End of Program Assessment Manual For Graduate Studies: American Public University System

End of Program
Assessment Manual for

Graduate Studies
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia, February 2015 Edition
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS ..........................................................................................................................i
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................... 1
EOP Assessment Alternatives ........................................................................................................... 1
Important Notes ................................................................................................................................ 2
Academic Dishonesty........................................................................................................................ 3
For Comprehensive Exam Assessments ....................................................................................... 3
For Capstone Assessments ........................................................................................................... 3
CHAPTER I ........................................................................................................................................... 5
Master of Arts Comprehensive Final Examination ............................................................................ 5
Beginning the Comprehensive Exam............................................................................................. 5
Comprehensive Exam Course ....................................................................................................... 5
Taking the Exam ............................................................................................................................ 6
Faculty Role ................................................................................................................................... 8
Program Directors Role ................................................................................................................ 8
Proctoring ...................................................................................................................................... 9
CHAPTER II ........................................................................................................................................11
Master's Capstone: Thesis Option .................................................................................................. 11
Beginning the Thesis Project ....................................................................................................... 11
Thesis Proposal ........................................................................................................................... 12
Preparing the Thesis.................................................................................................................... 12
Approval of Thesis ....................................................................................................................... 13
Submission of Final Thesis .......................................................................................................... 14
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Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts................................................................................................ 14

Faculty Role ................................................................................................................................. 15
Program Directors Role .............................................................................................................. 16
CHAPTER III .......................................................................................................................................17

Master's Capstone: Creative Project ............................................................................................... 17
Beginning the Creative Project .................................................................................................... 17
Creative Project Proposal ............................................................................................................ 17
Completing the Creative Project .................................................................................................. 17
Approval of Creative Project ........................................................................................................ 19
Submission of Creative Project Report ........................................................................................ 19
Faculty Role ................................................................................................................................. 20
CHAPTER IV .......................................................................................................................................23
Master's Capstone: Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper ......................................................... 23
Beginning the Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper............................................................... 23
Practicum Proposal ..................................................................................................................... 23
Completing the Practicum ........................................................................................................... 24
Approval of the Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper ............................................................ 25
Submission of Critical Reflection Paper ...................................................................................... 25
Faculty Role ................................................................................................................................. 27
CHAPTER V ........................................................................................................................................29
Master's Capstone: Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper Option................................................. 29
Beginning the Portfolio Option ........................................................................................................ 29
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Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper ............................................................................................ 29

Completing the Capstone ............................................................................................................ 30
Approval of the Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper ............................................................... 31
Submission of Critical Reflection Paper ...................................................................................... 31
Faculty Role ................................................................................................................................. 32
CHAPTER VI .......................................................................................................................................35
University Declarations and APUS Library Registration .................................................................. 35
1. Declarations ............................................................................................................................ 35
2. Textual Components ............................................................................................................... 36
3. Images and Tables .................................................................................................................. 37
4. Video or Audio ......................................................................................................................... 38
5. URLs/Web Addresses.............................................................................................................. 38
6. Submission.............................................................................................................................. 38
7. DigitalCommons@APUS .......................................................................................................... 39
CHAPTER VII ......................................................................................................................................40

Scholarly Research/Copyright Conduct .......................................................................................... 40
1. Copyright ................................................................................................................................. 40
2. University Research Policies ................................................................................................... 41
3. Institutional Review Board ...................................................................................................... 42
Appendices .......................................................................................................................................44
Appendix 1: M.A. Theses ................................................................................................................. 44
Appendix 2: M.A. Creative Projects ................................................................................................. 46
Appendix 3: M.A. Practicum and Critical Reflection Papers............................................................ 48
Appendix 4: Title Page (Required format for all theses.) ................................................................ 50
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Appendix 5: Sample of Copyright Page (Required format for all theses.) ....................................... 51
Appendix 6: Sample of Dedication Page (Required format for all theses.)..................................... 52
Appendix 7: Sample of Acknowledgments Page (Required format for all theses.)......................... 53
Appendix 8: Sample of Abstract of the Thesis (Required format for all theses.) ............................ 54
Appendix 9: Sample of a Table of Contents .................................................................................... 55
Appendix 10: Sample of List of Tables ........................................................................................... 57
Appendix 11: Sample of List of Figures .......................................................................................... 58
Appendix 12: Sample of Permission to Quote or Reproduce Copyrighted Material Letter............. 59
Appendix 13: Sample of Practicum Organizational Consent Form ................................................. 60
Appendix 14: Critical Reflection Method Required for Completion of Practicum Paper................. 61
Appendix 15: Sample of IRB Approval Letter .................................................................................. 62
Appendix 16: Checklist for Thesis/Capstone Submission to APUS Library .................................... 63
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INTRODUCTION
This manual establishes the guidelines for completion of all graduate-level end of program
(EOP) graduation requirements. The intended audience for this manual is all members of the
American Public University System (APUS) academic community, including students and
faculty. While it is intended to be a comprehensive overview of the general EOP
requirements for APUS, students and faculty must follow any additional specific guidelines
within their schools. Information regarding school-specific guidelines should be available
from your supervisory professor or your programs director.
APUS, including American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU),
offers several options for assessing graduate program learning outcomes. These end of
program assessments are designed to ensure APUS students have successfully met their
program objectives, and each is designed to serve a different purpose.
EOP Assessment Alternatives

