A team of six archeologists sitting around a table participating in a discussion.

MLA Final Project

The MLA final project entails substantial research and analysis on a topic determined by the student in consultation with the program coordinator and a faculty supervisor. The project is completed during the final semester of the program (or in some cases the final year) and draws from the skills and knowledge gained from MLA coursework. A 3-unit final research project, developed under the supervision of a Washington University instructor, is required for the Master of Liberal Arts degree. 

The project is completed under the primary supervision of a faculty advisor, along with a faculty committee, and it is evaluated by this committee in the form of an oral examination at the conclusion of the student’s program. It must be completed at the conclusion of a student’s course work. Under special circumstances and with permission, some students complete a final project comprising two semesters of research and writing for 6 units.

There are two options for the final written project:

  1. Directed Research Project (DRP), the minimum requirement for all students 
    • MLA students are expected to complete a three-unit Directed Research Project (DRP) at the end of the program. The DRP is a study of approximately 40 pages that may build on (but may not replicate) material from one or more MLA classes the student has taken. This project presents an opportunity to explore independently and extensively an area of personal interest. The project also provides an opportunity for students to work closely with a faculty member.
  2. Master’s Thesis, available to exceptionally strong students authorized by the program coordinator
    • Exceptional students with strong research interests may be authorized to complete the MLA with Thesis in place of the DRP. The MLA with Thesis option is a six-credit, two-semester study that includes extensive references to extant published material on the topic. Students must have an A- average (3.7 GPA) for all of their MLA courses in the program to qualify for the degree with thesis. Generally, the faculty director for such a thesis would expect it to conform to requirements for the MA degree in their home department.

Advisor and Committee

One semester prior to beginning the DRP or two semesters prior to beginning the Master’s thesis, the student must confer with the MLA departmental graduate program coordinator to establish the topic and scope of the project and also to establish the student’s faculty committee. The final project is completed under the primary supervision of a faculty advisor (“director”), who, along with one additional faculty member for a DRP, or with two additional faculty members (“readers”) for a Master’s thesis, constitute the student’s DRP or Master’s thesis committee. Faculty directors and committee members for the DRP or Master’s thesis should have training in an area relevant to the student’s research topic.

The student works with their director, meeting regularly (at least once per month) throughout the semester(s) dedicated to the DRP or Master’s thesis. The student is expected to submit individual sections or chapters one at a time to their director, according to a schedule that they arrange at the start of the project, in order to receive comments and suggestions for revisions. Once the director has approved a fully-revised and final version of the student’s DRP or Master’s thesis, the student will submit it to the other two faculty readers.

The full faculty committee will evaluate the student’s work during an oral examination. Authorization to proceed to the oral exam occurs only once the student’s director approves a full and final version of the DRP or Master’s thesis, and no later than two weeks prior to the oral exam, in order to ensure that the other two members of the committee have time to read the DRP or Master’s thesis. Although the scheduling of a thesis date and time does not guarantee that the oral exam will take place, students should schedule an oral defense date very early in the semester in order to have a slot reserved by all members of their committee.

Final Project Requirements and Timeline

Oral Examination

The Director will work with the student and the other two committee members to select a date for the oral exam. The student should notify the departmental graduate program coordinator well in advance of the oral exam date to arrange for the necessary paperwork and assign a room for the exam. 

Usually, the defense must be completed by the beginning of September for summer graduates, the beginning of January for fall graduates, and late April or early May for spring graduates. Please note that these dates conform to deadlines for all graduate programs and are not flexible.


Final Reflection Essay

Along with the final Directed Research Project or Master’s Thesis, the student will submit to all members of the committee a 5-page personal statement about their experiences in the MLA program.

 

Procedures and Timeline

It is important to adhere closely to requirements and deadlines associated with the final project in order to ensure timely completion of the project and fulfillment of program requirements. Please read the following documents carefully for detailed information about procedures, requirements, forms, and deadlines:

Contact

Dr. Karen Skinner

Departmental Graduate Program Coordinator
314-935-6994
k.skinner@wustl.edu