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GraduateAdvisingHandbookMasterofScienceinHuman-ComputerInteraction2017-2018Thishandbookrepresentsourbesteffortstoprovideaccurateinformation,butallinformationcontainedinthisdocumentissubjecttochange.

For more information contact:

Rochester Institute of Technology Information Sciences & Technologies Department GolisanoCollegeofComputing&InformationSciences

152LombMemorialDriveBuilding70/GOL–2100

Rochester,NewYork14623-5603(585)475-2700(voice)(585)475-6584(fax)Revised8/2016

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TableofContentsIntroduction.........................................................................................................................................4

GeneralInformation............................................................................................................................5

DistanceLearning....................................................................................................................................5

EntranceRequirements..........................................................................................................................6

TransferCredits.......................................................................................................................................6

GREScores...............................................................................................................................................6

FinancialAidandEmploymentOpportunities.......................................................................................7

Curriculum...........................................................................................................................................8

ApplicationDomains...............................................................................................................................9

ProgramElectives....................................................................................................................................9

IndependentStudy.................................................................................................................................9

CooperativeEducation..........................................................................................................................10

ProbationandSuspension....................................................................................................................10

StudentAdvising................................................................................................................................11

FacultyAdvisor......................................................................................................................................11

GraduateAcademicAdvising................................................................................................................11

MSProjectandThesis........................................................................................................................11

TheThesis/ProjectCommittee.............................................................................................................14

TheThesis/ProjectProposal.................................................................................................................14

RegisteringforThesisorProject...........................................................................................................15

ChecklistfortheDefense(ThesisorProject).......................................................................................16

Deliverables...........................................................................................................................................17

FullTimeEquivalency...........................................................................................................................18

MiscellaneousInformation................................................................................................................18

ISTStudentServicesOffice...................................................................................................................18

The7-yearRuleforCompletingaDegree............................................................................................18

LossofStudentStatus...........................................................................................................................19

AcademicHonesty................................................................................................................................19

AppendixA-Forms............................................................................................................................20

ThesisForms..............................................................................................Error!Bookmarknotdefined.

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ProjectForms........................................................................................................................................20

AppendixB–FrequentlyAskedQuestions.........................................................................................21

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IntroductionTheMasterofScience(MS)degreeprograminHuman-ComputerInteractionatRITconsistsofasetofrequiredHCIcorecourses,somecoursesinanapplicationdomainchosenbythestudent,electives,andanindependentprojectorthesis.Thecoreprovidesstudentswiththebasicsinscholarship,andthescienceandtechnologiesunderlyingHCI.ThechoiceofanapplicationdomainallowsthestudenttoselectanareathatappliesprinciplesofHCIimpartedinthefoundation.Thismaybebroadenedordeepenedwithselectionofelectivecourses,basedonstudentinterestandHCIfacultyapproval.Thisprogramhasbeendesignedtosupportfouressentialoutcomesforourgraduates.Theseoutcomesareasfollows:

RelatedMSProgramsatRIT:

v NetworkingandSystemsAdministration(CollegeofComputingandInformationSciences)v InformationSciencesandTechnologies(CollegeofComputingandInformationSciences)v ComputingSecurityandInformationAssurance(CollegeofComputingandInformationSciences)v SoftwareEngineering(CollegeofComputingandInformationSciences)v ComputerScience(CollegeofComputingandInformationSciences)v ComputerEngineering(CollegeofEngineering)v GameDesignandDevelopment(CollegeofComputingandInformationSciences)

• ExplaintheconceptualandmethodologicalframeworksofHCIandHCIresearch,particularlyhumancognitionasitappliestoinformationsystems.

• IntegrateHCIprinciplesanduser-centeredmethodologiesforthedesign,implementation,andevaluationofproducts.

• IntegratethesubjectmatterofanapplicationdomainwithHCIprinciplesandpractices.

• SynthesizeHCIresearchandpracticetosolvearealworldproblem.

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GeneralInformationApplicationsforadmissionareprocessedthroughouttheyear,andgraduatestudentsgenerallybegintheirprogramsofstudyintheFallsemester.Courseofferingsareverylimitedduringthesummerterm.StudentsshouldcontacttheDepartmentofInformationSciencesandTechnologiesiftheyplantostarttheirstudiesduringtheSpringsemester.ASpringstartrequiresdepartmentalapproval.Thereisnotaspecificdeadlineforapplications,butthenumberofstudentsacceptedeachyearislimited.Also,youmustbeawareoftheleadtimetoprocessyourapplication.SeethetablebelowfordeadlinesfortheFallsemesteranddifferenttypesofapplications.Itisadvantageousforstudentstoapplyearly.Applicationformsmaybeobtainedonlineorbywritingto:GraduateEnrollmentServicesRochesterInstituteofTechnologyBausch&LombCenter58LombMemorialDriveRochester,NewYork14623-5604gradinfo@rit.eduhttp://www.rit.edu

Semester

Typical Starting Date of Semester

Domestic Application

Deadline (Part Time)

Domestic Application

Deadline (Full Time)

International Application

Deadline (Full Time only)

Fall ~ September 1 August 1 August 1 July 1 Spring ~ January 25 December 15 December 15 November 15

DistanceLearningAllcoreHCIcoursesandmostelectiveanddomaincoursesareofferedinanonlineenvironmentthatfacilitatealearningexperiencefortheonlinelearner.Online(ordistance)educationuseavarietyofmethods,includingWeb-basedpresentations,videoandaudiorecordings,audioandcomputerconferencing,andelectronicblackboards.ThesetestededucationaldeliverymethodsgiveyoutimeandplaceflexibilitywhilemaintainingRIT’sacademicstandardsandqualityofinstruction.InformationaboutonlinelearningatRITisavailableathttp://online.rit.edu.Awidevarietyofsupportservicesareavailableremotely,includingadvising,on-linelibrarycatalogsandindexes(somewithfulltext),inter-libraryloans,internet-basedaudioconferences,computerconferencingandothersoftware.CoursesofferedindistancelearningformatfollowthesamesemesterscheduleandarechargedthesametuitionrateasotherRITon-campuscourses.InternationalstudentsseekinganI-20toresideintheUnitedStateswhilestudyinginthisprogramshouldnotethattheyarerequiredtobeenrolledforatleastsix(6)creditspersemesterinon-campuscourses.Distancelearningoronlinecoursesdonotqualifyforthe6-creditrequirement.However,someoftheprogram’scoursesareofferedonlineintwoformats:apureonlineformatanda“blended”format.Theblendedformatrequiresstudentstoparticipateonlineinexactlythesamewayasdistancestudents,plustheyattendaweeklyrecitationwithafacultymember.Thisrequiredrecitationallowsblended-formatcoursestocounttowardthe6-creditresidencyrequirement.Toparticipateinthisonlineprogram,youwillneedthefollowing:

• Accesstoapersonalcomputerorworkstation(runninganup-to-dateWebbrowser)• AccesstotheInternetviaanetworkconnectiontoyourownInternetServiceProvider.