EOP assessment alternatives include:
Comprehensive Exam
Capstone, which includes the following variations (availability varies by degree

program):
o Research thesis
o Creative project
o Practicum with critical reflection/integration paper
o Portfolio option with critical reflection paper
The comprehensive exam is recommended for students who will conclude their formal
academic training with the completion of the Master of Arts/Master of Science program.
Students who anticipate seeking further professional training, such as a doctorate or a
Ph.D., for example, are strongly encouraged to complete the capstone/thesis option.
Students in particular sub-disciplines of the humanities may find the creative project option
the optimal choice, while business and other professional disciplines may consider the
practicum as the best option. Finally, various programs will find the portfolio option
appropriate.
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NOTE: Masters students in the School of Education have a different set of

requirements regarding end of program assessment. They should not rely on this
manual, but rather must comply with the requirements outlined in the School of
Education handbook.
Students are advised to work with their academic advisors to ensure that they take the
correct courses during their degree and to enroll in the correct program version for their
assessment preference, if available. Please be advised that some programs have only one
EOP assessment option.
Important Notes
The EOP assessment is meant to be a culminating experience, and as such, each

student should expect to demonstrate not only that he/she possesses a thorough
knowledge of his/her disciplines literature, but also that he/she has achieved all of
the graduate studies learning outcomes. The EOP is a unique exercise. A students
GPA is not a factor in how well he or she will perform in his/her end of program
exercise. Success depends on the student entering the experience fully prepared and
dedicated to completing the EOP in the allotted timeframe.
All students are expected to adhere to the conventions of standard English grammar
and/or formal academic writing. Students who are struggling with their ability to
communicate clearly in writing are strongly encouraged to complete COLL501 early in
their graduate studies.
After being checked with a plagiarism detection tool and graded by the faculty
supervising the project and upon being approved by the program directors and
school dean, all capstone projects must be submitted to the APUS Library for
archiving by the program director. The thesis paper submitted must be a clean
version of the paper. All spelling, grammar, citations, etc. must be correct and
appropriate. Instructor feedback comments should not appear in the final version
submitted to the library. See Appendix 16 for the Checklist for Thesis/Capstone
Submission to APUS Library (which includes the link for the APUS Library Capstone
Submission/Approval Form).
APUS takes academic dishonesty very seriously. Any evidence of plagiarism will result in the
students work being rejected, and the student will fail the EOP exercise. Engaging in
academic dishonesty and/or plagiarism will directly threaten the ability of the student to
graduate from APUS.
Academic Dishonesty
Evidence of academic dishonesty found in a comprehensive exam or capstone paper will
result in a grade of an F for the exam/course. If evidence of academic dishonesty is present,
options for the student include:
For Comprehensive Exam Assessments
Accepting the grade and not receiving the degree. A letter of academic completion
may be provided, but a degree will not be conferred.
Upon approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies, retaking the exam at an APUS site
(Charles Town, West Virginia, Manassas, Virginia, or location where an education
coordinator is assigned; the student will be supervised by an advisor, program
manager or Marketing site representative) on an APUS laptop computer
disconnected from the Internet. The exam questions will be different from those on
the previous exam and this exam will be graded by a different professor from the first
exam attempt. The student must pass this second exam to have his/her degree
conferred. The student will not be eligible for a Passed with Distinction grade on any
second attempt, and will not be eligible for Honors at graduation, regardless of GPA.
The student must pay to retake the exam.
For Capstone Assessments
Accepting the grade and not receiving the degree. A letter of academic completion
may be provided, but a degree will not be conferred.
The student may be given the option (program dependent) to take the
comprehensive exam instead; however, the retake is subject to the same rules as
noted above.
Upon appeal approval by the Dean of Graduate Studies, the student may be allowed,
at his/her own expense, to retake the entire capstone course. However, the
plagiarism incident will still be recorded by the Registrar and the student will not be
eligible for honors at graduation regardless of GPA.
Any additional incidents of academic dishonesty on the EOP exercise will result in the
student being expelled.
For appeals to retake a comprehensive exam or capstone after a reported incident of
academic dishonesty, contact the Dean of Graduate Studies at academics@apus.edu.
NOTE: Any evidence of academic dishonesty found in work produced in a students end of
program comprehensive exam or capstone may prompt a review of all of the students work
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at APUS. Evidence of repeated violations of academic integrity may result in disciplinary

actions.
CHAPTER I
Master of Arts Comprehensive Final Examination
NOTE: This option is not available in all programs.
The master's comprehensive examination provides an opportunity for students to
demonstrate they have mastered the research skills and substantive content
expected in their field of study;
demonstrate they have familiarity with major schools of thought and principal
published works in the field; and
culminate their graduate student experience as they complete their master's program
and either continue or begin work in their chosen profession.
Beginning the Comprehensive Exam

The examination is tailored specifically to each graduate program and must be the last
course masters degree students take from APUS. Thus, it can only be taken after the
student has completed all of his/her course work. It cannot be taken concurrently with
course work. Students must successfully complete this requirement before the award of a
degree. Students must apply for graduation and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to be
able to register for the course.
Comprehensive Exam Course
The separate comprehensive examination course (eight or sixteen weeks depending upon
the program) prepares graduate students for the comprehensive examination in their area
of study. The purpose of the course is to provide a review of key concepts, theories and
knowledge, and skill sets. Some classes provide weekly assignments and discussions, while
others provide pointers regarding which materials to review and how to prepare for the
exam.
As part of the course, students may be asked to consult texts, journal articles, print and
media reports, and documentaries used in their classes. Collaboration with other students
enrolled in the course is also an essential component. Comprehensive exam courses require
students to submit answers to practice exam questions in order to become familiar with the
types of questions that may be asked during the exam. Regardless of which approach the
course takes, students are expected to participate fully in all course activities and must
meet all assigned deadlines.
Students who do not complete required course activities leading up to the exam will not be
allowed to take it. Students who fail the comprehensive exam and who have submitted all
course practice questions may be eligible to re-register for a second attempt at passing the
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comprehensive exam. Any new registration requires the student re-enroll in and pay for a
new course. Those who do not submit all practice questions may be denied a second
attempt at the exam or may be required to take the capstone course if available.
Taking the Exam
Instructors will provide students with the exam protocols at the beginning of the course.
These protocols will provide guidance for the exam (e.g., if the exam requires a proctor,
whether it will be open or closed book, etc.). If a proctor is required, the proctor must be
approved by the instructor prior to taking the exam. The exam must take place during the
last week of the course. However, to ensure confirmation of the test date and coordination
of the password (if one is required), the exam should be scheduled no later than the seventh
week of an eight-week course or the fifteenth week of a sixteen-week course
Exams cannot be taken prior to the final week of the course. Faculty may not arrange with
the student to grade the exam prior to the official course end date. Students will not have
their degree conferred prior to the official end of their last course, including any extensions
given. The final grade will not be awarded until after the course ends.
The instructor will grade the exam using the exam grading rubric (found under the
Resources tab in the course classroom). Students should review the rubric prior to taking
the exam. Students will answer a minimum of four essay questions that will be graded as
follows:
1. Pass with Distinction: This grade is rare and is only given to a student who passes
three questions with distinction and the fourth with at least a Pass. With distinction
means the answers clearly demonstrate an understanding of the issue beyond what
is typically expected of graduate students and are written using accepted academic
writing conventions. The numeric indicator for this classification may differ by
schools, but a pass with distinction should mean the answer is the equivalent of an
A+ or 96 percent or above.
2. Pass: This grade is assigned for essays that meet the requirements for a graduatelevel essay. The answers must demonstrate a clear understanding of the issue and
must be written using accepted academic writing conventions. Students who pass
three questions with at least a Pass will pass the examination. One Fail grade on the
four examination questions is allowed. A minimum of 80 percent is required to pass
the exam.
3. Fail: This grade is assigned for essays that do not meet the requirements for a
graduate-level essay. This occurs when the answers fail to demonstrate a clear
understanding of the issues and/or have not been written using accepted academic
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writing conventions. Students who fail two or more questions will fail the
examination.
Notes:
Self-plagiarism. The student must be careful not to self-plagiarize in his/her exam.

