End of Program Assessment Manual for

Graduate Studies American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia, February 2016 Edition

i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1

EOP Assessment Alternatives …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1

Important Notes ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2

Academic Dishonesty …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3

For Comprehensive Exam Assessments ………………………………………………………………………………. 3

For Capstone Assessments …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3

Institutional Review Board ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4

CHAPTER I …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5

Master of Arts Comprehensive Final Examination ……………………………………………………………………. 5

Beginning the Comprehensive Exam ……………………………………………………………………………………. 5

Comprehensive Exam Course ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 5

Taking the Exam ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6

Faculty Role ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8

Program Director’s Role ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9

Proctoring ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 9

CHAPTER II ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 11

Master's Capstone: Thesis Option …………………………………………………………………………………………. 11

Beginning the Thesis Project ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 11

Thesis Proposal ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 12

Preparing the Thesis …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 12

Approval of Thesis …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 13

Submission of Final Thesis ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 14

ii

Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts ………………………………………………………………………………………. 14

Faculty Role ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 15

Program Director’s Role ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 16

CHAPTER III …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 17

Master's Capstone: Creative Project ……………………………………………………………………………………… 17

Beginning the Creative Project …………………………………………………………………………………………… 17

Creative Project Proposal ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 17

Completing the Creative Project ………………………………………………………………………………………… 17

Approval of Creative Project ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 19

Submission of Creative Project Report ……………………………………………………………………………….. 19

Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts ………………………………………………………………………………………. 20

Faculty Role ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 20

Program Director’s Role ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 21

CHAPTER IV …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 23

Master's Capstone: Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper …………………………………………………… 23

Beginning the Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper ……………………………………………………….. 23

Practicum Proposal …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 23

Completing the Practicum …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 24

Approval of the Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper ……………………………………………………… 25

Submission of Critical Reflection Paper ……………………………………………………………………………… 26

Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts ………………………………………………………………………………………. 26

Faculty Role ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 27

Program Director’s Role ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 28

CHAPTER V ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 30

Master's Capstone: Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper Option …………………………………………… 30

Beginning the Portfolio Option …………………………………………………………………………………………… 30

iii

Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper ……………………………………………………………………………….. 30

Completing the Capstone ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 31

Approval of the Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper ………………………………………………………… 32

Submission of Critical Reflection Paper ……………………………………………………………………………… 32

Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts ………………………………………………………………………………………. 33

Faculty Role ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 33

Program Director’s Role ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 35

CHAPTER VI …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 36

University Declarations and APUS Library Registration …………………………………………………………… 36

1. Declarations …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 36

2. Textual Components …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 37

3. Images and Tables ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 38

4. Video or Audio ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 38

5. URLs/Web Addresses ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 39

6. Submission ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 39

7. Passed with Distinction (a.k.a., PWD) …………………………………………………………………………. 39

CHAPTER VII ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 41

Scholarly Research/Copyright Conduct …………………………………………………………………………………. 41

1. Copyright ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 41

2. University Research Policies ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 43

3. Institutional Review Board …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 43

Appendices ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 45

Appendix 1: Master’s Theses………………………………………………………………………………………………… 45

Appendix 2: Master’s Creative Projects …………………………………………………………………………………. 47

Appendix 3: Master’s Practicum and Critical Reflection Papers ………………………………………………. 49

Appendix 4: Title Page (Required format for all theses). …………………………………………………………. 51

iv

Appendix 5: Sample of Copyright Page (Required format for all theses)…………………………………… 52

Appendix 6: Sample of Dedication Page (Optional) ………………………………………………………………… 53

Appendix 7: Sample of Acknowledgments Page (Optional) ……………………………………………………… 54

Appendix 8: Sample of Abstract of the Thesis (Required format for all theses). ……………………….. 55

Appendix 9: Sample of a Table of Contents …………………………………………………………………………… 56

Appendix 10: Sample of List of Tables …………………………………………………………………………………… 58

Appendix 11: Sample of List of Figures …………………………………………………………………………………. 59

Appendix 12: Sample of Permission to Quote or Reproduce Copyrighted Material Letter …………. 60

Appendix 13: Sample of Practicum Organizational Consent Form …………………………………………… 61

Appendix 14: Critical Reflection Method Required for Completion of Practicum Paper …………….. 62

Appendix 15: Sample of IRB Approval Letter …………………………………………………………………………. 63

Appendix 16: Passed with Distinction Assessment Rubric ……………………………………………………… 64

Appendix 17: Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper ………………………………………………………………. 68

Appendix 18: Checklist for Thesis/Capstone Submission to APUS Library ……………………………….. 70

1

INTRODUCTION

This manual establishes the guidelines for completion of all graduate-level end of program (EOP) graduation requirements. The intended audience for this manual is all members of the American Public University System (APUS) academic community, including students and faculty. While it is intended to be a comprehensive overview of the general EOP requirements for APUS, students and faculty must follow any additional specific guidelines within their schools. Information regarding school-specific guidelines should be available from your supervisory professor or your program’s director.

