Master's Project

The GLS Master's Project is a creation of each student’s own design that engages questions, topics, or materials that interest them in a thoughtful and sustained way.  The project’s purpose is to build upon, integrate, and extend components of the student’s unique learning journey within the program.  Unlike most research-based “master’s theses,” GLS Master's Projects count for only three units of credit (one semester) and are not submitted to The Graduate School via ProQuest. 

Build on Previous Work or Explore a New Topic

The GLS Master's Project invites students to demonstrate the ability to imagine a project; assemble, analyze, and present materials; and think in reflective, integrative ways about what they have learned or how they have grown through their GLS experience.  A student may use their project semester to create something that pulls together or builds upon previous work done in the program, or they may undertake exploration of a completely new topic that moves forward from where they find themselves near the program’s end.  In either case, the project should emerge out of the student’s own organic learning processes within their unique, individualized curriculum.  Depending upon the path followed, projects may vary in terms of relative depth and originality.

Variety in Process, Product, and Form 

Because Graduate Liberal Studies is an interdisciplinary program, the Master's Project can integrate forms, materials, methods, and perspectives from several disciplines, and may be innovative in approach.  GLS projects can take and have taken many forms (the list below is suggestive, not exhaustive):

• Plays, memoirs, and short stories
• Fiction, poetry, or creative non-fiction
• Journalistic examinations of contemporary issues
• Sculptures, collages, paintings, photography collections, or films
• Exhibits with artifacts or objects
• Web projects with digital maps, annotated historical documents, and photographs
• Podcasts or musical creations
• Policy proposals or analyses
• Curricular programs or plans
• Business or nonprofit organizational plans
• Analyses of interviews, survey responses, or quantitative data
• Article-length scholarly studies drawing upon secondary literature and incorporating original research (similar to, but generally shorter than, a traditional “master’s thesis”)
• Essays providing an overview of the state of conversation about a particular topic (in scholarship, public or professional practice, or other area)
• Blends of several of the above approaches 

We encourage every student to imagine what sort of creation feels most appropriate to the particular combination of coursework they have taken, the topic or materials they wish to explore, the skills they hope to practice or build, and the audiences or communities with whom they hope to engage, both now and in their personal and professional lives going forward.  Each student’s faculty supervisor will help them think about framing their work appropriately in the general context of the area(s) in which the student is working.   

Additionally, at GLS we value both process and product.  We urge experimentation with an eye to continued growth; for that reason, GLS projects sometimes represent “works-in-progress," “proofs of concept,” or first attempts at independent creations in various media more than completely polished pieces fully ready for public debut. We recognize that even a less-than-fully realized final product may represent significant engagement and learning on a student’s part. 

For all students, demonstrating growth during the process is crucial. 

Practicalities Overview

In practical terms, the GLS project happens during a student’s final semester in the program, when students enroll in LS850, The Master's Project Seminar, a three-credit pass/fail course that provides a scaffolding for completing the project in community with other GLS students.  In general, we recommend that students arrange their studies so as to take no other courses during the project semester.   

The Master's Project Seminar meets every other week for students to discuss their project work together.  Seminar assignments include submitting a work plan, sharing emerging ideas, and offering a short “lightning talk” presentation about their work. Between Seminar meetings, each student works independently on their project in regular conversation with their faculty supervisor.  

When the project is complete, it is evaluated on a pass/fail basis by a master’s committee of three people.  A copy of the completed project is retained in the Duke GLS archive, and its title and a short descriptive abstract are posted on the Duke GLS website. Optionally, students may publish their projects on the public Duke library repository, DukeSpace.  

These activities of the project semester are described in greater detail in the Master's Project Requirements page.