Public Policy Administration

• Course Descriptions

Public Policy Administration Home Page

Faculty

Brady Baybeck, Associate Professor of Public Policy Administration and Political Science, Director of Public Policy Administration
Ph.D., Washington University
Todd Swanstrom, E. Des Les Professor of Public Policy Administration, Professor of Political Science
Ph.D., Princeton University
Glen H. Cope, Professor of Public Policy Administration and Political Science, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Ph.D., Ohio State University
E. Terrence Jones, Professor of Public Policy Administration and Political Science
Ph.D., Georgetown University
Carol W. Kohfeld, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy Administration and Political Science
Ph.D., Washington University
George J. McCall, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy Administration and Sociology
Ph.D., Harvard University
Donald Phares, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy Administration and Economics
Ph.D., Syracuse University
Lana Stein, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Public Policy Administration
Ph.D., Michigan State University
Anne E. Winkler, Professor of Public Policy Administration and Economics
Ph.D., University of Illinois
Deborah B. Balser, Associate Professor of Public Policy Administration and Business Administration
Ph.D., Cornell University
Andrew D. Glassberg, Associate Professor of Public Policy Administration and Political Science
Ph.D., Yale University
Jean Germain Gros, Associate Professor of Public Policy Administration and Political Science
Ph.D., University of California‑Berkeley
Nancy T. Kinney, Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Administration, Academic Director of Nonprofit Management & Leadership Program
James M. Krueger, C.P.A., Assistant Professor of Public Policy Administration and Accounting, Vice Chancellor of Managerial and Technology Services
D.B.A., Indiana University
John E. McClusky, Affiliate Associate Professor Emeritus of Public Policy Administration and Political Science,
Ph.D., University of California‑Berkeley
Todd Swanstrom, E. Des Les Professor of Public Policy Administration, Professor of Political Science
Ph.D., Princeton University
Mark Tranel, Research Associate Professor of Public Policy Administration, Director of Public Policy Research Center
Ph.D., St. Louis University
David Laslo, Research Assistant Professor of Public Policy Administration, Director of MIDAS, Public Policy Research Center
Ph.D., University of Missouri - St. Louis
William Winter, Research Assistant Professor of Public Policy Administration, Research Specialist, Public Policy Research Center
Ph.D., University of Missouri - St. Louis

General Information

The University of Missouri-St. Louis’ Public Policy Administration (P P ADM) program has three components: the Master of Public Policy Administration (MPPA) degree program, the Nonprofit Management and Leadership Program, and the Local Government Partnership.

The Master's Program in Public Policy Administration (MPPA) is an interdisciplinary program designed to prepare students for managerial and policy analysis positions in the public and nonprofit sectors or in organizations having substantial interaction with the public and nonprofit sectors. The program is a unit of the Graduate School and is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. Core faculty are on joint appointments in public policy administration and disciplines such as economics, political science, sociology, or business administration. The program includes courses in policy analysis, public administration, management, budgeting, and economics in the core curriculum. The University of Missouri-St. Louis' MPPA program differs from existing programs available in the Missouri-Illinois region in its interdisciplinary nature and emphasis on the development of analytic and administrative skills. It is designed to meet the needs of prospective full-time students, as well as those who wish to earn a degree in the evening while continuing to work.

In addition to the distinguished doctoral‑level faculty in public policy administration, students have access to courses and faculty in business and other social sciences, to the Public Policy Research Center, and to the Center for International Studies. The P P ADM program serves as an editorial home of the American Review of Public Administration.

The full facilities of Campus Computing, and the Laboratory for Quantitative Analysis are available. UMSL is a member of the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research.

Admission Requirements
Applicants to the MPPA program must meet the general requirements for admission to Graduate School as explained in the Graduate Study section of this Bulletin. Students entering the MPPA program may be required to display proficiency in college algebra.

Prerequisites
Students must demonstrate competency in computer-based applications, including spreadsheets, databases, and internet applications. These competencies must be demonstrated in the first semester of the degree program by completing a computer proficiency examination.