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EntranceRequirementsUndergraduateDegreeTheapplicantshouldhaveabaccalaureatedegreeandhaveacumulativegrade-pointaverageof3.0(“B”)orabovefromanaccreditedinstitutionofhighereducationusingtheUSsystemorgrading.ForstudentsfromauniversityusingtheBritishsystem,studentsshouldhaveatleastafirstclassdegree.Knowledgeofcomputing,programming,andastrongfoundationinmathematicsareaplus.BridgeCoursesThesecoursesaredesignedtoassiststudentsinmeetingthecomputingandmathematicsprerequisitesfortheMSinHuman-ComputerInteractionprogram.Thereismoreinformationregardingbridgecourseslaterinthishandbook.TransferCreditsAstudentmayproposetotransferintotheinMSinInformationSciencesandTechnologiesprogramuptosixgraduatesemestercreditsthatweretakenatanotheruniversitywithagradeof‘B’orbetter.Coursesmusthavebeentakenwithinthepasttwoyears.TheDirectorofGraduateProgramswillevaluatetheseproposals.Officialtranscriptsalongwiththesyllabiofthetransfercoursesmustbesentto:GraduateEnrollmentServicesRochesterInstituteofTechnologyBausch&LombCenter58LombMemorialDriveRochester,NewYork14623-5604gradinfo@rit.eduhttp://www.rit.eduGREScoresGREscoresarerequiredfromapplicantswhoseundergraduatedegreesarefromforeigncolleges.OtherapplicantsmaywishtoincludeGREscorestoenhancetheirapplications(e.g.,whenundergraduateGPAislessthan3.0).Officialtestresultsmustbesubmittedto:GraduateEnrollmentServicesRochesterInstituteofTechnologyBausch&LombCenter58LombMemorialDriveRochester,NewYork14623-5604gradinfo@rit.eduhttp://www.rit.eduTOEFLScoresTheTestofEnglishasaForeignLanguage(TOEFL)scoreisrequiredforeveryapplicantforwhomEnglishisnothisorhernativelanguage.Ascoreofatleast570onthepaper-basedtestor230onthecomputer-basedtestisrequiredor88ontheinternet-basedtest.Exceptionscanbemadeforanapplicantwhoseacademicrecordisstrong.UponarrivalatRIT,studentswhosenativelanguageisnotEnglishmayberequiredtotaketheMichiganEnglishTestandfollowtherecommendationsofRIT’sEnglishLanguageCenter.

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FinancialAidandEmploymentOpportunitiesCostsInformationontuition,registrationstudentservices,etc.canbefoundonlineathttp://www.rit.edu/grad.RIToffersvariousformsoffinancialaidforgraduatestudents.TheDepartmentofInformationSciencesandTechnologiesawardspartialtuitionmerit-basedscholarshipseachyear.Merit-basedscholarshipsarebasedontheapplicant’sapplication,includinggrades,coursestaken,universityattended,andlettersofrecommendationandGREscores.ThedepartmentemploysseveralgraduatestudentsasGraduateAssistants.Assistantshipsofferascholarshipandprovideanhourlywagebasedon20hoursofwork.Theamountofthescholarshipvariesuptofulltuitionanddependsondepartmentalneedsandtheapplicant’squalifications.Werequireveryspecificskillsfortheseassignmentsaswellasin-personinterviews.WemakeGraduateAssistantshipassignmentsthroughouttheacademicyearforthefollowingFall,althoughopeningsmayunexpectedlyoccur.Ifyouwishtobeconsideredforanassistantship,pleasemakesurethatwehavereceivedyourfullapplicationbyMarch1stoftheprecedingschoolyearifyouareapplyingforFalladmission.

v Qualifiedgraduatestudentsmayapplytobelabassistantsandgraders.v Astudentcanearnmoneyeachsemesterbyworkingoncampus.Formoreinformationvisitthe

OfficeofStudentEmploymentlocatedinroom1350intheUniversityServicesCenter(USC),585-475-2631orvisithttp://www.rit.edu/emcs/seo.

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CurriculumThegraduateprogramofstudyconsistsof30credits.Attheend,youwillpursueanindependentprojectorthesis.Prerequisites:ThereareprerequisiteskillsastudentmustpossesspriortobeginningtheMSinHCIdegreeprogram.Studentswhoareadmitted,butlacktheseskills,willberequiredtomakeupthedeficiencybeforebeginningthedegreeprogram.Theprerequisiteskillsarelistedbelow.TotherightofeachareoneormoreRITcoursesthatwillfulfillthedeficiency.Studentsmayelecttofulfilltheserequirementsatanotherinstitutionofhighereducation.Inthatcase,thestudentmusthavehisorhercourseselectionspre-approvedbytheDirectorofGraduatePrograms.TheBridgeProgram

o Object-orientedprogramming(1year) ISTE120&121ComputationProb.SolvingintheInfo.DomainI&IIo Statistics DECS782StatisticalAnalysisforDecisionMakingo Applicationdomainprerequisite NOTE2:below

NOTE1:Studentswithsignificantprogramming,butnotinanobject-orientedlanguagemaysatisfythefirstrequirementwithasinglecourse:ISTE200JavaforProgrammers,withtheapprovaloftheDirectorofGraduatePrograms.NOTE2:Dependinguponastudent’sbackground,someprogramelectiveoptionsandapplicationdomainsmayrequireadditionalprerequisites.Thus,dependinguponthearea(s)ofstudyselected,additionalcoursesmayberequired.Thesecoursesmayormaynotbeusabletowardsdegreerequirements;meetwiththeDirectorofGraduateProgramstodiscussspecifics.

TheFoundationCourses:

o HCIN600ResearchMethods--3creditso HCIN610FoundationsofHuman-ComputerInteraction--3creditso HCIN620InformationandInteractionDesign--3creditso HCIN630UsabilityTesting--3credits

ApplicationDomain

o Selectedcoursesfromachosendomainlistedbelow.

ProgramElectiveso Selectedcourseslistedbelow

CulminatingExperience(choose1)

o ProjectOptiono HCIN794MSHCICapstoneProposal--3creditso HCIN795MSHCIProject--3credits

o ThesisOptiono HCIN796MSHCIThesis--6credits

Yourprogramofstudymustfollowoneofthepathsoutlinedabove.OnlytheDirectorofGraduateProgramscanapprovechangesofastudent’sprogramofstudy.Anygradelowerthan“C”isconsideredfailing.Ifastudentreceivesa“D”or“F”theyshouldmeetwiththegraduateadvisorassoonaspossibletodiscusstherepercussionsandcreatearecoveryplan.

