Guidance for MPP Thesis Writers

University Requirements | Thesis Archives | Faculty and Staff Contacts

MPP students are required to write a thesis based on their conduct of a policy-relevant, empirical research study. This capstone experience brings together the substantive knowledge, analytical tools and quantitative methods that students learn throughout the GPPI curriculum. Faculty direction is provided through the thesis workshop, a 6-credit course spanning two semesters.

University Requirements

A handbook of University requirements for thesis (and dissertation) writers is available, along with required forms. A convenient MS Word template that conforms to the University’s specifications is also available.

Thesis Archives

MPP papers completed in previous years can be accessed in three ways:

• Full-text electronic library of all Masters theses since 2006
• Online Database of GPPI Thesis/Practicum abstracts, 2003 to 2009
• Hard copies of pre-2003 papers are available from Cristal Clark

 

Nuts and Bolts of the Thesis Project

For detailed guidance on carrying out the research and writing aspects of the MPP thesis see the GPPI Thesis Guide: Practical Advice for Thesis Writers (pdf).

Also see Statistical Software FAQs for information related to computing resources, the purchase of software and statistical analysis software issues.

Some Sources of Secondary Data

The MPP thesis involves the analysis of secondary data. Some examples of possible sources of these data include government agencies, institutional administrative records (e.g., hospital admission records), and university data archives. A non-exhaustive list of sites with links to secondary data for the social sciences is provided below.

• Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)
• Penn State Population Research Institute
• Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania
• FedStats
• The Georgetown Social Sciences Data Archive 
• UCLA, Academic Technology Services: Resources to help you use Census Data

We have also compiled a List of Data Resources for the Thesis (.xls) which provides web links and detailed information on more than 280 data sets, most of which have been used by previous GPPI students. The file can be sorted by policy area (e.g., healthcare, social policy). Web links and data descriptions are also included.

Faculty & Staff Contacts for the Thesis

Faculty Co-Coordinators for the Thesis Workshop:

Harriet L. Komisar komisarh@georgetown.edu
(202) 687-2574

Donna Morrison morrisod@georgetown.edu
202) 687-1966

Assistant Dean, MPP Program
Kerry Pace, pacek@georgetown.edu 
(202) 687-0661

Data Base Management and Programming Adviser
Eric Gardner eng@georgetown.edu 
(202) 687-3155

Director of GPPI Writing Help Program
Jeffrey Mayer mayerjl@georgetown.edu 
(202) 687-5995

Administrative Assistant
Cristal Clark clarkcl@georgetown.edu 
(202) 687-7771