Degree Requirements
The MPPA degree consists of 40 credit hours, 28 of which are taken as part of the core curriculum and 12 that are electives.  Students who complete the degree must demonstrate the following:

• Design, research, write, and defend analyses of substantive public policy problems and/or potential solutions
• Use data and sophisticated analytic tools (qualitative and quantitative) to conduct research in public policy and administration
• Understand the policy and internal/external environments of public and nonprofit organizations
• Develop expertise in a substantive area of public policy administration

Core Curriculum
All candidates for the MPPA degree must complete 28 hours in the core curriculum sequence composed of the following public policy administration courses:

Administration
6400, Proseminar in Public Policy Administration
6600, Organizational Behavior and Administrative Processes

Budgeting
6180, Governmental Budgeting and Financial Control

Economics
6080, Microeconomics for Policy Analysis
6210, Public Sector Microeconomics

Policy Analysis
6000, Introduction to Policy Analysis
6900, Cases in Public Policy Administration

Statistics and Applications
6010, Introduction to Policy Research
6750, Introduction to Evaluation Research Methods

Exit Project
6990, Exit Project Research

A thesis is not required to complete the program. However, writing is an important component of the degree, and students will complete written analyses as part of their coursework and/or internships. There is also a one credit hour exit project, P P ADM 6990, taken in the final semester. This exit project is a written analysis of a public policy administration problem, and is defended in an oral examination.

P P ADM 6000 should be taken at the beginning of the program. It is strongly recommended that P P ADM 6010 and P P ADM 6080 be taken early. P P ADM 6900 is a capstone course and must be taken at the end of the program usually in conjunction with P P ADM 6900.

Students may select one of five emphasis areas in which to concentrate their advanced studies: (1) managing human resources and organizations, (2) policy research and analysis, (3) local government management, (4) nonprofit organization management. Students may also select an individualized emphasis area in consultation with their advisor and with approval of the Director.

Prior to the completion of 15 hours in the MPPA program, students should identify an emphasis area. In each of the emphasis areas students may be able to substitute another course for a specified elective, with the MPPA Director’s approval. Specific requirements for each emphasis area are as follows:

1) Managing Human Resources and Organizations

a. Required (3 hours)
P P ADM 6490, Human Resources in the Public Sector

b. Electives (9 hours) chosen from:
MGMT 5611, Advanced Organizational Behavior and Administrative Processes
MGMT 5624, Organizational Training
ECON 5400, Labor Economics
P P ADM 6680, Negotiating Workplace Conflict
POL SCI 3470, Collective Bargaining
P P ADM 6950, Internship – 3 hours (in assignment relevant to emphasis area)

2) Policy Research and Analysis

a. Required (3 hours)
POL SCI 6402, Intermediate Techniques in Policy Research OR ECON 4100, Introduction to Econometrics

b. Electives (9 hours) chosen from:
POL SCI 6403, Advanced Techniques in Policy Research or ECON 3510, Public Finance: State and Local
ECON 4110, Applied Econometrics
ECON 4160, Geospatial Economic Analysis
ECON 4550, Natural Resource Economics
ECON 5400, Labor Economics
ECON 5760, Health Economics
ECON 5900, Advanced Topics in Economic Analysis
POL SCI 6404, Multi-Method Research
POL SCI 6414, Topics in Public Policy Analysis
POL SCI 6422, Law, Courts, and Public Policy
SOC 4040, Survey Research Practicum or SOC 5432, Survey Research Methods
P P ADM 6950, Internship (in assignment relevant to the emphasis area)

3) Local Government Management

* a. Required (6 hours)
P P ADM 6340, Seminar in City Administration or P P ADM 6350, Issues in Urban Management

AND EITHER

POL SCI 6470, Proseminar in Urban Politics or POL SCI 6471, Semin ar in Urban Politics

b. Electives (6 hours ) chosen from:
P P ADM 4940, Leadership and Management in Nonprofit Organizations
P P ADM 6680, Negotiating Workplace Conflict
P P ADM 6490, Human Resources in the Public Sector
P P ADM 6950, Internship (in assignment relevant to emphasis area)
ECON 4500, Public Finance: State and Local
ECON 5700, Regional and Urban Economics
POL SCI 6432, Intergovernmental Relations

* For Local Government Management specialization, courses not taken to fulfill “required 6 hours” may be taken as electives (s).

NOTE: Students interested in careers in local government management are strongly encouraged to take P P ADM 6490, Human Resources in the Public Sector, as one of their electives.

