Exams, Capstones and Culminating Events
Sample exam and milestone materials to support you in planning for your own upcoming events.
Relevant Policies and Procedures
Each culminating experience (thesis, scientific paper, applied project, and dissertation) has its own lengthy set of defense requirements. Please review the appropriate section of your program handbook for the most accurate information.
The Graduate College devotes a section of its website to requirements and deadlines for students completing either a thesis or dissertation.
Deadlines can also be found on the Graduate College's website.
Scheduling a Defense
SOS Quick Reference Policies and Procedures page has instructions on how to schedule a defense.
MA and MS
MA and MS Research Proposals
MA and MS Research Proposal materials can be found in this GoogleDrive folder. Please see your program handbook for more information.
Submitting Your Document for Publication
Thesis
Directions for revising and submitting your document for publication can be found on the Defenses page of the Graduate College website.
Keep the deadlines in mind!
Scientific Paper
Work with your committee to finalize any revisions.
Submit your final document and SOS Repository Permission Form to the Graduate Coordinator.
Be mindful of the deadline to submit your document, which is the same as the deadline for thesis students to submit their work to ProQuest.
MSUS Capstone: Applied Project
Project Selection
Please see your program handbook for more information.
MSUS capstone projects are curated by the capstone program manager and reviewed by faculty.
Should MSUS students choose to propose a team-based project, not from the School of Sustainability’s curated list of projects, they must complete this proposal form by August 15th, to ensure review for inclusion of the project in the following spring semester.
SOS 593 Applied Project
SOS 593 must be taken in your last semester (offered in spring semester only). In order to graduate, students must successfully complete SOS 593 with a "B" grade or higher. If a student earns a grade lower than a B in SOS 593, they will need to retake the class the following spring semester.
The MSUS Culminating Experience is completed collaboratively with a team in the class SOS 593: Applied Project. Students complete assignments, including the proposal and deliverables, as a part of the classes.
Example Projects and Final Presentations
Carried out collaboratively in lieu of a thesis, the capstone provides practical experience positioning graduates for today's competitive, knowledge- and skill-intensive job market. Here are the links to the project briefs for 2022-2023 , project briefs for 2021-2022, and project inventory for spring 2024. which will give you a sense of the scope and type of projects.
Check out the YouTube Link to the Final Presentations in 2023 and the 2024 Presentations!
Publishing Deliverables for Capstone
Students submit the deliverables and form as part of an assignment in SOS 593 Applied Project before the end of the semester.
The documents will be archived in the SOS Culminating Experiences KEEP collection on the ASU library’s website.
There are 3 main documents that students need to complete:
1. Student Consent Deposit and Non-Exclusive License Agreement for the ASU Digital Repository (Deposit Agreement should be submitted by the student to the School/capstone instructor, not ASU Library directly)
2. KEEP Permission Form for SOS Students and Project Partners (for capstones that have an external project partner)
3. School of Sustainability Capstones: ASU Library Repository Submission Form (collects metadata for repository)
Dissertations
Preparation
Please see your program handbook for more information.
Tips on dissertation writing from Dr. Wendy Carter
Dissertations can be found online via the ASU Library Catalog.
Theses can be found online in the SOS Repository and the ASU Library. In the left-hand Contents menu, select Masters Thesis as the Resource Type.
Comprehensive Exams
Please see your program handbook for more information.
Check out some advice from other students.
Sample exams are available in a GoogleDrive folder.
Dissertation Prospectuses
Please see your program handbook for more information. Sample prospectuses and prospectus defense presentations are located in this GoogleDrive folder.
Submitting Your Document for Publication
Directions for revising and submitting your document for publication can be found on the Defenses page of the Graduate College website.
Keep the deadlines in mind!