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 2007
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 Practical Advice for Thesis Writers (pdf).

Also see Computing at the GPPI 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.