4) Nonprofit Organization Management and Leadership

a. Required (9 hours)
P P ADM 4911, 4912, 4913, Management Issues in Non-Profit Organizations: Staff Management Issues; Legal Issues; Financial Issues
P P ADM 4940, Leadership and Management in Non-Profit Organizations
P P ADM 4960, American Philanthropy and Non-Profit Resource Development

b. Electives - (3 hours) chosen from:
P P ADM 6490, Human Resources in the Public Sector
P P ADM 6550, Strategic and Program Planning for Nonprofit Organizations
P P ADM 6680, Negotiating Workplace Conflict
P P ADM 6950, Internship (in assignment relevant to the emphasis area)
BUS AD 3451, Accounting for Governmental and Nonprofit Entities
BUS AD 5100, Managerial Communication
BUS AD 5700, Contemporary Marketing Concepts
BUS AD 5900, Public Policies Toward Business
PSYCH 7412, Social Psychology

Individualized Emphasis Area
Prior to the completion of 15 hours in the MPPA program, the student must present a proposal for 12 hours of specific coursework for approval by the MPPA faculty. The 12 hours must include P P ADM 6950, Internship (in an assignment relevant to the emphasis area) unless the student has significant public or nonprofit sector experience.

Internships
There currently exists a need for well‑trained policy administrators and analysts. Frequent contact is maintained with public and nonprofit practitioners and public officials in the St. Louis metropolitan area, providing valuable input for program development, creation of a wide variety of internship possibilities, and assistance with a vigorous placement program for MPPA graduates. Interns may be placed in planning agencies, city managers' offices, administrative departments, or budgeting offices.

An internship is required for students without substantial experience in the public or nonprofit sectors. MPPA students employed in public agencies can receive 3 hours of credit for internships in those agencies. To do so, students must develop, in consultation with their advisors, special research projects outside the scope of their regular employment duties. Credit is granted after successful completion of the project and a written paper at the end of the semester.

Graduate Certificate Program in Nonprofit Organization Management and Leadership
Through the Public Policy Administration Master's Program, the University offers a graduate certificate program for students who are current professional staff, board members, and other leaders of nonprofit and voluntary organizations, as well as those who plan to work in the field. There are only two such graduate programs in Missouri. The certificate can be taken by itself or in conjunction with the pursuit of the master's in public policy administration or a graduate degree in another field. Course credits earned in he certificate program can be applied to the MPPA, but a separate application may be required.

A.The graduate certificate in nonprofit management and leadership requires the completion of 18 credit hours. Nine of these are the following core courses:

1. P P ADM 4940, same as POL SCI 4940, Soc, or SOC WK 4940, Leadership and Management in Nonprofit Organizations
(3 hours)

2. P P ADM 4911, same as POL SCI and SOC WK 4911, Management Issues in Nonprofit Organizations: Staff Management Issues (1 hour)

3. P P ADM 4912, same as POL SCI and SOC WK 4912, Management Issues in Nonprofit Organizations: Legal Issues in Governing and Managing Nonprofit Organizations (1)

4. P P ADM 4913, same as POL SCI and SOC WK 4913, Management Issues in Nonprofit Organizations: Financial Issues

5. P P ADM 4960, same as POL SCI and SOC WK 4960, American Philanthropy and Nonprofit Resource Development (3 hours)

B. Six hours of electives are to be taken from selected courses in accounting, business administration, economics, management, marketing, political science, psychology, public policy administration, and sociology. A student may choose among these courses or other courses approved by the program director. (All Graduate electives must be at
the 6000 course level.)

C. Three hours of internship are also required, or graduate students should demonstrate either a professional field experience equivalent to the internship or be required to participate. Any request for an exemption from the internship requirement must be approved by the nonprofit program director after a review of the student’s professional or managerial field experience with appropriate documentation. Students who receive an exemption must take another 3 hours of electives from the selection in area B.

The internship will include learning activities in management and governance processes in nonprofit organizations, as well as a seminar in which students will critically reflect on their field experience with a faculty supervisor.

Requirements of admission to the graduate certificate program are the same as those required for admission to the Graduate School: an undergraduate degree, and a GPA of 2.75 or better.

