Every M.S. in Sustainability & Environment (MSSE) student must complete a final project (internship, capstone, or thesis) as approved by the student’s advisor. The final project coursework counts towards the required 9 credits of GES Department Electives. The final project satisfies the capstone experience or thesis requirements for master’s degrees at UNC Greensboro.
Students electing the:
Students must organize an advisory committee for each option (see the descriptions below). Students should consult this regularly updated list of potential committee members for MSSE final projects (note that some faculty list “maybe” for their availability; usually, they are interested in projects that are relevant to their work or they are only taking on new students selectively based on their workload).
All three options are evaluated using the outlined guidelines below in addition to the rubric for the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) of the MSSE.
Although the final project usually comes at the end of the degree program, students should plan well in advance. In all cases, students must choose their option and prepare for it in the semester before beginning, and students must have completed at least 18 credits in the program before beginning the final project. With that in mind and with the thesis option as an example, a full-time student (i.e. enrolled for four semesters in the MSSE at 9 credits per semester) must plan for the thesis by the middle of the second semester in order to pursue it during the third and fourth semesters. Similarly, a full-time student must plan for the internship/capstone by the middle of the third semester in order to pursue it during the fourth semester. Part-time students should adjust these examples according to their own timelines.
Related to planning when to do the final project is when to take the required courses in the MSSE. Ideally, the six required courses should be completed before finalizing the project. The reason for completing the core classes before doing the final project is that each core class introduces and develops selected SLOs of the MSSE, and all the SLOs together are evaluated in the final project. Therefore, students should learn about and feel comfortable with the SLOs before embarking on the final project.
The following descriptions allow students to choose the option most appropriate for their educational and professional objectives. All options require the submission of the MSSE Final Project Proposal to your advisor/advisors (but you should discuss it with them first). You may commence your project only when that form has been approved and you have enrolled in the corresponding GES 69x course (which will be created for you after your proposal is approved).
Catalog text: Practical experience in a professional setting related to the student’s main topic of interest. Includes written paper linking the topic to the experience. Prerequisites: 18 credit hours in the M.A. in Applied Geography or the M.S. in Sustainability and Environment. Notes: May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credits. [The Internship is evaluated with a final letter grade.]
The internship option provides students with opportunities to enhance their professional experience while applying skills acquired in the MSSE program. The internship (150 hours) is supervised on-site (meaning the student’s supervisor is part of the institution offering the internship), and it can be either paid or unpaid and either in-person or online. The student is responsible for securing an internship and should reach out to the Career and Professional Development Office for assistance (the best UNCG resource is Handshake). Internships may be at your current place of work with appropriate approvals. After securing an internship, students will work with the GES faculty member who is the MSSE internship coordinator. The MSSE internship coordinator will become the student’s advisor and will help to plan the experience. (We maintain a list of some relevant internship opportunities here.)
Working with the internship coordinator, the student should submit an internship proposal (via this form) during the course registration period (usually March-April and October-November) of the semester preceding the beginning of the internship work (i.e. the third semester for full-time students). The proposal includes: an advisory committee (see below), the organization’s information, and a brief description of the internship. The student should meet periodically with the members of the advisory committee to discuss the internship.
The end product of the internship is a public oral presentation about the experience together with a self-evaluation. In some cases, subject to request of the advisor, the student may be required to provide a written report. (The report/presentation guidelines are here.) The student must demonstrate that they have applied all the MSSE SLOs. The internship supervisor will provide a final evaluation of the work carried out, and the advisor and other faculty member will provide a separate final evaluation (internship) of the report, and presentation.
The advisory committee should consist of three individuals: the MSSE internship coordinator (advisor), one faculty member (GES or GES-affiliated), and employer (internship supervisor). The faculty member should ideally be linked to the student’s internship interest area.
Catalog text: Advanced research report on a sustainability and environment problem that proposes interdisciplinary solutions. Prerequisites: Permission of instructor. [The Capstone is graded pass/fail.]
The capstone option allows students to create a personalized course of study. It is a summation of directed, high-level study with written and oral elements that address all of the MSSE SLOs. Students work with an advisor to create guidelines for the capstone. Typically, the format of the capstone’s final product would be a report that synthesizes key aspects of a sustainability or environmental issue, but there is the potential for more creative formats/approaches as well. The resulting work demonstrates mastery of a key issue or subject area (rather than providing original research in that area). The capstone is intended to be for the student’s own personal or career development. Superlative capstones may be added to the UNC system’s research repository.
Working with a faculty advisor, the student should submit a capstone proposal (via this form) during the course registration period of the semester preceding the beginning of the capstone work (i.e. the third semester for full-time students). The proposal includes: an advisory committee (see below); a title, abstract (100 words), and brief description; a bibliography of materials; a calendar of milestones and deadlines; and the specifics (form and content) of the resulting written and oral deliverables. The student should meet periodically with the members of the advisory committee to discuss the project.
The end products of the capstone may vary, and the details are subject to negotiation with the advisory committee, but they must include at least three deliverables: a written component, an oral component (circa 20-minute presentation with discussion/Q&A to follow), and a self-evaluation. The student must demonstrate that they have applied all the MSSE SLOs. The advisory committee will provide a final evaluation (capstone) of the deliverables.
The advisory committee should consist of three individuals: one GES faculty member, one non-GES faculty member (GES affiliated faculty may count as either GES or non-GES), and one other individual (either GES, non-GES, or non-UNCG). A faculty member (GES or GES-affiliated) must chair the committee and be the student’s advisor.
Catalog text: Individual guidance in the development of a specific research problem. Prerequisites: Permission of GES Thesis Committee. [The Thesis is graded pass/fail.]
The thesis is a scholarly contribution based on original research. The purpose of the thesis is to prepare a work for publication, either as a sole author or jointly with the faculty advisor and/or advisory committee members. Completed theses are automatically filed in the UNC system’s research repository. The thesis option is intended for students who would like to continue their formal education in a doctoral program (either immediately upon graduation from UNCG or at some point in the future). Students who wish to conduct original research but who do not intend to pursue a doctoral degree may do the thesis option if the advisor approves.
Working with a faculty advisor, the student should submit a thesis proposal (via this form) during the course registration period of the semester preceding the beginning of the thesis work (i.e. the second semester for full-time students). The proposal includes: an advisory committee (see below); a title, abstract, and brief description; a bibliography of materials; a calendar of milestones and deadlines; and the specifics (form and content) of the resulting written and oral deliverables. The student should meet regularly with the members of the advisory committee to discuss the project.
The end products of the thesis may vary, and the details are subject to negotiation with the advisory committee, but they must include at least three deliverables: a written component, an oral component (circa 20-minute presentation with discussion/Q&A to follow), and a self-evaluation. The student must demonstrate that they have applied all the MSSE SLOs. The advisory committee will provide a final evaluation (thesis) of the deliverables.
The advisory committee should consist of three individuals: one GES faculty member (as chair and advisor), one non-GES faculty member (either GES-affiliated or non-GES faculty), and one other individual (either GES or non-GES). All three committee members must be members of the Graduate Faculty.
Department of Geography, Environment, and Sustainability
UNC Greensboro
Physical Address:
237 Graham Building
1009 Spring Garden Street
Greensboro, NC 27412
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Greensboro, NC 27402
Phone: 336.334.5388
Fax: 336.334.5864
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