Self-plagiarism is the presentation of ones own previously published work as new
scholarship. 1 Thus, using material from previous courses in your exam answers
equals self-plagiarism. Evidence of academic dishonesty found in a comprehensive
exam or capstone paper will result in a grade of an F for the exam/course.
A student who fails the examination the first time cannot receive a grade of Pass with
Distinction on the second examination. The highest grade possible is a Pass. The
second examination is to be graded by a faculty member different from the first
round of testing and will include different exam questions.
Each new attempt at a comprehensive exam or capstone requires the student
register and pay for the new course.
o If a student fails the comprehensive exam on the first attempt, and no
plagiarism is reported nor any evidence found that the student failed to
adhere to standard English academic writing protocols, the student will have
the option of registering again for a second attempt at the comprehensive
exam, or may opt to take the capstone course, if available, in lieu of his/her
second attempt at the comprehensive exam.
o If a student fails the comprehensive exam on the first attempt and is allowed
to retake the exam, rather than being required to take the capstone course,
the exam questions will be different, the instructor will be different, and the
student must pay for a second comprehensive exam course. The student is
expected to fully participate in all course activities in the new course.
o If the student fails the comprehensive exam on his/her first attempt because
he/she has not adhered to the conventions of standard English grammar
and/or formal academic writing, he/she may be required by the Dean of
Graduate Studies and the dean of the students school to complete COLL501,
at the students expense, prior to being allowed to register again for the
comprehensive exam course, or may opt to take the capstone course if
available, in lieu of a second attempt at the comprehensive exam. However,
the student may still be required to complete COLL501 prior to being allowed
to take the capstone course.
o If the student fails the exam because of plagiarism, the student may be
allowed to re-take the exam at a designated exam site with a proctor. All
related expenses must be paid by the student.
o If a student has twice failed the comprehensive exam, he/she may be
permitted, under special circumstances, to enroll in the capstone project
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 2010. 6th ed. Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association, pg. 16. Section 1.10 Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism elaborates on the matter.
1
course for his/her discipline, if available. Students who have failed the
comprehensive exam twice may appeal for this option by submitting a written
appeal (which should include the students plan for completing the project
and that addresses all comments from the previous two instructors) to the
Dean of Graduate Studies at academics@apus.edu. In order for the appeal to
be considered, the student must be prepared to enroll in the capstone course
within 180 days of the appeal approval. A student will not be given the
opportunity to take a comprehensive exam a third time.
o The student has the right to appeal issues related to the comprehensive
examination in line with the standard APUS appeals process. To appeal issues
with regard to the comprehensive examination, contact academics@apus.edu.
Faculty Role
Faculty in the comprehensive courses will
ensure students and classrooms have the necessary course resources;
provide students with the exam protocols;
provide students with the exam rubric;
provide students with extensive in-text feedback on their work as a way to assist in
their preparation. (The feedback also is designed to help students understand what
is considered a passing answer to exam questions);
ensure students complete all activities leading up to the exam;
submit all exam questions to a plagiarism detection tool;
approve the proctor (if applicable);
grade the exam using the program-approved rubric;
o When submitting a failing grade, the faculty member must also use the
provided drop down to notify the Registrars office of the main reason for the
failing grade, so that those involved may quickly know which retake options
should be made available to the student;
o The professor should also indicate, using drop down, if the student completed
the practice questions during the comprehensive exam course;
o The faculty member in coordination with the program director will identify a
second reader for the exam; and
ensure the student does not take the exam prior to the last week of the course.
Program Directors Role
All program directors will
ensure all comprehensive courses have appropriate grading rubrics;
ensure all faculty teaching courses are appropriately trained and follow the EOP
manual;
ensure a copy of the End of Program Assessment Manual for Graduate Studies is in
the classroom and accessible to students;
8
vet all questions and processes and ensure all course expectations and
requirements are consistent;
monitor and track all failures and secure readers to provide second reviews in the
case of failed grades; and
ensure that all faculty are submitting the report to the Registrar regarding the reason
for any failing grades.
Proctoring
Comprehensive exams may be proctored pursuant to school and program requirements. If
the student is enrolled in a comprehensive exam course that is proctored, faculty members
will provide the following link to the APUS Web form during the first week of class:
http://www.apus.edu/proctor/select-proctor.
APUS is not responsible for finding proctors for individual students. It is the students
responsibility to do this and to complete the Web form process. If a student indicates on the
Web form that he/she cannot find a proctor, proctor monitoring staff will contact the student
to discuss possible options.
Once the Web form is completed, the proctor monitor will be able to reach out to
assist with proctor identification and the rest of the process.
Note: Proctor monitors have no way to contact a student who has not completed the
Web form.
The following are the requirements for proctors:

Your proctor will have overall responsibility for the security of the test administration. Your
proctor must hold either a minimum of a bachelor's degree OR one of the following
professional positions:
administrator or faculty member of any accredited institution of higher education ;

school teacher, counselor, local or regional librarian, or administrator;
human resources manager, training manager, supervisor, or manager of higher rank;
for military personnel: DANTES test control officer, educational services officer, base
librarian, or officer; or
member of the clergy.
Note: Family members are not eligible to proctor your exam. Family members are defined as:
spouse and his/her parents;

sons and daughters and their spouses;
parents and their spouses;
brothers and sisters and their spouses;
9
grandparents and grandchildren and their spouses; or

domestic partner and his/her parents.
Students with questions about the process should direct them to the assigned faculty
member. If the faculty member is unable to assist, students may also contact
proctor@apus.edu.
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CHAPTER II
Master's Capstone: Thesis Option
The master's thesis provides an opportunity for students to
plan and execute a major research project;
provide a contribution to knowledge in their discipline;
demonstrate mastery of the skills required of professional analysts and for more
advanced graduate studies;
demonstrate familiarity with major schools of thought and principal published works
in the field; and
and either continue or begin working in their chosen profession.
Beginning the Thesis Project
The master's capstone thesis option includes a thesis or a major research project or paper
in lieu of the final comprehensive examination. A thesis must have a substantial research
component, present an original argument, use proper academic writing conventions,
including carefully documented primary and/or secondary sources, and should be, at
minimum, fifty pages in length. This page count does NOT include the front and back matter
(e.g., table of contents, lists of figures, illustrations and tables, acknowledgment and
dedication pages, abstract, end notes pages, bibliography, appendices, etc.).
Students electing this option will have three less graduate electives than those students
enrolled in a comprehensive exam program. Students enrolling in a capstone option
program will already have this reflected in their online academic plan. This option is
desirable for those students who wish to focus on specific subject matter or who would like
to continue their education at a higher level. Students enroll in the course available in the
given session and work with the professor on defining a thesis.
During thesis proposal process, the supervising professor may determine that the proposal
requires a human subject review by the APUS Institutional Review Board (IRB). If IRB review
is needed, the student will be advised by the professor to complete this process during the
initial weeks of the class. The IRB process can take up to one month to complete. NOTE:
Theses involving human subjects without an IRB approval will not be made available on the
public Web. More information about the APUS IRB can be found at
http://www.apus.edu/community-scholars/institutional-review-board/.
The course is tailored specifically to each graduate program and must be the last course
masters degree students take from APUS. The capstone course may be taken only after the
completion of all coursework. That is, no concurrent coursework is permitted. Students must
successfully complete this requirement before the award of a degree. Students must also
11
apply for graduation and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to be able to register for the
course.
Thesis Proposal
A formal thesis proposal is required and shall be prepared in accordance with the standards
of the academic discipline. The formal proposal must provide a clear and lucid description of
a question or problem and a proposed method for answering it. Capstone thesis faculty
must approve the proposal before students move on to the next stage of the process.
The proposal should explain the question or problem to be investigated and convince the
thesis professor that the question or problem merits investigation. It should show that the
student has read the relevant and recent literature on the subject, and it should contain a
list of academically appropriate resources consulted during the preliminary stages of
research. In general, the thesis proposal should include background information related to
the research topic, purpose of the research, methodology, and analytic procedures to be
used.
Proposal drafting is considered a learning process and helps students avoid oversights and
possible mistakes. The formal proposal should not exceed five pages (title page not
included). For an overview of the required components a thesis should contain, see
Appendix 1. For further guidance on the format of the proposal, see the requirements within
the classroom.
Students are expected to work with their advisors and must follow all guidance provided in
the course, including submitting all required components of the research process. Students
should not expect to submit a final product at the end of the course without having
completed each stage of the research process as outlined. Professors are not required to
accept theses that have not undergone this review process.
Preparing the Thesis
Thesis preparation entails a partnership between the student and professor. The student
and professor shall coordinate the process for the student to submit and receive feedback
on drafts of thesis sections. The student is also encouraged to ask other APUS faculty and
professionals and leaders in his/her field of study to volunteer as thesis readers and provide
feedback on drafts of thesis sections where these faculty members and professionals may
have special expertise. For example, a student's graduate research methods instructor may
be asked for feedback on the thesis research design.
Notes:

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scholarship. 2 Evidence of academic dishonesty found in a comprehensive exam or