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ApplicationDomainsStudentsmatriculatedinthisdegreewillselectonetwo-courseapplicationdomainrepresentingsixsemesterhoursofwork.Applicationdomainsandcorrespondingcoursechoicesarelistedbelow.

o SpecialTopics

Atwocourses(6semesterhours)specialtopicsapplicationdomainisavailabletoselectedstudentswhowishtopursueanin-depthstudyofanareanotpresentintheprogram’sofferings.Thestudentwilldevelopaproposalinconsultationwiththefacultyadvisor.TheDirectorofGraduateProgramswillreviewtheproposalandapproveordenytherequest.

o WebDevelopment

GCCIS-ISTE-645FoundationsofWebTechnologiesIGCCIS-ISTE-646FoundationsofWebTechnologiesII

o GeographicInformationScienceandTechnology

GCCIS-ISTE-740GeographicInformationScienceandTechnologyGCCIS-ISTE-744ThematicCartographyandGeographicVisualization

o e-LearningTechnologies

GCCIS-HCIN-660FundamentalsofInstructionalTechnologyGCCIS-HCIN-661InteractiveCourseware

o SmartDeviceApplicationDesignandDevelopment

GCCIS-HCIN-720PrototypingWearableandInternetofThingsDevicesGCCIS-HCIN-722HCIwithMobile,Wearable,andUbiquitousDevices

ProgramElectivesStudentsmatriculatedinthisdegreewillselecttwocoursesrepresentingsixsemesterhoursofwork.Programelectivesmaybechosenfromthelistbelow.Inselectedcases,studentscanpetitionforapprovaltoincludeacoursecomplementarytothedegreeprogramasaprogramelective.

GCCIS-ISTE-645FoundationsofWebTechnologiesIGCCIS-ISTE-646FoundationsofWebTechnologiesIIGCCIS-HCIN-660FundamentalsofInstructionalTechnologyGCCIS-HCIN-661InteractiveCoursewareGCCIS-HCIN-700CurrentTopicsinHCIGCCIS-HCIN-720PrototypingWearableandInternetofThingsDevicesGCCIS-HCIN-722HCIwithMobile,Wearable,andUbiquitousDevicesGCCIS-HCIN-730User-CenteredDesignMethodsGCCIS-ISTE-740GeographicInformationScience&TechnologyGCCIS-ISTE-744ThematicCartography&GeographicVisualizationGCCIS-HCIN-794MSHCICapstoneProposalCOLA-PSYC-712GraduateCognitionCOLA-PSYC-715GraduatePerceptionIndependentStudy

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Studentshavealimitedopportunitytoobtaincreditforindependentstudyandtousethatcredittomeetdegreerequirements.Inthisdegreeprogram,independentstudyislimitedtostudentwithanapprovedSpecialTopicstrackorasanapprovedProgramElective.Generally,independentstudyprojectsrepresentworkthatisdifferentfrom,oranextensionof,existingcourseofferings.Inordertotakeanindependentstudy,studentsmusthaveafacultysponsor.ThefacultysponsorhastobeamemberoftheISTfaculty.StudentsandthatfacultysponsorwillfillouttheIndependentStudyformtodecidewhattheywilldoandhowstudentswillbegraded.StudentsandthefacultysponsormustalsosigntheIndependentStudyformandtheDirectorofGraduateProgramsmustapproveitbeforethestudentisallowedtoregisterforanIndependentStudycourse.Afterthestudent’sworkiscomplete,theyarerequiredtosubmitareportoftheirworktothesponsoroftheirindependentstudy.Theexpectedamountoftimespentfora3credithourindependentstudyisequivalenttoa3credithourlecture.Adetailedreportdescribingthecompletedworkhastobehandedintothefacultysponsor.Atypicalreportisexpectedtoconsistofabout30pages.Youcanapplyatmostsix(6)semesterhoursofIndependentStudytowardyourMSdegree.CooperativeEducationGraduatestudentsareeligibleforoptionalco-opworkconsistingofuptotwosemestersoffull-timeemployment.Aco-oppositionisnotassured.Theco-opprogramisavailableforfull-timestudentsingoodstanding(cumulativeGPAof3.0orbetterorasemesterGPAof3.0orbetterinthesemesterimmediatelyprecedingtherequestedco-opterm)whohavecompletedtheBridgeProgramandatleast4foundationcourses(12credits)oftheMSprogramofstudy,excludingbridgecourses.Co-oppositionsmustbesecuredbythebeginningoftheacademicterminwhichyouwishtoco-op.Permissionformid-semesterco-opswillnotbegranted.Toregisterforco-op,youmustparticipatein“Co-opOrientation”.InformationmaybeobtainedfromtheOfficeofCareerServicesandCooperativeEducation(https://www.rit.edu/emcs/oce/).ProbationandSuspensionAnymatriculatedgraduatestudentwhoseProgramGradePointAveragefallsbelowa3.0(Baverage)after12semestercredithourshavebeencompletedwillbeplacedonprobationandcounseledbythedepartmentaladvisorconcerningcontinuationinthegraduateprogram.ThosestudentsplacedonprobationmustraisetheirProgramCumulativeGPAtothe3.0levelwithin9semestercredithoursorrisksuspensionfromthegraduateprogram.Shoulditbenecessarytosuspendagraduatestudentforacademicreasons,thestudentmayapplyforreadmissiontothedeanofthecollegeordesignee(departmenthead,programdirector,etc.)upondemonstrationofadequatereasonforreadmission.Re-admissionisnotguaranteed.

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StudentAdvisingFacultyAdvisorStudentsareassignedtoafacultymemberasanacademicadvisor.Facultycanprovidethebestadviceaboutcareerpaths,academicchoices,androutestoasuccessfulcareeraftergraduation.Studentsmayapproachtheirassignedadvisor,oranyfacultymemberwithwhomtheyfeelcomfortable,foradvice.GraduateAcademicAdvisingThegraduateadvisorisavailabletoassistandadvisegraduatestudentsandisabletoanswerday-to-dayquestions,suchasdecidingwhattotakenextterm,dealingwithacoursethatyou’rehavingtroublein,completingthepaperworkthatgoesalongwithbeingastudentatRIT,orjusttotalkwithwhenyou’refeelingabitoverwhelmed.

