Capstone MA Paper Writing Process
Beginning Steps
Students should start thinking about what area they are interested in writing an MA Paper on early in their graduate program. The department recommends that students try to determine the general subject matter of their MA Papers by the end of their first semester of study. Students should keep in mind their career goals when making this decision and should choose a topic that will provide them with knowledge and skills needed to reach those goals.
The next step is for students to find an adviser, a professor to work with in writing the MA Paper. Students should discuss their ideas with their adviser and together you should determine what the topic of your paper will be. Your topic should help you determine whether to write a policy paper or a research paper.
Some students find it useful to conduct research for class papers on issues related to aspects of their MA papers. Please note, however, that while students may use some of the same research, they cannot reuse actual text from term papers in an MA Paper. The MA Paper must be a new, discrete piece of work.
MA Paper Timeline
Progress on the MA Paper proceeds through the following steps:
Diploma Application
The Diploma Application signifies to GRS that you intend to finish your degree and graduate. This is a GRS form, not an IR Department form. It is available from the GRS Office (CAS 112) and also online. It is not available from the IR Department office. Please read carefully the instructions which accompany the application. Return the completed application to the GRS Records Office (CAS 112).
Students MUST submit the Diploma Application. GRS will not permit a student who has not submitted this form to graduate.
Deadlines for submission of the Diploma Application are below. These deadlines do not change from year to year. In cases in which the stated deadline falls on a weekend, the actual deadline is the preceding Friday.
- September Defense – July 1
- December Defense – November 1
- April/May Defense – February 1
Paper Proposal
For either a research or policy paper, a formal paper proposal must be submitted. It must contain each of the following parts:
- Statement for Purpose: A short statement (half of a page) laying out, in the case of a policy paper, what policy is under consideration, why changes to a current policy or initiation of a new policy is warranted, and why this policy is relevant to current international relations issues. In the case of a research paper, the Statement of Purpose should follow a similar pattern, presenting the specific topic to be investigated as well as explaining the importance of this topic.
- Research Methods: Establish how the research is to be undertaken, how the data will be collected and analyzed and how it will be presented.
- Working Outline: An annotated and detailed outline of the layout of the paper.
- Primary Sources: Identify the source materials, where they are being obtained from, their limitations and accuracy of translations (for non-English sources).
- Bibliography: Identify the principle sources for your research in proper bibliographic format.
Parts one through three should be included as an appendix of the final paper. The department recognizes that the outline and bibliography will change during the course of the research, but students should be as accurate and comprehensive as possible.
Defense Authorization
The Defense Authorization form lets the department know that a student’s adviser has given approval to conduct the Oral Defense. The Defense Authorization is normally due about two weeks prior to the start of the Oral Defense period. The exact deadline for this form varies with each defense period. Students should check the posted deadlines for the current term due date (see the bottom of this page). The Defense Authorization is submitted to the Graduate Programs Administrator; it must be signed by the student’s adviser prior to submission.
The Defense Authorization is always due one week prior to the Four Bound Copies. In order to be approved for the Defense Authorization, the student’s paper should be essentially complete, needing only minor editing to reach its final form. The week between submission of the Defense Authorization and the submission of the Four Bound Copies should be spent polishing the MA Paper into a finely crafted work of which the student can be proud.
The department will begin scheduling Oral Defenses promptly on the morning after the Defense Authorization forms are due. The IR Department will NOT schedule an Oral Defense for a student unless a signed Defense Authorization form has been submitted.
Four Bound Copies
Students must submit four bound copies of the final version of their paper to the IR Department. One copy is given to each professor on the Oral Defense Panel, and (assuming the defense is successful) one copy is placed in the BU library. Details on formatting for these bound copies can be found on the General Guidelines page.
The due date for the Four Bound Copies varies with each defense period, but is always one week after the Defense Authorization and usually one week prior to the start of the Oral Defense period. Check the posted deadlines for the due date for the current term (see the bottom of this page).
Oral Defense
Oral Defenses are held over a two week period, Monday through Friday (excepting University Holidays), from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Most defenses last about one hour. The department schedules defenses for one and one half hour time blocks. Students are expected to be available to defend at any time during the Oral Defense period.
Please see the page on Oral Defenses for more information about this component of the MA Paper process.
Official Graduation Dates
Below are the official graduation dates for students who
- September – September 25
- December – January 25 (of the following year)
- April/May – Varies yearly. The day of Boston University’s Commencement ceremony, typically around May 15.
Commencement
Boston University holds Commencement once each year, in May. Students who graduate in September or January are welcome to attend the May Commencement following their graduation date.
Students who wish to participate in Commencement should indicate this on their Diploma Application (see the last page of the Diploma Application). Students who indicate on their application that they do not plan to participate in Commencement but later change their minds should contact the GRS Records Office at 617-353-2696. Students should be sure to do so no later than the end of March.
Additionally, students who wish to participate in the IR Department Ceremony need to inform the Graduate Programs Administrator in writing (email preferred, irgrad@bu.edu) of their intent to do so by the last working day of March. This enables us to plan the ceremony appropriately.
Deadlines
Current deadlines for Oral Defenses.