capstone paper will result in a grade of an F for the exam/course.
Thesis formatting shall be in strict accordance with the End of Program Assessment
Manual for Graduate Studies (EOP Manual) to ensure uniformity across the
university.
The citation approach and manuscript formatting is established by the program or
schools officially designated style manual; however, the following are required to
follow the formats shown in Appendixes 4-8.
o Title page (required; Appendix 4) 3
o University Publication License /Copyright page (required; Appendix 5)
o Dedication page (if included; Appendix 6)
o Acknowledgements page (if included; Appendix 7)
o Abstract of the thesis (required; Appendix 8)
The Table of Contents, List of Tables, and List of Figures should be formatted
according to the programs or schools designated style manual with the following
exceptions (see Appendixes 9-11 for examples):
o Dot leaders (periods between words and pages) are required.
o Pages should be left justified.
o Double space between entries.
o NOTE: Hyperlinking to sections within the thesis can add ease to navigation.
Style manuals are located in the APUS Library at
http://apus.campusguides.com/APUS_ePress/style_guides.
The thesis must also follow appropriate APUS Library declarations (see
Chapter VI).
Appropriate stylistic formatting and documentation are the students responsibility.
Student papers that do not follow the prescribed style rules will not be accepted.
Approval of Thesis
Once a final thesis manuscript is approved by the thesis professor, it will be graded based
on the standards in the programs grading rubric on a categorical scale of A+ through F. A
grade of an A+ (or 96 percent and above) is the equivalent of the comprehensive exam
designation of Pass with Distinction. Thus, an A+ is only given to those papers that
demonstrate excellence in originality, research, argument, and expression. Any thesis that
receives this grade must be of such high quality that it is potentially publishable in a
discipline-appropriate scholarly academic journal.
2
This means that papers using APA formatting should not include the running head on the title page.
13
The following signatures are required for approval on the APUS Library Capstone
Submission/Approval Form: capstone professor, program director, and academic dean.
Those programs that require a 2nd reader must include that persons signature as well.
Submission of Final Thesis
The last step in the thesis project is to submit the final manuscript (in Microsoft Word
format) to the APUS Library. This is done by the program director and NOT the student.
All thesis capstone papers are retained by the APUS Library. The program director must
submit the students paper within one month of the course completion date. All spelling,
grammar, citations, etc. must be correct and appropriate. Instructor feedback comments
should not appear in the final version submitted to the library. The students paper must be
checked using a plagiarism detection tool before submission.
Exceptional works, those that received a grade of an A+, will be considered for publication by
the APUS Library in DigitalCommons@APUS as an example of a capstone project that meets
the highest level of distinction.
In order to have your paper considered for inclusion, the paper must:
have received a grade of A+ (i.e., equivalent of a Pass with Distinction);

have been recommended by the instructor, the program director, AND the school
dean;
been approved by the Director of Graduate Studies;
include the Institutional Review Board (IRB) authorization documentation, if
appropriate;
have the approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies; and
have met the publication guidelines of the APUS Library.
See Chapter VI for detailed submission procedures and Appendix 16 for the Checklist for
Thesis/Capstone Submission to APUS Library (which includes the link for the APUS Library
Capstone Submission/Approval Form).
Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts
Students who have not successfully completed their capstone project during the period
allowed for the capstone course may be allowed one extension opportunity to complete the
requirement. Students who are permitted this opportunity will temporarily be issued an
incomplete for the course and be allowed a 30-day extension to meet the requirements as
outlined by the advisor.
In order for students to be permitted any additional extensions on their original capstone
course the faculty member must forward all second extension requests in the capstone
14
course to academics@apus.edu. The extension request will be reviewed by a committee of

two that includes the dean of the students school and the Dean of Graduate Studies. In the
event the student fails to meet the extension deadlines, the original capstone course grade
will either remain as a failing grade or as a withdrawal, depending upon the documentation
a student is able to submit.
If a student has failed the capstone, and it is determined to be caused by the students
inability to use proper academic writing conventions, the student may be required to
complete COLL501 prior to enrolling in a final attempt at the capstone course.
NOTE: Each new attempt at a comprehensive exam or capstone requires the student
The student has the right to appeal issues related to the capstone process in line with the
standard APUS appeals process by contacting academics@apus.edu.
Faculty Role
Faculty in the capstone courses will
ensure the academic quality and integrity of the thesis;
direct the intellectual content and proper formatting of the thesis;
provide students with a detailed process to submit and receive feedback on drafts of
thesis sections;
approve the proposal before students move on to the next stage of the process;
provide students with extensive in-text feedback on drafts;
submit paper to a plagiarism detection tool;
send the manuscript and a copy of the thesis and the thesis rubric evaluation to the
program director who will then forward to a second reader, if required;
issue a final thesis grade using the program-approved rubric;
in the event of the student fails the thesis, when submitting the final grade, indicate
the reason for that grade;
should be made available to the student.
work with students who require an extension to ensure completion within the allotted
timeframe; and
submit the completed document to the program director to be signed by him/her and
the school dean before being forwarded on to the APUS Library as outlined in Chapter
VI. Submitted along with this are the following documents:
15
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
required cover letter/page;

recommendation for publication (if applicable);
school deans recommendation for publication (if applicable);
IRB documentation (if applicable; see Appendix 15); and
Submission and Approval forms (see Appendix 16).
NOTE: The last 4 items in this list are included in the APUS Library Capstone
Submission/Approval Form.
Second Readers: Some programs require second readers for the thesis. The second reader
will be chosen by the program director or school dean. The task of the second reader is to
review the thesis using the program-approved rubric. The second reader will independently
grade the work. Once the second reader has received the thesis, he/she has one week to
review and respond to the thesis advisor. If the second readers evaluation does not concur
with that of the thesis advisor, the paper will go to the appropriate program director or
school dean to issue a decision about the final grade.
ensure all capstones courses have appropriate grading rubrics;
ensure all thesis courses are set up properly and include a requirement for a thesis
proposal;
ensure a copy of the End of Program Assessment Manual is in the classroom and
accessible to students;
ensure all faculty who teach the capstone courses are appropriately trained and
qualified to do so;
vet all capstone requirements and ensure course expectations and requirements are
consistent across courses;
monitor and track all failures and ensure faculty are reporting the reason for failing
grades;
select second readers, if appropriate; and
issue final approval for all capstones, secure school deans signature, and submit
work to the APUS Library (see Chapter VI and Appendix 16).
16
CHAPTER III
Master's Capstone: Creative Project
The master's creative project provides an opportunity for students to
plan and execute a creative project;

provide a contribution to their discipline;
demonstrate mastery of the skills required of professionals in their discipline; and
culminate their graduate-student experience as they complete their master's program
Beginning the Creative Project