MSProjectandThesisTheMaster’sthesisorprojectformsthecapstoneoftheMSprogram.Therearetwooptionsforhowstudentsmayfulfillthecapstonerequirementfortheirdegree,eithertheProjectoptionortheThesisoption.ProjectOption

Acapstoneprojectisalargebodyofwork,whichyouundertakeindependentlyunderthesupervisionofafull-timeISTfacultymember.AProjectconsistsofanontrivialdesignproject,softwareorwebdevelopmentproject,and/orsoftwareorwebdeploymentprojectandadetailedreportdiscussingit;acapstoneprojectmayalsoconsistofaresearchprojectthatinvestigatesmoretheoreticalquestions–alongwithareportthatdescribestheresearchandresults.FortheProjectoption,originalinsightintoaproblemisdesirablebutnotrequired.Theprojectreportisexpectedtobeintheformofascientificpaper:

o describingbackgroundandrelevantresultsintheareao detailingtheworkcarriedouto discussingthesignificanceofthedeliverablesoftheendeavorandprovidingappropriatereference

citationsThesisOption

ThemajorityofstudentsinthemastersprogramfulfiltheircapstonerequirementthroughtheProjectoption,describedabove.Asmallnumberofstudents,especiallythosewithaninterestinHCIresearchorfurthergraduatestudy,maychoosetopursuetheThesisoptionfortheircapstone.AscomparedtoaProject,aThesisdealswitharesearchquestionandinvolvesamaster’sleveloforiginalinsight.TheexpectationsforbackgroundresearchandjustificationaremuchhigherforaThesis,ascomparedtoaProject.ItisexpectedthatthequalityofresearchproducedinaThesiswouldbesuitableforsubmissionasaresearchpapertoaconference,ajournal,orotherformofpublicdissemination,andingeneral,studentswhoarepursuingaThesisoptionareexpectedtosubmittheirresearchtosuchvenues.Morespecifically,thedifferencebetweenaprojectandthesisisthenatureoftheworkinvolved.AprojectimplementsatechnologyordemonstratesanHCIdesignprocess,whereasathesisexploresanareaofappliedororiginalresearch.Fromtheperspectiveofthenoveltyoftheprojectanditsoverallcontributiontoknowledgeinthefield,therequirementsforaProjectarelessstringentthanfortheThesis.TheThesisrequiresmoredepthandthestudentshoulddevelopasubstantialunderstandingofthetopicthroughbackgroundlibraryresearch,theirownoriginalresearch(whichmayincludeexperimentation),etc.ThefinalwrittendeliverableforstudentsintheThesisoptionisaformalmaster’sThesisdocument,whichisdepositedintheRITlibrary.

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ComparingtheProjectandThesisOptions:HowtoDecide

ThefollowingtablesummarizessomekeydifferencesbetweentheProjectandThesisoption,tohelpstudentsselectwhichoptionisbestforthem,andtohelpthemunderstandthedifferentrequirementsforeachoption.

Projectoption Thesisoption

Howpopularisthisoption?

Historically,thevastmajorityofstudentsintheHCIprogramhaveselectedtheProjectoptionfortheircapstoneexperience.

Historically,asmallnumberofstudentsintheHCIprogramhaveselectedtheThesisoptionfortheircapstoneexperience–oftenthesearestudentswhohadalreadybeenengagedinsomeresearchwithanHCIfacultymemberorwhohadaninterestedinfurthergraduateeducationbeyondtheirMSdegree.

Howmucheffortshouldthecapstoneexperiencebeforthisoption?

Asaguideline,acapstoneProjectwilltakeaboutasmucheffortasthatdevotedtoathree-creditcourse.

Asaguideline,aThesiswilltakeaboutasmucheffortasthatdevotedtotwo(2)three-creditcourses.

Howdostudentsbegintopursuethisoption?

StudentsenrollintheMSHCICapstoneProposalcourse(HCIN-794),inwhichtheylearnabouthowtodevelopandwriteahigh-qualityproposalfortheirwork.Generally,studentsenrollintheHCIN-795capstonecourseduringthefollowingsemestertodotheircapstoneprojectwork.Whilenotrequired,somestudentsengagewithfacultymembersintheHCIprogrampriortoenrollinginHCIN794tolearnmoreabouttheirresearchorbecomeinvolvedintheirresearchprojects;someofthesestudentsdevelopcapstoneprojectproposals(withthisfacultymember’sguidance)withouttakingHCIN794.

StudentsinterestedintheThesisoptionareencouragedtolearnabouttheresearchexpertiseoffacultyintheHCIprogramasearlyaspossibleandtoengagewithafacultymember(whomightserveastheirThesisadvisor)morethan12monthsinadvanceoftheiranticipateddateofgraduation.Studentsoftenengageinsomeongoingresearchprojectofafacultymemberoridentifyanoriginalresearchtopicthatintersectswiththeexpertiseoffacultymember.

IstheHCIN-794courserequiredforstudentsinthisoption?

TheMSHCICapstoneProposalcourse(HCIN-794)isrequiredforstudentsintheProjectoption.Inexceptionalcases,e.g.whenastudenthasalreadybeenworkingwithaprofessorinsomecapacityonaresearchproject,astudentmaywritetheircapstoneprojectproposalwithouttakingthisHCIN794course.Ifthestudent’scapstoneprojectproposaliswrittenanditisapprovedbytheircommittee,theymayasktheGraduateDirectorforpermissiontoreplacetherequiredMSHCICapstoneProposalcoursewithsomeotherelectiveintheprogram.

StudentspursuingtheThesisoptionarenotrequiredtotaketheMSHCICapstoneProposal(HCIN794)course,buttheymaychoosetotakethiscourseasoneoftheirelectivecourseoptionsfortheirdegreeprogram,inordertogainusefulskillsinhowtowriteahigh-qualityproposalforanindependentproject.

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Projectoption Thesisoption

Whatisthecoursethatstudentsenrollinduringthesemester(s)whenthemaineffortofthiscapstoneisoccurring?

HCIN-795(3credits)–Commonly,studentsenrollinthese3creditsduringasinglesemester.Subjecttoapprovalfromthestudent’scapstoneprojectadvisor,thestudentmayspreadthesecreditsacrossmultiplesemesters,e.g.2creditsinthefalland1inthespring.

HCIN-796(6credits)–Commonly,studentsmayenrollinthesecreditsspreadacrossmultiplesemesters,e.g.3creditsinthefalland3inthespring.Subjecttoapprovalfromthestudent’sfacultythesisadvisor,theymayenrollinall6creditsinasingleterm.

Whenmustaproposalbewritten?

Theproposalmustbewritten,giventothecommittee,andapproved(signedonthecoverpagebythemembersofthecommittee),beforethestudentispermittedtoenrollinHCIN-795.MoststudentswillwritetheircapstoneprojectproposalduringthesemesterinwhichtheyareenrolledinHCIN-794,andthentheywilltakeHCIN-795duringthesubsequentsemester.

