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Project Requirements and Guidelines
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The MS project should represent a significant application of your entomological understanding in an area relevant to your interests. It is not a thesis or term paper, rather it is original work that reflects a scholarly understanding of entomology. Projects can take many forms, but all projects must represent substantial intellectual contributions.
Requirements
The requirements for the course involve the submission of a topic, proposal, progress updates, and portfolio. The required time-line is specified in the Course Syllabus and the Time-line section of this Web site. Final projects will be graded based upon their creativity, rigor, synthesis, and application of coursework. Failure to meet these standards or to meet deadlines associated with individual aspects of ENT 888 will result in a No Pass grade. Because this is a required course for the distance MS program, students receiving a No Pass, will be required to reregister and retake the course to complete their degree.
Guidelines
Completing your MS project should be a rewarding experience. It is an opportunity for you to showcase your understanding of entomology in an area that matches your intellectual and professional interests. Pick a topic which you are truly interested in and is an original contribution to the field of entomology.
Pay special attention to course deadlines. Course deadlines are strict for a reason, to move you towards completing your project in a timely manner.
Typically, a 4 credit hour course can take 200 hours of in-class face-time and study outside of class. The MS degree project will likely take a similar amount of time to complete. However, quality work is not always a reflection of time. How do you know if your project has sufficient quality and depth to receive a passing grade? Projects completed with the goal of "being good enough" are rarely good, or enough. Students who complete their projects in accordance with their approved proposal and invest quality time and effort, will likely receive passing grades. Students should work towards the goal of completing a project that they are proud of.