MS 498 - Senior Research
Professor: Erich Friedman
What is this course?
This is the continuation of MS 497. Now that you have
an advisor and a research topic, you should continue work on your project. At the end
of the semester, you will write up your results and present them to the department.
Is it too late to change my research topic?
Yes, though you may find you
need to modify your proposed project and do less if the project is too hard or do
more if the project is too easy.
How will this work?
You will continue
meeting with your advisor on a weekly basis. As coordinator, I will meet with you
at the beginning of every month, and your contact your advisor separately to get an update on
your project. This is a 3 credit course, so plan to spend at least 6 hours per week on your
research.
What sort of paper is expected?
You will use the same WORD template as last
semester. Presumably you will have more tables, figures and results, so your paper
will be longer. I encourage you to write results as you get them rather than
wait for the end of the semester. You should be formal and precise in your
paper. A rough draft is due before the final draft. For both the rough draft and
final draft, you should give a paper copy to your advisor and an electronic copy to
the organizer.
What sort of presentation is expected?
You should use PowerPoint or overhead
slides. You should plan to talk for 20-25 minutes about your problem and what you
did this semester. Assume your audience came to your proposal so they are
generally familiar with your topic, but remind them of any pertinent definitions
or details. Your presentation may be less formal and less complete than your
final paper.
What's the timeline?
| First Day of Class | Wednesday, August 25 |
| Abstract of Project Due | Friday, October 8 |
| Rough Draft of Paper Due | Wednesday, November 17 |
| Final Paper Due | Wednesday, November 24 |
| Research Presentations | December 6, 7, and 8
|
Who will be grading me?
Your grade will be determined by the
entire department faculty. Your advisor and the coordinator will determine your
midterm grade.
How am I graded?
You will be graded on how well the faculty think you understand your
problem, and how much progress you have made on it this semester. Things that will
negatively impact your grade: not keeping to the deadlines above, missing meetings
with your advisor, making little or no progress on a weekly basis, not making the
indicated changes in your rough draft, writing a sloppy or incomplete paper,
giving a poor presentation, or being unable to answer questions about your project.
Can you give me some percentages?
Your grade will be determined 10\% on whether you keep your
meetings with your advisor and make steady progress, 65\% on your research paper, and 25\% on
your presentation. Failure to meet the above deadlines will be penalized 5\% per day.