Ideally,theproposalmustbewritten,giventothecommittee,andapproved(signedonthecoverpagebythemembersofthecommittee),beforethestudentispermittedtoenrollinHCIN-796.However,subjecttoapprovalofthestudent’sthesisadvisor,thestudentmaybepermittedtoenrollinHCIN-796,whilethestudentisstillcompletingtheirthesisproposaldocument.Generally,thisisonlypermittedinexceptionalcircumstances,whentheadvisorisconfidentthatthestudentismakingverystrongprogressandwillproduceahigh-qualityproposaldocument.Thestudentisexpectedtoprovidetheircommitteewithafullthesisproposaldocument,atthelatest,bythemidpointoftheirprogressthroughthesixcreditsofHCIN-796.

Howisthefinalreportdepositedforthisoption?

ForstudentspursuingtheProjectoption,theirfinalreportmustbesubmittedinelectronicandpapercopytotheISTdepartmentoffice,andcopiesofthisfinalreportmustbeprovidedtothecommitteemembers.

Thestudent’sfinalreport(their“Thesis”document)willbeboundandresideinRIT’sLibraryarchives.Copiesmustalsobeprovidedtoyourcommittee.Seethe“FinalDeliverables”sectionfordetails.

Howmanymembersareonthecommittee?

Onefacultymemberaschair,plusoneadditionalreader.

Onefacultymemberaschair,plustwoadditionalreaders.

Whenisthecommitteeformed?

Thestudentmustidentifyafacultymemberwhoiswillingtoserveasthechairoftheircommittee(theprimaryadvisorfortheirwork)intheearlystagesoftheirwritingaproposal.Bothmembersofthecommitteemustapprove(andsignthecoverpage)ofthestudent’sproposalbeforethestudentisallowedtoenrollinHCIN-795.Thus,theentirecommitteemustbeformedatthistime.

Thestudentmustidentifyafacultymemberwhoiswillingtoserveastheadvisorforthethesisprojectasearlyaspossible(generally,atleast12monthspriortothestudents’desiredgraduationdate).Theentirecommitteemustapprovethestudent’sthesisproposal;so,theentirecommitteemustbeformedatthistime.

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ImportantInformationforBothProjectsandTheses

ThepurposeofaMaster’sthesisorprojectistobeofeducationalvaluetothestudentandtoindependentlycreateandpresentalarge,interesting,pieceofwork.Anyactsofplagiarismorotheractsofacademicdishonestywillresultinanautomatic‘F’fortheprojectorthesis.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsregardingplagiarismyoushouldcontactyourcommitteechairbeforeyoucompleteyourwriteupormakeyourpresentation.Additionally,byformingyourcommitteeandregisteringforProjectorThesisyouhaveeffectivelycreatedacontractbetweenyourchairandyourself.Yourchairwillcontributeasubstantialamountoftimeguidingprojectactivities.Failuretocompleteyourprojectorthesiswithintheagreeduponschedulemayresultinreceivingagradeof‘F’.Ineithercase,youwillneedtowriteanewProposal,formanewcommittee,andregisterforprojectorthesisagain.Inbothcasesthe‘F’willremainonyourtranscript.Additionally,bysigningyourproposalthecommitteemembersagreetoserveonyourcommitteeforoneyear.Afteroneyeartheycanresignfromthecommitteeiftheyfeelthestudentisnotmakingadequateprogress.TheThesis/ProjectCommitteeStudentschoosingtheprojectorthesisoptionmustformacommittee.Thiscommitteeiscomposedofthreemembersforathesisandtwomembersforaproject:

o chairo 2readers(onlyonereaderisrequiredforaproject)

Thefunctionofthechairistodirectthetechnicalaspectsofyourprojectandtoensurethatyourprojectorthesismeetsthedepartment’stechnicalandadministrativerequirements.ThechairhastobeamemberoftheISTfaculty.Youwillmeetwithyourchairperiodically.Monthlyprogressreportsmustbeprovided.Thereader(s)mayalsoreviewyourmonthlyreportsandprovidefeedbackonyourprogressorconcernstheymayhavetoyourchair.Yourcommitteemustbeprovidedwithafinalcopyofyourreporttwoweekspriortoyourdefense.Thereader(s)donothavetobeamemberoftheISTfaculty,butmustholdanMSdegreeandbeapprovedbyyourchair.Otherfacultymembersmayalsoreviewyourworkandmakerecommendationstoyourchair.Alladvisementwillcomedirectlyfromyourchair.Thechair,andreader(s)mustsignoffonyourProposalbeforeyouregisterforprojectorthesis.Itismostimportantthatyouestablishacommitteebeforeyoubeginseriousworkonyourproject.Failuretodothismaycausesignificantdelayinthecompletionofyourdegree.TheThesis/ProjectProposalStudentsmustwriteathesisorprojectproposal.Theproposalshouldcontainthefollowingsections,unlessotherwisearrangedwithyourchair:

o Asummarydescribingwhatyouwilldo.o Anoverviewoftheareaofyourproject/thesis.o Ahypothesis.o Howtheproposedworkwillbeevaluatedagainstexistingwork.o Asummaryofyourproposedmethodologyforyourwork,e.g.thestepsyouwillfollowduringyour

project.Inthecaseofasoftwareorwebdevelopment/deploymenteffort,youshouldprovidean

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architecturaloverviewoftheplannedsystem;i.e.,thedesignspecification.Inthecaseofauser-centereddesignprojectorresearch,yourmethodologyshoulddescribetheactivitiesthatareplannedtooccur.

o Ifyouresearchinvolvestheparticipationofhumansubjects,thenyoumayneedtoobtainInstitutionalReviewBoard(IRB)approvalbeforeyoucanbeginyourwork.ItisstronglyrecommendedthatyouwriteandsubmitanapplicationtotheIRBatleasttwomonthsbeforeyouplanonbeginninganyrecruitment,pilottesting,orstudieswithhumanparticipants–otherwise,youmayexperienceadelayinyourabilitytocompleteyourproposedproject.

o Alistoftheprincipaldeliverablesofyourproject/thesisandtheforminwhichthesewillbedelivered,suchas:technicalpaperorreport,input/outputexamplesordemonstration,code(thecompletesystemshouldbegiventoyourprincipaladvisorarchivedonasinglefile,usermanual,designdocumentationandmaintenancemanual.

o Annotatedreferences.Thisshouldincludethefollowing:previousmaster’sprojectsortheses,books,papers,URLs.

o Detailedschedule,includingtargetdefensedate.o Statusoftheworkatthepresenttime.Monthlyupdatesmustbeprovided.

