.

Option (b): Thesis
This option is appropriate for students seeking a more traditional academic experience.
Proposals should be brief (600-1000 words) and should be grounded in a preliminary review of the literature on the topic and include an initial working bibliography, as appropriate to the project. Proposals shall include, as appropriate, responses to these questions:
1.
What is the issue or problem?
2.
What is your hypothesis? Is it based on theory? If so, which one(s)?
3.
What is the purpose of the research?
4.
How does it relate to the professional and academic literature on the topic?
5.
What information will be used to examine the problem?
6.
How will the information be analyzed?
7.
What methods will be used?
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A Written Proposal and the accompanying Request for Capstone Option form must be submitted to the Program Director prior to fall semester registration. Proposals must be received and approved before you will be able to register for IPM 7765.
An oral defense of one’s research and findings is required upon completion of the student’s written paper. Oral defense will take place on the Kennesaw State University campus at the end of the student’s final semester in the program. Other locations for the oral defense are acceptable only if approved in advance by the Program Director.
Your final grade will appear as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory (S/U) and weighed 75% for the formal paper and 25% for the presentation.
Since the Master’s thesis requires considerable research and must be completed by the end of fall semester, the Program Director strongly encourages all students who select this option to work with your supervising faculty member(s) and create a strict work plan that will be followed. In order to complete this option within one semester, it is recommended that students not be employed full time or have other significant time commitments in fall semester.

IRB: All research involving human subjects must be reviewed by the University's
Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to the initiation of the research. Even though you may not conduct research in the United States, your research activities are conducted for the Kennesaw State University MSIPM. Such degree related research therefore makes this a mandatory procedure. This includes both surveys and research using pre-existing records provided human subjects are used. IRB forms are available online in this course.
You should allow at least two weeks for this review to be completed by Kennesaw State
University’s IRB. Forms can be signed, scanned and returned electronically to the IRB.
1.
All proposals involving human subjects submitted must include a Certificate of
Completion for the web-based training on Human Participating Protections
Education for Research Teams offered at http://cme.cancer.gov
. When registering for the course, indicate that the course is being taken for
“Completion Certificate only, no continuing education credits.”
2.
When you have finished the course, print several copies of the Completion
Certificate. A copy must be attached to your IRB form prior to submission to the KSU IRB.

Style manual: The MSIPM program uses A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations , 6 th
edition (often referred to “Turabian” after the original author) as the standard style manual for the program. Please consult this reference for all questions concerning format, citation style, etc.
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
Oral Defense Presentation: This is a presentation (approximately. 20 minutes) of candidates’ summary of the internship or work experience, research, findings, and recommendations to program faculty, other graduate students, and practitioners in the pertinent field. These presentations are held at the end of fall semester one week prior to final exams. The exact dates will be determined. You will be assigned a specific day/time for your presentation. Bring 10-12 copies of your executive summary for distribution to Capstone attendees. If possible, you are encouraged to invite at least one practicing professional to your presentation. You are expected to present for approximately 20 minutes, leaving the remainder of your time for comments and questions by the faculty and guests.

Final grades are due less than two weeks later. In order to graduate (having completed the presentation and incorporated additions and suggestions by the faculty to your paper), you must submit two Velo bound copies (with a clear plastic cover) to our office before final grades are due. Otherwise you will receive an incomplete grade and a grade change will be made when your completed paper is submitted and approved.

Graduation: You will receive information from the Graduate Dean regarding the hooding ceremony, and you will be contacted by the Registrar’s Office regarding graduation (tickets, location, date, etc.) If you wish to participate in the hooding ceremony (and you are encouraged to do so), contact the faculty member whom you would like to hood you.
KSU Academic Integrity Statement
Every KSU student is responsible for upholding the provisions of the Student Code of Conduct, as published in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs. Section II of the Student Code of
Conduct addresses the University’s policy on academic honesty, including provisions regarding plagiarism and cheating, unauthorized access to University materials, misrepresentation/falsification of University records or academic work, malicious removal, retention, or destruction of library materials, malicious/intentional misuse of computer facilities and/or services, and misuse of student identification cards. Incidents of alleged academic misconduct will be handled through the established procedures of the University Judiciary
Program, which includes either an “informal” resolution by a faculty member, resulting in a grade adjustment, or a formal hearing procedure, which may subject a student to the Code of
Conduct’s minimum one semester suspension requirement.
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Master of Science - International Policy Management
Kennesaw State University
Request for Registration for IPM 7765 Capstone: Practicum or Thesis
Complete and sign this form.Scan digitally and return to the Program Director no later than August 17.
Date: ___________________________________
Name: ____________________________ Student ID: ___________________
Address:
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Phone numbers: ____________________________________________________
E-mail address: _____________________________________________________
Intended term for enrollment in IPM 7765: Fall, Year:_____________
Title of proposal (electronically attach copy of proposal to this form):
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Student signature: ___________________________________________________
To be completed by MSIPM Director:
Eligibility to register for IPM 7765:
GPA: satisfactory unsatisfactory
Incompletes satisfied: yes no
(If no,
Identify_____________________________________________________)
IRB submission required: yes no
Overrides approved: IPM 7765, computer code ___ Term ___
Signature: ____________________________ Date: _______________
Overrides completed: _____________________________ Date ________
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