Graduate Certificate Program in Local Government Management
Through the Public Policy Administration Master’s Program, the University offers a graduate certificate program in local government management for students who are current professional staff, elected or non-elected local government officials or who are interested in pursuing a career in the local government sector. The certificate can be taken by itself or in conjunction with the pursuit of the master’s in public policy administration or a graduate degree in another field. Course credits earned in the certificate program can be applied to the MPPA, but a separate application may be required.

A. The graduate certificate in local government management requires the completion of 18 credit hours. Twelve of these are the following core courses:

1. P P ADM 6340, Seminar in City Administration or P P ADM 6350, Issues in Urban Management (3 hours) or

2. POL SCI 6470, Proseminar in Urban Politics or POL SCI 6471, Seminar in Urban Politics (3 hours) or

3. P P ADM 6449, Human Resources Management (3 hours)

4. P P ADM 6180, Government Budgeting and Financial Control (3 hours)

5. American Philanthropy and Nonprofit Resource Development (3 hours) POL SCI and SOC WK 4960

B. Three hours of electives are to be taken from selected courses in, business administration, criminal justice, economics, political science, public policy administration, and sociology. A student may choose among these courses or other courses approved by the program director. Electives will be chosen from the following:

P P ADM 6340, Seminar in City Administration
P P ADM 6350, Issues in Urban Management
POL SCI 6470, Proseminar in Urban Politics
POL SCI 6471, Seminar in Urban Politics
POL SCI 6440/P P ADM 6400, Proseminar in Public Policy Administration
P P ADM 4940, Leadership and Management of Nonprofit Organizations
P P ADM 6449, Human Resources Management
P P ADM 6180, Government Budgeting and Financial Control
P P ADM/BUS AD 6680, Negotiating Workplace Conflict
P P ADM 6600, Organizational Behavior and Administrative Processes
ECON 6700, Political Economy of Metropolitan Areas
CRIMIN 6442, Communities and Crime
SOC 5430, Policy Mediation Processes
ECON 6750, The Political Economy of Health Care
POL SCI 6433, Elections, Public Opinion, and Public Policy
*Other courses may be added as deemed appropriate for content.

C. Three hours of internship are also required, or graduate students should demonstrate either a professional field experience equivalent to the internship or be required to participate. Any request for an exemption from the internship requirement must be approved by the local government program director after a review of the student’s professional or managerial field experience with appropriate documentation. Students who receive an exemption must take another 3 hours of electives from the section in area B. The internship will include learning activities in management and governance processes in local government jurisdictions, as well as a seminar in which students will critically reflect on their field experience with a faculty supervisor.

Requirements of admission to the graduate certificate program are the same as those required for admission to the Graduate School: an undergraduate degree, and a GPA of 2.75 or better.

Career Outlook

The current outlook for graduates of the interdisciplinary Master’s Degree in Public Policy Administration Program is quite promising. Recent graduates of this program have found careers as budget analysts, personnel analysts, transportation planners, and human resources planners with local, regional, state, and federal agencies, and the nonprofit sector.

Course Descriptions

4911 Management Issues in Nonprofit Organizations: Staff Management Issues (1)
Prerequisite: Junior Standing. Same as POL SCI 4911 and SOC WK 4911. This course addresses issues involved in managing staff in nonprofit organizations. The course will cover the following topics: fundamentals of staff supervision; balancing supervisory processes with counseling and coaching; selecting, hiring, evaluating, and terminating staff; legal issues that affect these processes.

4912 Management Issues in Nonprofit Organizations: Legal Issues in Governing and Managing Nonprofit Organizations (1)
Same as POL SCI 4812 and SOC WK 4912. This course addresses legal issues involved in managing and governing nonprofit organizations. The course will cover the following topics: The Board as steward of the organization; Director and officer liability; tax laws concerning charitable giving; legal issues in managing staff and volunteers (e.g., hiring, evaluating, and terminating employees); Missouri nonprofit law.

4913 Management Issues in Nonprofit Organizations: Financial Issues (1)
Same as POL SCI 4913 and SOC WK 4913. This course addresses financial issues involved in governing and managing nonprofit organizations. The course will cover the following topics: Cash flow analysis; budgeting; fund accounting; cost accounting (determining costs for programs and services); understanding and using standard financial statements, including balance sheets, cash flow statements, statements of activity, and operating and capital budgets.