RegisteringforThesisorProjectYoumustregisterforthesis(6credits)orproject(3credits).StudentsinterestedinpursuingtheprojectoptionmusttakeHCIN-794,‘MSHCICapstoneProposal’asapre-requisite.Toregisteryoumusthaveanapprovedproposal,signedbyyourcommittee,onfilewiththeDirectorofGraduatePrograms.Ifyouneedguidanceindevelopingyourproposal,apre-proposal(muchshorter)signedbyyourcommitteechairwillenableyoutoregisterforpartofthecreditsforyourthesisorproject.Whenyouhaveacompletedproposal,youmaythenregisterfortheremainingcredits.Pleasenotethattheprocessofdevelopingandwritingaproposalisanon-trivialtaskthatwillrequiresubstantialtimeandeffort.Therefore,itistheresponsibilityofthestudenttobeginworkingonthisproposalwellinadvanceofthesemesterwhenprojectorthesiscreditsaredesired.Thesignedandapprovedproposalisrequiredinadvanceofregistration.Ifastudentwaitsuntilafewweeksbeforethesemestertobeginworkonaproposalortobegincontactingafacultymember,itisextremelyunlikelythataproposalwillbesuccessfullycompletedandsignedbeforethebeginningofthesemester.Thestudentwillneedtowaituntilalatersemestertoenrollinprojectorthesiscredits,aftertheirproposalissignedandapproved.Mostfacultyarenotoncontractduringthesummermonths,andthereforestudentswhowouldliketoregisterforprojectorthesiscreditsinthefallsemestershouldnotwaituntilthesummertobegintheirworkonaproposal.DoingaThesisorProjectRelatedtoYourWorkAstudentmaybeworkinginthecomputingfield,andfindthattheirworkprovidesthemwithanopportunitytodoprojectsthatarecomparabletotheMSProjectorThesis,andtheywouldlikethatworktoqualify.Thisapproachispossible,andthereisprecedentfordoingit.Studentscanevenhaveareaderfromtheirplaceofemployment,butthechairoftheircommitteemustbeanInformationSciencesandTechnologiesfacultymemberandbeknowledgeableintheproposedareaofwork.TheworkthatwillbesubmittedastheProjectorThesismustbemonitoredbythefacultymembersonthecommitteeandthestudentmustreporttheirprogressmonthly.BecauseanISTfacultymemberismonitoringyourwork,thisrulesoutsubmittingaproposalforworkthathasalreadybeencompleted.Inaddition,thereport,andasignificantportionoftheotherworkproductssuchascode,mustbemadeavailableforotherstudentstoreadinthefuture.Thecommitteesetstherequirements-nottheemployer.Itisyourresponsibilitytoassurethatyouremployer’srequirementsforconfidentialityarerespected.Asanadditionalconsiderationinregardtoconfidentiality,yourfinaldefensepresentation(forbothCapstoneorThesis)isannouncedandopentothepublic.Yourfinalreport(inthecaseofProjects)willbearchivedin

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theISTdepartmentofficeandmadeavailabletoISTstudentsandfaculty.FortheThesisoption,yourfinalreportwillbedepositedintheRITlibraryandavailabletoanyonewhorequestsit.ApproachingtheEndofYourCapstone,PreparingtoScheduleYourDefense

AsthestudentisnearingtheconclusionoftheirHCIN-795course(fortheProjectoption)orHCIN-796course(fortheThesisoption),theymustwritetheirfinalreportandscheduletheirdefensepresentation,followingtherecommendedtimelinebelow.Ofcourse,committeemembersmaybebusyneartheendofasemester,andastudentshouldnotexpectafacultymembertoreviewalongdocumentinlessthantwoweeks;so,thetimelinesshownbelowreflectaminimallevelofprofessionalcourtesy;infact,itwouldbeidealforthestudenttoprovidethedocumentstotheirchairandcommitteeevenearlierthanthedatesbelow.(Atleast)OneMonthPriortotheDesiredDefenseDate:Thestudentshouldprovideafulldraftoftheirfinalreporttotheircommitteechair,whomaygivethestudentadviceonimprovementsthatarenecessarytothedocument,priortosharingitwiththeentirecommittee.(Atleast)ThreeWeeksPriortotheDesiredDefenseDate:Thestudentshouldprovideafulldraftoftheirreporttotheirentirecommittee.Thecommitteeshouldreviewthedocumentandinformthestudent(andthechair)whethertheybelievethestudent’swork(andtheirreport)isatasufficientlevelofcompletenessandqualitythatitwouldbeappropriateforthestudenttoscheduleadatefortheirdefensepresentation.Ifthestudenthasnotalreadydoneso,theyshouldasktheircommitteemembersfortheirtimeavailabilityinordertoidentifyagooddateandtimeforthedefense.Thecommitteemembersmaydecidethatthestudent’sreportisnotatasufficientlevelofcompletenessorquality,andtheymayaskforrevisionsoradditionspriortoagreeingthatthestudentisreadytoholdadefensepresentation.(Thecommitteemaylateraskforadditionalrevisionsoradditionstothedocumentatthetimeofthestudent’sdefensepresentation.)(Atleast)TwoWeeksPriortotheDesiredDefenseDate:Ifthecommitteeagreesthatthestudent’sreportisatasufficientlevelofcompletenessandqualityinordertoholdthedefense,thenthestudentshouldcommunicatetotheISTdepartmentofficethattheywouldliketoschedulethedefense.Pleaseseethedetailsinthe“ChecklistfortheDefense”sectionbelow.OntheDayoftheDefense:Thecommitteemaydeterminethatthestudentmustmakeadditionalrevisionsoradditionstothefinalreport(orsomeaspectoftheworkthathadbeenproposed).Theentirecommitteemayasktoseeandapproveafinalversionofthereportthatsatisfiestheirconcerns(ortheymaydelegatethisresponsibilitytothechairofthecommitteeonly),dependingontheseverityoftherevisionsrequired.AftertheDefense:Ifthestudentpassesthedefense,andifanyrevisionsoradditionstothereporthadbeenrequestedbythecommittee,thestudentmustprepareafinalversionofthereporttoaddresstheseconcerns.Thestudentmustprovidethisreporttothecommitteefortheirapproval,priortoproducingthefinalelectronicorpapercopiesofthereport.Pleaseseethedetailsinthe“FinalDeliverables”sectionbelow.Ifyouarehopingtograduateduringaparticularsemester,youmustconsulttheISTdepartmentofficetoensurethatyouprovidetheappropriatefinaldeliverablesintimetograduate.Thereareadditionalrequirements(e.g.meetingwiththelibrarytodeposityourfinalthesisdocument)forThesisstudents.ChecklistfortheDefense(ThesisorProject)Thelaststepintheprocessisthedefense.Afterthestudenthascompletedthewriteupofhis/herworkandthechairandthereader(s)haveapprovedit,thestudentdefendshis/herworkduringa50-minutepresentation.Thedefenseisopentothepublic.Thestudentisrequiredtofollowtheproceduresoutlinedbelow:

o Schedulethedefenseandregisterthatschedulingwiththedepartmentoffice;assureallcommitteemembersareabletoattend;reservetheroomwiththedepartmentstaff.