successfully complete this requirement before the award of a degree. Students must apply
for graduation and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to be able to register for the course.
Creative Project Proposal
A formal creative project proposal is required and shall be prepared in accordance with the
standards of the academic discipline. The formal proposal must provide a clear and lucid
description of a creative project and must include a discussion of how that project is
situated within the discipline. The proposal should explain the goal and intent of the project
and convince the professor that the project fits within the discipline, can be completed in
the allotted time, and comports with discipline standards.
Proposal drafting is considered a learning process and helps the student avoid oversights
and possible mistakes. It should show that the student has read the relevant and recent
literature on the subject, and it should contain a list of materials consulted during the
preliminary stages of research.
In general, the creative project proposal should include background information related to
the project topic, the purpose of the project, and investigatory procedures to be used. The
formal proposal should not exceed five pages (title page not included). For further guidance
on the format of the proposal see requirements within the classroom. An overview of the
required components of an M.A. creative project can be found in Appendix 2. Professors are
not required to accept work that has not undergone this review process.
Completing the Creative Project
Creative project preparation entails a partnership between the student and the professor
who is responsible for directing the intellectual content and activities of the project. The
17
student and professor shall coordinate the process for the student to submit and receive
feedback on project activities. The student also is encouraged to ask other APUS faculty and
professionals and leaders in his/her field of study to volunteer to observ e and provide
feedback on project activities where these faculty members and professionals may have
special expertise.
Notes:

Creative project length and depth shall be in accordance with disciplinary standards.
Formatting shall be in strict accordance with the End of Program Assessment Manual
for Graduate Studies (aka EOP Manual) to ensure uniformity across the university.
The thesis must also follow appropriate APUS Library declarations (see Chapter VI).
4
18
Approval of Creative Project

Once a final project manuscript is approved by the capstone professor, the creative project will be
graded based on the standards in the creative project rubric on a categorical scale of grades
A+ through F. A grade of an A+ (or 96 percent) is the equivalent of the comprehensive exam
designation of Pass with Distinction. Thus, an A+ is only given to those works that
demonstrate excellence in originality, research, argument, and/or expression. The creative
project that receives this grade must be of such high quality that it is potentially publishable
in a discipline-appropriate academic journal.
Submission of Creative Project Report
The last step in the project is to submit the final manuscript (in Microsoft Word format) to
the APUS Library. This is done by the program director and NOT the student.
All capstone papers are retained by the APUS Library. The program director must submit the
students paper within one month of the course completion date. All spelling, grammar,
citations, etc. must be correct and appropriate. Instructor feedback comments should not
appear in the final version submitted to the APUS Library. The students paper must be
checked using a plagiarism detection tool before submission.

dean;
appropriate; and
19

requirement. Students who are permitted this opportunity will temporarily be issu ed an
incomplete for the course and be allowed a 30 day extension to meet the requirements as
event the students fails to meet the extension deadlines, the original capstone course grade
will either remain as a failing grade, or as a withdrawal, depending upon the documentation
The student has the right to appeal issues related to the comprehensive examination in line
with the standard APUS appeals process by contacting academics@apus.edu.
Faculty Role
Faculty in these courses will
ensure the academic quality and integrity of the work;
direct the intellectual content and proper formatting of the project;
provide students with a detailed process to submit and receive feedback on project
drafts;
provide students with extensive in-text feedback on project drafts;
issue a final project grade using the program-approved rubric;
send the manuscript and a copy of the capstone and the capstone rubric evalu ation
to the program director who will then forward to a second reader, if required;
in the event of the student fails the capstone, when submitting the final grade,
indicate the reason for that grade;
20
timeframe; and
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Submission and Approval forms (see Appendices 16).
Submission/Approval Form
Second Readers: Some programs require second readers for the capstone. The second
reader will be chosen by the program director or school dean. The task of the second reader
is to review the capstone using the program-approved rubric. The second reader will
independently grade the work. Once the second reader has received the capstone, he/she
has one week to review and respond to the capstone advisor. If the second readers
evaluation does not concur with the capstone advisor, the paper will go to the appropriate
program director or school dean to issue a decision about the final grade.
In the event of a failing grade, the rubric must be provided to the program director who will
appoint a second reader to review the work.
ensure all capstone courses are set up properly and include a requirement for a
creative project proposal;
qualified to do so;
21
grades;
22
CHAPTER IV
Master's Capstone: Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper
The master's practicum and critical reflection paper provide an opportunity for students to
obtain experience in a focused area or discipline of their study;

critically reflect on work experience in light of theory learned in class;
Beginning the Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper

Practicum Proposal
A formal practicum proposal is required and shall be prepared in accordance with the
standards of the academic discipline. The formal proposal must provide a clear and lucid
description of the practicum including the location or organization in which the practicum
will be completed, a description of the 160 hours of work required to complete the
practicum, the schedule and objectives for the work to be completed, and the name and title
of the supervising staff member at the organization. In addition, the students will need to
describe how completing this practicum is consistent with their course of study and
articulate the objectives they hope to achieve through the completion of this practicum.
The proposal should explain the objectives to be learned and convince the practicum
professor that the proposed practicum merits application and integration of learning for the
student and specified degree. It should show that the student has read the relevant and
recent literature related to the practicum selection, and it should contain a list of materials
consulted during the preliminary stages as part of the rationale for doing the practicum in
the identified organization.
In general, the practicum proposal should include background information related to the
learning objectives, identification, selection, and background of the organization and work to
be completed, purpose of the practicum, and critical reflection process procedures to be
used during it. The formal proposal should not exceed five pages (title page not included).
Proposal drafting is considered a learning process and helps the students avoid oversights
and possible mistakes. For further guidance on the format of the proposal see requirements
23
within the classroom. An overview of the required components of an M.A. Practicum paper
can be found in Appendix 3.
Completing the Practicum
Practicum preparation entails a partnership between the student, an outside organization,
and a supervising professor who is responsible for directing the intellectual content and
activities of the practicum. One hundred sixty on-site hours are required for successful
completion of the practicum. The practicum may not be completed in the students current
reporting structure at work, and it is preferred that it be completed at an organization other
than the students current place of employment.
Selecting an appropriate mentor in the workplace who will support the learning of the
student in this process is critical to the successful completion of the practicum. The
professor will provide guidelines for selecting a mentor and the mentors role in the
practicum.
Students are required to keep a log or journal during the practicum and to write a critical
reflection paper on this experience. The integration paper will be between 25 and 30 pages
and follow a method similar to David Kolbs experiential learning style as the basis and
method for writing the paper.
Completion of the reflection paper and formatting shall be directed by the professor. The
feedback on practicum activities and the critical reflection paper.
The student also is required to obtain the mentor (see above) who will provide feedback on
practicum activities. Outside faculty and other professionals opinions and feedback also
may be sought, especially where faculty members and professionals have special expertise.
Before consulting outside sources, be sure to consult your course instructor.
Notes:

The papers length and depth shall be in accordance with disciplinary standards.
for Graduate Studies to ensure uniformity across the university.
6
24

Chapter VI).
Approval of the Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper

Once a final critical reflection paper is approved by the professor, final grading for the practicums
and the critical reflection paper will be based on the standards in the APUS practicum and
critical reflection rubric on a categorical scale of A+ through F. A grade of an A+ is the
equivalent of the comprehensive exam designation of Pass with Distinction. Thus, a grade of
an A+ is only given to those projects that demonstrate excellence and are of the highest
quality. The project that receives this grade must be of such high quality that it is potentially
publishable in a discipline-appropriate scholarly academic journal.
Submission of Critical Reflection Paper
The final step in the project is to submit the final manuscript to the APUS Library, which is
done by the program director and NOT the student.
25
All capstone papers are retained by the APUS Library. The program director must submit the
appear in the final version submitted to the library. The students paper must be checked by
a plagiarism detection tool before submission.

dean;
appropriate; and
26
The student has the right to appeal issues related to the comprehensive examination or
capstone in line with the standard APUS appeals process by contacting
academics@apus.edu.
Faculty Role
drafts;
send the manuscript and a copy of the capstone and the capstone rubric evaluation
timeframe; and
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

27
ensure all capstone courses are set up properly and include a requirement for a
capstone project proposal;
qualified to do so;
ensure a copy of the End of Program Assessment Manual is in the classroom and
accessible to students;
provide guidelines for selecting a mentor and the mentors role in the practicum;
grades;
issue final approval for all capstones, secure school deans signature and submit
28
CHAPTER V
Master's Capstone: Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper Option
The master's portfolio option provides an opportunity for students to
demonstrate a mastery of the area or discipline of their study;

critically reflect on the learning that has occurred during their study;
apply theory learned in class to real world situations and scenarios;
Beginning the Portfolio Option

Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper

Each program specifies the artifacts that make up the portfolio. Students are expected to
retain these artifacts as they progress through their program. These artifacts will be
reviewed and reevaluated by the student and the professor.
Students are required to keep a log or journal during their course of study at APUS. This will
help the student when they have to write a critical reflection paper on their learning
experience.
The final capstone course provides the opportunity for students to reflect upon their learning
and to demonstrate through their critical reflection paper that they have met the program
learning outcomes. This will entail reflection on the various artifacts, but also application of
critical discipline theory. Professors work with students as they demonstrate the programs
established competencies. The paper should also show that the student has read the
relevant and recent literature related to the program and it should contain a list of materials
consulted during the students course of study. It should be roughly 50 pages (not including
front and back matter).
29
Completing the Capstone

Portfolio preparation entails a partnership between the student and the supervising
professor who is responsible for directing the intellectual content and activities of the
portfolio.
Completion of the reflection paper and formatting shall be directed by the professor. The
feedback on practicum activities and the critical reflection paper.
Notes:

The papers length and depth shall be in accordance with disciplinary standards.
for Graduate Studies to ensure uniformity across the university.
NOTE: Hyperlinking to sections within the thesis can add ease to navigation. Style
manuals are located in the APUS Library at
8
30
Chapter VI).
Approval of the Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper

Once a final critical reflection paper is approved by the professor, final grading for the portfolio and
the critical reflection paper will be based on the standards in the APUS portfolio and critical
reflection rubric on a categorical scale of A+ through F. A grade of an A+ is the equivalent of
the comprehensive exam designation of Pass with Distinction. Thus, a grade of an A+ is only
given to those projects that demonstrate excellence and are of the highest quality. The
project that receives this grade must be of such high quality that it is potentially publishable
in a discipline-appropriate scholarly academic journal.
Submission of Critical Reflection Paper
The final step in the project is to submit the final manuscript to the APUS Library, which is
done by the program director and NOT the student.
All capstone papers are retained by the APUS Library. Program directors must submit the
appear in the final version submitted to the library. The students paper must be checked
using a plagiarism detection tool before submission.

dean;
appropriate; and
31
The student has the right to appeal issues related to the comprehensive examination in line
with the standard APUS appeals process by contacting academics@apus.edu.
Faculty Role
drafts;
32
send the manuscript and a copy of the capstone and the capstone rubric evaluation
timeframe; and
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