4940 Leadership and Management in Nonprofit Organizations (3)
Prerequisite: Junior standing. Same as POL SCI 4940, SOC WK 4840, and SOC 4940. Addresses the role and scope of the independent sector in the United States, as well as the leadership and management of nonprofit organizations within that sector. Topics include the economic and political scope of the independent sector, the role of volunteerism in a democratic society, and the role and scope of philanthropy. Topics in voluntary organization management and leadership include the dynamics, functions and membership structure of NPOs, especially staff-board and other volunteer relations; governance and management of NPOs; resource mobilization; and program development management and evaluation.

4960 American Philanthropy and Nonprofit Resources Development (3)
Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor. Same as POL SCI 4960 and SOC WK 4960. This course addresses the history, philosophy, roles and scope of philanthropy in the United States, including its role in the nonprofit, voluntary sector. It further examines the contemporary forces which impact philanthropy and charitable giving, both by institutions and individuals. The course examines the effective planning and management of development programs (e.g., annual giving), fund raising vehicles (e.g., mail solicitations) and the fund raising process, form planning through donor relations.

6000 Introduction to Policy Analysis (3)
Same as POL SCI 6410. Systematic development of a critical/analytic base for dealing with public policy.

6010 Introduction to Policy Research (3)
Same as POL SCI 6401. Procedures for testing explanations, including research design, principles of measurement, probability sampling, methods of data collection, and techniques for analyzing data.

6080 Microeconomics for Policy Analysis (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate student standing. Same as ECON 5010. This course introduces microeconomic analysis of consumers, firms, and government, with an emphasis on policy applications. It assumes no prior training in economics and is appropriate for graduate students in public policy administration, nonprofit management, political science, gerontology, criminology and criminal justice, and other related fields.

6150 Directed Reading and Research in Public Policy (1-10)
Same as POL SCI 6415. Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor. Independent study through readings, reports, research projects, and conferences. May be repeated for credit, provided the subject matter is different.

6170 Income and Pension Policy for the Aged (3)
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Same as POL SCI 6417, GERON 6417, and SOC WK 6417. (MSW students normally take the social policy foundation course prior to enrolling in this course.) Examination of federal, state, and local policies that affect the economic well being of the elderly. The development of social security programs and pension programs is explored within a historical context. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of current policy problems and proposed solutions.

6180 Governmental Budgeting and Financial Control (3)
Prerequisite: BUS AD 5400. Same as BUS AD 5450. A study of municipal and federal financial control and budgeting procedures with emphasis on public policy. The impact of financial control on top management decisions and the effect of budget strategies on the allocations of public funds.

6210 Public Sector Microeconomics (3)
Prerequisites: ECON 3001, or BUS AD 5001, or P P ADM 6080. (Same as ECON 5500). Application of tools of intermediate microeconomics to address public sector issues. Special emphasis is placed on critically analyzing current public policy debates using the models developed. Topics covered include: cases in which competitive market fails to allocate resources efficiently (e.g., externalities and public goods), importance of property rights, incentive effects of the tax and transfer system, and the fundamentals of cost-benefit analysis.

6340 Seminar in City Administration (3)
This course provides an overview of the working environment of a city administrator and is jointly sponsored by the local city managers association. Professional city personnel make presentations to the students on six major topics: political structure, organizational structure, service delivery, finance, personnel policies and practices, and leadership. The course provides direct observation of city council meetings, visits to various city facilities, exposure to different philosophies and styles of city management, and provides students a chance to assemble facts, evaluate options, and present policy recommendations for real problems that local administrators face.

6350 Issues in Urban Management (3)
Designed to evaluate management issues that confront managers in local government from a political perspective. The format will include an intense review and discussion of original case studies from actual local government situations. The specific focus of this course will vary. Course may be repeated.

6400 Proseminar in Public Administration (3)
Same as POL SCI 6440. Examination of major approaches to analyzing public policies and their administration. Emphasis is on the effects of administrative organization and procedures on policy decisions and their impacts. Specific topics may include administrative accountability, intergovernmental relations, public/private interaction, implementation processes, bureaucratic expertise, the legal environment of public policy administration, and public service and merit issues.

