MES RESEARCH PROPOSAL
The MES Research Proposal is part of your Plan of Study. It is developed with your
Supervisor and then examined along with your Plan of Study at the MES II to III Exam. The
actual research constitutes the MES III stage of your program. Students typically enrol in
12 to 24 credits for their research.
The Major Paper/Project/Portfolio requires a Supervisor. A student’s Supervisor may or may
not be the Advisor. After the MES II-III exam, the student’s Supervisor normally becomes
his/her MES III Advisor. If the Advisor becomes the Supervisor, a second Faculty member
will be present at the MES II-III Exam. If the Supervisor is not a FES faculty member, the MES
I-II Advisor will continue in that role.
There are four options for the MES III Major Research Work (Please choose one option and
its appropriate form):
MES Major Paper (ENVS 7899)
The Major Paper synthesizes the Area of Concentration or explores one or more of its
components (or aspects) in depth. The Paper is expected to contribute to a student’s
knowledge and may also make a contribution to knowledge in general.
MES Major Project (ENVS 7799)
A Major Project is motivated by a particular activity. The output of a project will be
determined by the nature and form of the activity; it may be written, oral, performative or
graphic. A major project report accompanies the activity and reiterates the activity's
objectives, describes the problems/issues addressed, outlines what was done and
learned, and connects back to the Plan of Study.
MES Portfolio (ENVS 7799)
The portfolio is a compilation of (2-4) works in written and/or other media that are
integrated into a coherent whole. A portfolio can include: a series of academic essays
initially produced for courses, but revised and developed into a cohesive aspects of an
overall theme; a combination of material produced for a popular audience (e.g., a
manual or a narrative) as well as for an academic audience (e.g., the theoretical
foundation of the manual); a combination of visual media, such as a video and a
complementary academic paper; a combination of academic paper and performanceoriented work; or a series of articles aimed at publication in specific journals or
presentation at specific conferences. The components of the portfolio are introduced
through a short synthesis paper, which reflects their interrelationship and relationship to
the Plan of Study.
MES Thesis (ENVS 7999)
Like the Major Paper option, the Thesis synthesizes the Area of Concentration or explores
one or more of its components (or aspects of) in depth. However, the requirements for a
Thesis are different because a thesis proposal is submitted to both FES and the Faculty of
Graduate Studies. Students should be aware that theses operate on a longer timetable.
An initial thesis proposal is submitted, as part of the final revision of the Plan of Study, by
the end of the third term (or at least 12 months before the student’s expected time of
completion). A Thesis’ Supervisory Committee is made up of a minimum of two faculty
members recognized by FGS, at least one of whom must be from FES. For more
information on thesis process and guidelines, visit www.yorku.ca/grads/thesis/index.htm.
Human Participants Research Review and Risk Assessment
Human Participants Research (HPR) Review and Risk Assessments are part of the proposal.
If your MES III work involves human participants, you must submit your proposal to ethical
review and risk assessment (including consent forms, research protocols, and any
requested documentation). Students are also required to complete the Tri-Council Policy
Statement tutorial, available at www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/english/tutorial and to print the
record of completion.
Human Participants Research and Risk Assessment forms are available at
www.fes.yorku.ca/students/current/mes/MESForms.htm.
Students writing a thesis must also complete the FGS Research Ethics requirements and
forms (available at www.yorku.ca/grads/policies/ethics.htm).
Human Participants Research Review and Risk Assessments application is reviewed by the
FES Governance office at least two months prior to the beginning of research. Incomplete
or missing documentation will also delay processing.
Please refer to the MES Handbook 2009-2010 for more information on the MES Research
Proposal and the MES stages.
A database of titles of MES Major Papers/Projects/Portfolio and Theses is available at
www.yorku.ca/fes/wa/MesPapers/app/Search.asp. A selection of Major Papers and
Projects selected for the FES Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Series are available at
www.yorku.ca/fes/research/OutstandingPaperSeries.htm.
Please select the appropriate form for your MES Research Proposal.
Fill out the form by directly typing the information or selecting and bolding the appropriate
information. Keep track of the words limit by using the Tools/Word Count option. Make
sure that your large blocks of text are double-spaces and in 11-pt New Times Roman. The
Research Timeline, Tentative Outline and Bibliography can be single-spaced.
Each of the MES Research Proposal forms is a Word document that can be saved for your
own files.
Please remember to complete and save HPR Review and Assessment forms.