APUS, including American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU), offers several options for assessing graduate program learning outcomes. These end of program assessments are designed to ensure APUS students have successfully met their program objectives, and each is designed to serve a different purpose.

EOP Assessment Alternatives

EOP assessment alternatives include:

• Comprehensive Exam

• Capstone, which includes the following variations (availability varies by degree program):

o Research thesis

o Creative project

o Practicum with critical reflection/integration paper

o Portfolio option with critical reflection paper

The comprehensive exam is recommended for students who will conclude their formal academic training with the completion of the Master of Arts/Master of Science program.

Students who anticipate seeking further professional training, such as a doctorate or a Ph.D., for example, are strongly encouraged to complete the Capstone/thesis option.

Students in particular sub-disciplines of the humanities may find the creative project option the optimal choice, while business and other professional disciplines may consider the practicum as the best option. Finally, various programs will find the portfolio option appropriate.

2

Note: Master’s students in the School of Education have a different set of requirements regarding end of program assessment. They should not rely on this manual, but rather must comply with the requirements outlined in the School of Education handbook.

Students are advised to work with their academic advisors to ensure that they take the correct courses during their degree and to enroll in the correct program version for their assessment preference, if available. Please be advised that some programs have only one EOP assessment option.

Important Notes

• The EOP assessment is meant to be a culminating experience, and as such, each student should expect to demonstrate not only that he/she possesses a thorough knowledge of his/her discipline’s literature, but also that he/she has achieved all of the graduate studies learning outcomes. The EOP is a unique exercise. A student’s GPA is not a factor in how well he or she will perform in his/her end of program exercise. Success depends on the student entering the experience fully prepared and dedicated to completing the EOP in the allotted timeframe.

• All students are expected to adhere to the conventions of standard English grammar and/or formal academic writing. Students who are struggling with their ability to communicate clearly in writing are strongly encouraged to complete COLL501 early in their graduate studies.

• After being checked with a plagiarism detection tool and graded by the faculty supervising the project and upon being approved by the program directors and school dean, all Capstone projects must be submitted to the APUS Library for archiving by the program director. The Capstone and critical reflection papers submitted must be a “clean” version of the paper. All spelling, grammar, citations, etc. must be correct and appropriate. Instructor feedback comments should not appear in the final version submitted to the library. See Appendix 18 for the Checklist for Thesis/Capstone Submission to APUS Library (which includes the link for the APUS Library Capstone Submission/Approval Form).

• Theses that receive a grade of Passed with distinction may be eligible for inclusion in the [email protected] repository. For more on the Digital Commons, see http://digitalcommons.apus.edu/faq.html.

• Critical reflection papers, while eligible for the grade of Passed with distinction, may not be eligible to be placed in [email protected] due to the personalized information that may be contained within the papers.

3

APUS takes academic dishonesty very seriously. Any evidence of plagiarism will result in the student’s work being rejected, and the student will fail the EOP exercise. Engaging in academic dishonesty and/or plagiarism will directly threaten the ability of the student to graduate from APUS. Academic Dishonesty

Evidence of academic dishonesty found in a comprehensive exam or Capstone paper will result in a grade of an F for the exam/course. If evidence of academic dishonesty is present, options for the student include:

For Comprehensive Exam Assessments • Accepting the grade and not receiving the degree. A letter of academic completion

may be provided, but a degree will not be conferred. • Upon approval of the Director of Graduate Studies, retaking the exam at an APUS site

(Charles Town, West Virginia, Manassas, Virginia, or location where an education coordinator is assigned; the student will be supervised by an advisor, program manager or Marketing site representative) on an APUS laptop computer disconnected from the Internet. The exam questions will be different from those on the previous exam and this exam will be graded by a different professor from the first exam attempt. The student must pass this second exam to have his/her degree conferred. The student will not be eligible for a Passed with distinction grade on any second attempt, and will not be eligible for Honors at graduation, regardless of GPA. The student must pay to retake the exam.

For Capstone Assessments • Accepting the grade and not receiving the degree. A letter of academic completion

may be provided, but a degree will not be conferred. • The student may be given the option (program dependent) to take the

comprehensive exam instead; however, the retake is subject to the same rules as noted above.

• Upon appeal approval by the Director of Graduate Studies, the student may be allowed, at his/her own expense, to retake the entire Capstone course. However, the plagiarism incident will still be recorded by the Registrar and the student will not be eligible for honors at graduation regardless of GPA.

Any additional incidents of academic dishonesty on the EOP exercise will result in the student being expelled.

For appeals to retake a comprehensive exam or Capstone after a reported incident of academic dishonesty, contact the Director of Graduate Studies at [email protected]

4

Note: Any evidence of academic dishonesty found in work produced in a student’s end of program comprehensive exam or Capstone may prompt a review of all of the student’s work at APUS. Evidence of repeated violations of academic integrity may result in disciplinary actions.