o Assurethattheroomhasallthefacilitiesyourequire(board,markers,projectors,ethernet

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connection,etc.).o Postannouncementsatleast10dayspriortotheeventunlessotherwiseapprovedbyyour

committee.o Verifywiththedepartmentstaffthatallnecessarypaperworkhasbeencompleted(includingcurrent

applicationforgraduation).o Reviewyourpresentationwithatleastoneofyourcommitteemembers(typicallythecommittee

chair)beforepresentingitformally.Thedefenseshouldtake50minutes,butyoumustallowtimeforquestionsanddiscussion.Whenyourehearse,itshouldtake40minutes.

o Arehearsalishighlyrecommended.Askafriendortwooramemberofyourcommitteetositthroughacompletepresentation.Thisistheonlywayyouwillknowhowlongittakesandwillhelpinlocatingthebugs(demosthatfail,typos,faultyvisuals,etc.)inyourpresentation.

o Preparehandoutsforyourpresentationconsistingofcopiesofyourslidesornotes.Discusswithyourcommitteechairhowmanycopiestoprepare.

FinalDeliverablesAfterpassingyourdefensepresentationandafterpreparingafinalversionofyourreport(thataddressesanyconcernstoyourcommittee’ssatisfaction),thenyoushouldprintandpreparethefinalversionsofyourdeliverablesfortheISTdepartmentoffice(andfortheRITlibrary–ifyouarepursuingtheThesisoption).TheISTdepartmentwebsiteprovidestemplatesforhowyourcoverpageshouldappearforProjectorforThesisfinalreports,includingaplaceforyoutoobtainsignaturesfromyourcommitteemembers:http://ist.rit.edu/index.php#current_students[AllthetemplateareundertheFormssection].ThefinalpaperworkforaProjectrequiresthatyougiveeachofyourcommitteemembersandthedepartmentacopyoftheprofessionallywrittenreport,inapressboardbinder(orsomeflatbinding).ForaProject,ifallofthemembersofyourcommitteeareISTdepartmentfaculty,thenyoumaysubmitunsignedpapercopiesofyourfinalreporttotheISTdepartmentsecretary(andtheofficestaffwilllateraskfacultymemberstovisittheofficesometimetosignthecoverpageofthereport).ThereportyousubmitforaProjectmustalsoincludeaCD/DVD,whichhasthefollowingcontent:

o ReportinPDF:Thefilenamehastobereport.pdfo ProposalinPDF:Thefilenamehastobeproposal.pdfo DefenseannouncementinplaintextorPDF:Thefilenamehastobe

announcement.pdf/announcement.txto Anyelectronicfiles,code,orothermaterialsyourcommitteehasaskedyoutoprovide.

ThefinalpaperworkforaThesisrequiresthatyouarrangeforaboundcopyofthethesisfortheRITLibrary,thedepartment,andeachcommitteemember(thatmakessixcopies,countingyourown).Givethedepartmentsecretarycopiesof:

o thethesisbindingreceipto thethesisabstracto thesignedcoverpageo aCD/DVD,whichhasthefollowingcontent:

o FinalThesisReportinPDF:Thefilenamehastobereport.pdfo YourThesisProposalinPDF:Thefilenamehastobeproposal.pdfo DefenseannouncementinplaintextorPDF:Thefilenamehastobe

announcement.pdf/announcement.txto Anyelectronicfiles,code,orothermaterialsyourcommitteehasaskedyoutoprovide.

FortheThesisoption,theRITlibraryrequiresthattheprintedversionofyourdocumentthatisgiventothelibraryalreadyhavesignaturesfromyourcommitteemembers.So,youshouldmakearrangementstoobtainthesesignaturesfromthecommitteeafteryouhaveprintedthefinalversionofyourreport,andpriortoyourdepositingthereportatthelibrary.SomestudentsbringcopiesoftheirThesissignaturepage,printedonLibrary-approved-qualitypapertotheirdefense,andifthecommitteeissatisfiedwiththereport

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orhasonlyminimalrequestedrevisions/additions,thecommitteemembersmightagreetosignseveralcopiesofthecoverpageonthisday.Then,thestudentcouldusethissignedcoverpageastheyprepareandprintthefinalversionoftheirthesisdocument,priortobindingthepagesinalibrary-approvedmanner.Youwillnotbecertifiedforyourdegreeuntilthesestepshavebeencompleted.FullTimeEquivalencyContinued,activeregistrationatRITcanbeimportantforstudentswhomustmaintainfull-timestudentstatus,suchasstudentswithloanstorepayorforeignstudentvisastomaintain.Studentsworkingontheirthesisorprojectmayberegisteredforfewerthan9credits.Tobeconsideredafull-timestudenteventhoughyouareregisteredforfewerthan9credits,youmustcompletea“full-timeequivalency”form.TheISTDepartmentallowsyoutoapplyforfull-timeequivalencyforamaximumofoneyear.YoumusthaveaGPAofatleast3.0.PleaseseetheGraduateAdvisorortheDirectorofGraduateProgramstocompletetheappropriatepaperwork.

MiscellaneousInformationISTStudentServicesOfficeTheISTStudentServicesofficeisinGolisanoHall(GOL,Room2100).Thephonenumberis585-475-2700;officehoursare8:30amto4:30pmMondaythroughFriday.Theofficemaintainsrecordsforeachmatriculatedgraduatestudent.Bringyourpolicyandprocedurequestionstothestaffinthisoffice(e.g.,gradeproblems,transferofprograms,transferofcredit,forms,registration).Thisofficecanassistwithchangeofprogram,intenttograduate,addordropacourse,andregisterforprojectorthesis.Tohelpusmaintainaccuraterecords,makesurewehavethecorrectspellingofyourname,yourcurrentaddress,yourstudentnumber,andyourdayandeveningtelephonenumbers.The7-yearRuleforCompletingaDegreeYoumaynotuseanycoursesforgraduationthatweretakenmorethansevenyearsago(thisruledoesnotapplytoBridgeProgramcourses).GuidelinesforPetitioningforanExtensionBeyondthe7-yearLimitIncaseswherethefulfillmentofdegreerequirementsextendsbeyondthe7yearlimit,theDirectorofGraduateProgramsmustpetitiontheGraduateCouncilforaformalextension.Pleasenotethefollowingimportantrequirementsforthesepetitions:ApplicationforanextensionshouldbesubmittedtotheGraduateProgramDirectoratleastonefullsemesterpriortotheexpirationoftheseven-yeartimelimit.Whenastudent’sprogramisprojectedtoexceedtheseven-yearlimit,he/sheshouldnotbeencouragedtotakecoursesorworkonathesisorfinalprojectuntiladecisionhasbeenmadebytheGraduateCouncil.AstudentcanapplythroughtheDirectorofGraduateProgramsforanextensionofthe7-yearrule.Thestudenthasthefollowingoptionstoprovethatthestudent’sknowledgeofthecourse(s)beyondthesevenyearlimitarecurrent:

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v Astudentcanretakethecourse(s)atRITandpassthecoursewithapassinggrade.v Astudentcanretakethecourse(s)atanotherinstitutionandpassthecoursewithapassinggrade.