6430 Health Care Policy (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor. Same as POL SCI 6443, GERON 6443, SOC 6443, and SOC WK 6443. (MSW students will normally take the social policy foundation course prior to enrolling in this course). Survey course examining current issues in health policy that face the nation. Policies are placed in a historical context to show how issues have been influenced by different political and economic conditions. Secondary consequences and limitations of current trends in health policy are explored.

6444 Seminar in Public Policy and Aging (3)
Same as POL SCI 6444, GERON 6444 and SOC 6444. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. The study of specialized issues and methods related to federal, state, and local policies that affect the elderly. Potential policy areas to be covered include housing, taxation, mental health, transportation, etc. May be repeated for credit, provided the subject matter is different.

6460 Selected Topics in Health Care Policy (3)
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Same as POL SCI 6446 and SOC 6446. The study of specialized issues and methods relating to health care policy. May be repeated for credit, provided the subject matter is different.

6490 Human Resources in the Public Sector (3)
Prerequisite: P P ADM 6600 or consent of instructor. Same as POL SCI 6449 and SOC WK 6449. Presents an overview of personnel and labor relations in the public sector. Particular emphasis placed on issues which are unique to the public sector, such as the merit system, the questions of representative bureaucracy and the constraints of personnel in the nonprofit sector. The topics include personnel reforms in the federal sector, equal employment and affirmative action policies, testing, selection, hiring, comparable worth, job evaluation, and labor relations including grievance arbitration and collective bargaining.

6550 Strategic and Program Planning for Nonprofit Organizations (3)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Same as POL SCI 6490 and SOC WK 6491. Strategic and program planning enable an organization to concentrate on efforts and set priorities guided by a mission, vision, and an understanding of its environment. Focus is on preparing a strategic plan and a program plan for a nonprofit organization and analyzing an organization's ability to deliver goods and/or services to its constituents in today's economic, social and political climate.

6600 Organizational Behavior and Administrative Processes (3)
Same as MGMT 5600. The theoretical and research contribution of the behavioral sciences to management and administration are examined and applied to selected organizational situations. Areas to be considered from the standpoint of both individual and organizational performance are communication, motivation, conflict, decision making, goal setting, leadership, organizational design, climate, development, and control. Utilizing a systems perspective, the course attempts to develop in each student an ability to analyze and solve organizational problems.

6680 Negotiating Workplace Conflict (3)
Prerequisites: P P ADM/MGMT 5600, and Graduate Standing. Same as MGMT 5612 and SOC 5451. Examines conflict and cooperation between individuals, groups, and organizations over the control of work. A central theme is how this conflict is expressed, controlled, and resolved. Students will participate in exercises to learn the basics of two-party negotiations.

6750 Introduction to Evaluation Research Methods (3)
Prerequisites: At least one course in Research Design and Statistics at the graduate level. Same as PSYCH 5475, SOC 5475, and CRIMIN 5475. A comparative study of research strategies with regard to data sources, data collection, and modes of analysis that are appropriate for program evaluation research. Attention is given to observational, survey, and quasi‑experimental designs.

6800 Management Information Systems (3)
Prerequisite: None. (Same as INFSYS 5800). This course provides an overview of the established and contemporary issues related to information systems within organizations. Topics include the practices and tools associated with topics such as the management of IS-based investment projects, the design and implementation of IS, the alignment of IS strategy with organizational strategy, information security and privacy, and gaining a competitive advantage through IS.

6900 Cases in Public Policy Administration (3)
Prerequisites: 24 hours of public policy administration courses, at least 15 of which are in core courses. This capstone course intensively analyzes public policy administration cases drawn from a variety of issues and settings.

6950 Internship (3)
Independent study involving work with an appropriate public, private, or nonprofit agency.

6990 Exit Project Research (1)
Prerequisites: Completion of or simultaneous enrollment in other degree requirement courses. The exit project is viewed as the capstone of the MPPA program. As such, it is meant to be undertaken toward the end of a student's program, usually during the final semester. Its purpose is to provide evidence to the faculty that the degree candidate has mastered the skills acquired in the various courses completed during residence at the University and can apply them to the analysis of a practical research problem.