Institutional Review Board APUS requires all research using human subjects undergo an IRB review. More information on the IRB process can be found here: http://www.apus.edu/community- scholars/institutional-review-board/.

Failure to Secure IRB approval APUS is committed to the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). All human subjects research conducted under the aegis of APUS must undergo review by the APUS Institutional Review Board (IRB). All such research must follow the guidelines outlined in the IRB Manual. Failure to follow proper IRB protocols constitutes a violation of the RCR policy. Any breach of the APUS RCR policy is a serious violation of professional standards and will result in sanctions. Sanctions may vary depending upon the severity of the infraction, but may include written warning, termination, expulsion, termination of research, and/or the destruction of research data. Actions taken by the IRB and the University also will be subject to Federal reporting guidelines.

5

CHAPTER I

Master of Arts Comprehensive Final Examination Note: This option is not available in all programs.

The master's comprehensive examination provides an opportunity for students to

• demonstrate they have mastered the research skills and substantive content expected in their field of study;

• demonstrate they have familiarity with major schools of thought and principal published works in the field; and

• culminate their graduate student experience as they complete their master's program and either continue or begin work in their chosen profession.

Beginning the Comprehensive Exam The examination is tailored specifically to each graduate program and must be the last course master’s degree students take from APUS. Thus, it can only be taken after the student has completed all of his/her course work. It cannot be taken concurrently with course work. Students must successfully complete this requirement before the award of a degree. Students must apply for graduation and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to be able to register for the course.

Comprehensive Exam Course The separate comprehensive examination course (eight or sixteen weeks depending upon the program) prepares graduate students for the comprehensive examination in their area of study. The purpose of the course is to provide a review of key concepts, theories and knowledge, and skill sets. Some classes provide weekly assignments and discussions, while others provide pointers regarding which materials to review and how to prepare for the exam.

As part of the course, students may be asked to consult texts, journal articles, print and media reports, and documentaries used in their classes. Collaboration with other students enrolled in the course is also an essential component. Comprehensive exam courses require students to submit answers to practice exam questions in order to become familiar with the types of questions that may be asked during the exam. Regardless of which approach the course takes, students are expected to participate fully in all course activities and must meet all assigned deadlines.

Students who do not complete required course activities leading up to the exam will not be allowed to take it. Students who fail the comprehensive exam and who have submitted all course practice questions may be eligible to re-register for a second attempt at passing the

6

comprehensive exam. Any new registration requires the student re-enroll in and pay for a new course. Those who do not submit all practice questions may be denied a second attempt at the exam or may be required to take the Capstone course if available.

Taking the Exam Instructors will provide students with the exam protocols at the beginning of the course. These protocols will provide guidance for the exam (e.g., if the exam requires a proctor, whether it will be open or closed book, etc.). If a proctor is required, the proctor must be approved by the instructor prior to taking the exam. The exam must take place during the last week of the course. However, to ensure confirmation of the test date and coordination of the password (if one is required), the exam should be scheduled no later than the seventh week of an eight-week course or the fifteenth week of a sixteen-week course.

Exams cannot be taken prior to the final week of the course. Faculty may not arrange with the student to grade the exam prior to the official course end date. Students will not have their degree conferred prior to the official end of their last course, including any extensions given. The final grade will not be awarded until after the course ends.

The instructor will grade the exam using the exam grading rubric (found under the Resources tab in the course classroom). Students should review the rubric prior to taking the exam. Students will answer a minimum of four essay questions that will be graded as follows:

1. Passed with distinction: This grade is rare and is only given to a student who passes three questions with distinction and the fourth with at least a Pass. With distinction (PWD) means the answers clearly demonstrate an understanding of the issue beyond what is typically expected of graduate students and are written using accepted academic writing conventions. The numeric indicator for this classification may differ by schools, but a Passed with distinction should mean the answer is the equivalent of an A+ or 96 percent or above.

2. Pass: This grade is assigned for essays that meet the requirements for a graduate- level essay. The answers must demonstrate a clear understanding of the issue and must be written using accepted academic writing conventions. Students who pass three questions with at least a Pass will pass the examination. One Fail grade on the four examination questions is allowed. A minimum of 80 percent is required to pass the exam portion of the exam course.

3. Fail: This grade is assigned for essays that do not meet the requirements for a graduate-level essay. This occurs when the answers fail to demonstrate a clear understanding of the issues and/or have not been written using accepted academic

7

writing conventions. Students who fail two or more questions will fail the examination.

Notes: • Self-plagiarism. The student must be careful not to self-plagiarize in his/her exam.

Self-plagiarism is “the presentation of one’s own previously published work as new scholarship.”1 Thus, using material from previous courses in your exam answers equals self-plagiarism. Evidence of academic dishonesty found in a comprehensive exam or Capstone paper will result in a grade of an F for the exam/course.

• A student who fails the examin