TheDirectorofGraduateProgramsmustapprovethecourseselection,beforethestudentisallowedtoregister.

v Thestudenthastopassanexamofthecourse(s)inwritingatRIT.Theexamwillbesimilartoafinalofthecourse(s).

DocumentsincludedinthepetitionsubmittedtothechairofGraduateCouncilbytheDirectorofGraduateProgramsshouldincludethefollowing:

v PetitionsupportsignedbyDean’soffice.v Detailedplanforcompletionofdegree,addressingeachunmetrequirement.Generally,nomorethan

onecalendaryear’sextensionwillbegranted.v Circumstancesthatdelayedcompletionofdegree.v RITgraduatetranscript(and,whererelevant,undergraduatetranscript).v Currentrésumé.v Acopyofthethesisdescriptionorfinalprojectproposal(ifcompleted).v Alistofcoursesthatwillbeolderthansevenyears(andbyhowmuch)attheprojecteddateof

graduation.Atthetimeofcertification,theDirectorofGraduateProgramswillprovidewrittendocumentationofthecurrencyofoverduecourses.

v LetterofsupportfromtheDirectorofGraduateProgramsorfacultyadvisor.LossofStudentStatusYoumaybewithdrawnfromtheprogramif:

v Youfailtoregisterforcoursesforthreesuccessivesemesters.v Youhavenotregisteredforthesisorprojectwithinoneyearaftercompletingyourcoursework.v Youhavenotcompletedyourthesisorprojectwithinoneyearafterregisteringforprojectorthesis.

Ifyouareindangerofbeingwithdrawn,pleaseseetheDirectorofGraduatePrograms.AcademicHonestyAcademichonestyisanexpectationofallstudentsatRIT.Anyactofimproperlyrepresentinganotherperson’sworkasone’sownisanactofacademicdishonesty.TheRITcodeofacademicconductisdocumentedintheuniversity’sPoliciesandProceduresmanual:

http://www.rit.edu/academicaffairs/policiesmanual/sectionD/D8.htmlhttp://www.rit.edu/academicaffairs/policiesmanual/sectionC/C0.html

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AppendixA-Forms

ThesisForms

Followingarevariousformsusedincompletingathesiscapstone:

• ProposalApprovalform• DefenseAnnouncement• FinalThesisApprovalform• ThesisTitlepage

Theseformsareavailableonthisprogram’sgraduatewebsite.

ProjectFormsFollowingarevariousformsusedincompletingaprojectcapstone:

• ProposalApprovalform• DefenseAnnouncement• FinalProjectApprovalform• ProjectTitlepage

Theseformsareavailableonthedepartment’sgraduatewebsite.

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AppendixB–FrequentlyAskedQuestions

FrequentlyAskedQuestions

1.Isthereascholarshipavailable?Allfull-timeandsomepart-timestudentswhodonothavesignificantoutsidesourcesoffundingandwhohavestrongacademicand/oremploymentbackgroundsareeligibletoreceiveascholarship.Onceassigned,thisscholarshipisfortwosemestersofsupport.

2.Whataboutmyscholarshipifmystudiesexceedtwosemesters?Whileeconomiccontingenciescannotbeforeseen,scholarshipsaregenerallyrenewedaslongasthestudentismakingsteadyprogressonthedegreeandremainsingoodstanding(attainsaGPAof3.0orbetter).Youmustrequestsucharenewal/Requestsforrenewalsmustbemade,inwriting,usingtheRITGraduateScholarshipApplicationform(seetheStudentServicesoffice)atleastonesemesterbeforetheextensionisdesired.

3.Doesscholarshipcovercoursestakeninsummerterms?Normallynot.However,uponrequest,thegraduatecoordinatororgraduateadvisormayextendascholarshiptocoversummertermcourses.

4.Aretheregraduateassistantshipsavailable?Thedepartmentoffersasmallnumberofgraduateassistantships(GA)positionsyearly.Toapply,youmustfilloutandsubmitanapplicationtothegraduatecoordinatornolaterthanMarch1stforthenextacademicyear.Assistantshipsaregrantedforamaximumoftwosemesters.

5.MayIwork(co-op)aspartofmystudies?Graduateco-opisavailable.Itisoptionalandyoumaydoatmostone(1)co-opsemesterpriortocapstonecompletion.Youmustmeettherequirementsforco-opandensurethatyourjobisappropriatebeforebeginningwork.SeethegraduatecoordinatorandourrepresentativesfromCareerServicesandCooperativeEducationforassistancewiththis.However,itisimportantthatworkingdoesnotinterferewithyourcompletingyourMScapstoneandobtainingthedegree.

6.HowdoIgetideasformycapstoneandhelpgettingstarted?Youwilllikelyhaveideasfromyourcoursework,andyoucanalwaysseekthehelpofafacultymemberwithwhomyouhaveagoodrelationship.

7.Iamaninternationalstudent.AretherespecialstudyrulesIshouldknowabout?Yes.Internationalstudentsmusttakeatleast6creditspertermoncampus.Thiscanbeaprobleminadegreedesignedforonlinestudents.Toaccommodatethisneed,weoffermostofourcoursesintwoformats.Thefirstisatotallyonlineformatwhichdoesnotcounttowardthe6creditsofoncampuscoursework.

Theotherformatisa“blended”format.Thesecoursesrequirethesameworkasatotallyonlinecourse,butbearanadditionalrequirementofatleastoneon-campusmeetingperweekwithaninstructor.Thesecoursesdocounttowardthe6creditsofoncampuscoursework.

8.MayItakeothercoursesinplaceofthoseindicatedontheprogramworksheet?Possibly–dependinguponthereasonandyourbackground.Anyandallchangestoyourplanofstudymustbepre-approvedbythegraduatecoordinatororgraduateadvisor.