Produced by Education faculty, the following handbooks provide essential information for how to complete your M.Ed. Capstones.

• ED* 693 Project Handbook
• Used for EDC 693, EDH 693, EDI 693, EDL 693, EDR 693, EDS 693, and EDT 693
   
• ED* 695 Thesis Handbook
• Used for EDC 695, EDH 695, EDI 695, EDL 695, EDR 695, EDS 695, and EDT 695

Forms

Copyright Permission Letter Template for Project or Thesis

NOTE: When using the copyright permission letter template, remember to replace all text in the fields indicated by brackets including text appearing in the form after the letter.

Guidelines for the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations

The Guidelines for the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations were approved by the Graduate Council in 2011. These guidelines, along with supporting electronic forms, are available on The Graduate School's Thesis and Dissertation Information page.

APA Style and Formatting

• PERRLA for APA, a Microsoft Word add-in to assist in writing APA formatted documents
• Concise Guide to APA Style, Seventh Edition
• APA Style Resources
• The Online Writing Lab (OWL) @ Purdue University

GVSU Support

• Library
• Writing Center
• Statistics Consulting Center

Choosing a Thesis or Project

Online Application Process

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Requirement

Supervisor Evaluation Forms

Before completing an M.Ed. degree, you must demonstrate mastery of the subject matter and the ability to generate new knowledge or apply existing knowledge to specific practical situations. This demonstration may be a research project or thesis, planned with and directed by a faculty supervisor.

• A 693 project involves curriculum or program development and applies theory to practice. A project creates a product that you often use in a professional capacity.
• A 695 thesis is a traditional research capstone where you gather and analyze data, then present the results with your interpretations. A thesis uses data analysis to answer a research question or test a hypothesis that interests you.

NOTE: The asterisk (*) next to ED* 693 and ED* 695 indicates you must register for the Education course specific to your academic program. If you are uncertain about which capstone course/section to select, please talk with your program advisor before applying.

1. Submit your application via the Practicum/Capstone Online Application System.
2. Immediately upon submission, you will receive confirmation of your application's receipt via your GVSU student e-mail account.
3. If all course prerequisites have been fulfilled, you will receive an email within 6 to 8 weeks after the deadline with registration instructions. Please watch your student email account for this important information.

If you have questions regarding the application process, please contact Education Programs through the Office of Certification and Accreditation.

Variable Credits Option and Continuous Enrollment Requirement

Students should meet with their advisor midway through their program to decide on a capstone (ED* 693 or ED* 695) and discuss plans for completion. Subject to department approval, capstone course credits may be taken in variable amounts from 1-3 credits (ED* 693) or 1-6 credits (ED* 695) and require continuous enrollment each semester until completed.

Students who need more time than 3 credits for ED* 693 or 6 credits for ED* 695 must enroll in ED* 696 for 1 credit each semester until the capstone is complete.

Education program graduate students must complete a CITI RCR Training and Certification program before completing 50% of the graduate program or before engaging in any research activity. RCR Certification expires after 3 years and must be current while engaging in any research activity.

Please click the button below to see information on which RCR module is used for the individual Education graduate programs:

Education Programs RCR Information

GVSU's LIFT (Laker Impressions of Faculty Teaching) is a university-wide, online system for collecting student feedback about courses and instructors. 

As of Winter 2016, all course sections (with limited exceptions) use the online LIFT surveys to collect student feedback on supervisors/faculty. Students should receive an email invitation (from "LIFT via IASystem") as soon as the LIFT survey for your course opens. The email will contain the link to the survey, which you can complete on a phone, tablet or computer. You will need to log in using your GVSU ID and password to access the survey. This prevents people from submitting feedback about courses they're not in, but information about your identity is not kept with your response data, and no one at GVSU can identify which responses were sent by which student.