ensure all capstone courses are set up properly;
qualified to do so;
33
grades;
34
CHAPTER VI
University Declarations and APUS Library Registration
This section of the manual addresses those factors, along with assistance, for the use of
Microsoft Word, the universitys designated word processing software.
The APUS Library is acting in its capacity as publisher of record and regulator for scholarly
publication along with the maintenance of current Web standards. In addition to the
facultys responsibility for subject area competence, the APUS Library retains approval rights
for featuring capstone writing projects. Only projects that have met the standard of Pass
with Distinction and have been approved are eligible for inclusion in the Universitys online
publication database, DigitalCommons@APUS.
All successful capstone projects must be submitted to the APUS Library following the
guidance in this chapter.
In keeping with scholarly standards, the university demands that all textual materials be
warranted and constructed in good order, which implies writing in standard English,
checking spelling and grammar, and conforming with stylistic rules from the students
academic or professional program and its designated style manual (APA, Bluebook,
Chicago/Turabian, or MLA). Style manuals are located in the APUS Library at
Because APUS is an online school, student work products also must be designed with Web
publication in mind. Graduate students are expected to demonstrate word-processing skills.
The resulting paper must align with Internet delivery and search engine discovery, as well as
with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) criteria for a semantic network and disabled
student access under Section 508.
Note: The APUS Library is committed to open access, ADA accessibility methods, and
long-term maintenance of all accepted submissions. While the library encourages the
use of images, diagrams, media files, and datasets, it does not engage in long-term
formal normalization and preservation methods for images, datasets, or media files.
1. Declarations
The author must agree to and include the following statements at the bottom of the
manuscripts copyright page:
35
University Publication License: The applicant must grant the university a nonexclusive
license to publish the submission on its Web site and/or in the APUS Library. Use the
following language:
The author hereby grants the American Public University System the right to display
these contents for educational purposes.
Copyright Warrant: The applicant assumes responsibility for meeting the

requirements set by United States copyright law (http://www.copyright.gov/eco/).
Use the following language:
The author assumes total responsibility for meeting the requirements set by United
States copyright law for the inclusion of any materials that are not the authors
creation or in the public domain.
See Appendix 5 for the required, correct page format for both statements.
2. Textual Components
Academic Style Manual Conformity
The citation approach and manuscript formatting is established by the program or schools
officially designated style manual; however, the following are required to follow the formats
shown in Appendixes 4-8.
Title page (required; Appendix 4) 10
University Publication License /Copyright page (required; Appendix 5)
Dedication page (if included; Appendix 6)
Acknowledgements page (if included; Appendix 7)
Abstract of the thesis (required; Appendix 8)
The Table of Contents, List of Tables, and List of Figures should be formatted according to
the programs or schools designated style manual with the following exceptions (see
Appendixes 9-11 for examples):
Dot leaders (periods between words and pages) are required.
Pages should be left justified.
Double space between entries.
NOTE: Hyperlinking to sections within the thesis can add ease to navigation.
10
36
Check the Styles Guides at APUS page of the APUS ePress website
(http://apus.campusguides.com/APUS_ePress/style_guides) for help where the style
manual is ambiguous or clashes with Web publication methods. You may also consult with a
librarian: librarian@apus.edu.
The APUS ePress provides abbreviated versions of the APA 11 and MLA 12 academic style
guides at no cost. These editions are not the complete guides. (You are free to purchase
your own copies of the style guides, either directly from their respective publishers or online
via such suppliers as Amazon or Barnes and Noble.) The Chicago Manual of Style Online 13
and The Bluebook Online are provided by the APUS Library to APUS students, faculty, and
staff.
3. Images and Tables
All images and tables must be numbered and clearly labeled according to style manual
dictates. In addition to clarity and publication demands, this requirement helps to address
the World Wide Web Consortiums (W3C) demands for universal access and parallel federal
requirements under Section 508 to ensure access for those with disabilities.
Image Insert/Formats
Images are normally placed within the text using the Picture command, which is found under
the Insert tab on the main toolbar. (When placed on a Web page, such materials are
normally enhanced with a description using the alt tag.) Please use common sense to
describe images (i.e., fire rescue, maps, Philadelphia). If in doubt, consult a librarian at
librarian@apus.edu for specifics and added background. Acceptable digital formats include:
.gif, especially appropriate for line drawings and graphs;

.jpg/.jpeg, the overall default format and the dominant style for mounting pictures on
the Web;
.png, Microsofts image format that works with most Web browsers; and
.tif/.tiff, the archival standard for preservation purposes that also produces extremely
large files.
11
Aka, The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
12
Aka, the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
The Turabian style guide (aka, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations) is based
on the Chicago Manual of Style. It is available in print or Kindle format only.
13
37
4. Video or Audio
Those seeking to submit digital audio or video files may utilize MP3 (audio) or MP4 (video)
formats. File-size considerations should be kept in mind, and if the file is prohibitively large,
a version without video inserts should be provided with the video and audio files provided as
external files and references. These areas contain rapidly changing archival standards and
normally require specialized formatting with Codecs (compression schemes) for
presentation on the Web. In general, the applicant should expect to
include identifying metadata within the file(s); and
include a textual equivalent (transcript) to meet universal access/Section 504
compliance.
With respect to submission to the APUS Library, if there are questions regarding the proper
submission of supplemental digital audio or video files, contact ThesisInfo@apus.edu.
5. URLs/Web Addresses
When noting a URL or Web address, the default format should be that of the style manual of
your program. Note: Microsoft Word will automatically embed the codes to link directly to the
resources. Citations to permanent or persistent links are preferred (i.e., DOI: Digital Object
Identifier). Do not use link-abbreviating tools (i.e., TinyURL, etc.).
6. Submission
The APUS Library serves as the repository for all thesis/capstone papers. Without exception,
all passing graduate capstone papers must be submitted to the APUS Library where they will
be retained in the Universitys digital archive.
Papers submitted to the APUS Library by the student will not be accepted. The student
should contact their capstone advisor concerning submission on their behalf. The program
director or school dean are to submit the capstone documents.
The required format for the thesis files is Microsoft Word.
The main thesis manuscript file should be titled with the authors last name and submission
year (e.g., jones-2007). Multipart submissions are to be placed in a similarly titled folder
(e.g., lastname-yyyy).
The submission to the APUS Library must include
The completed APUS Library Submission/Capstone Approval Form (available at this

link): APUS Library Capstone Submission/Approval Form (for PD use only).
o NOTE: Form must be downloaded before fields can be filled out.
o The new form does not work with older version of the Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Be sure you have the latest version: https://get.adobe.com/reader/
38
The FINAL Thesis document in Microsoft Word file format

IRB Review documents (if applicable)
Submit the above via email to ThesisCapstoneSubmission@apus.edu. See Appendix 16 for

step-by-step instructions. If you have any difficulties with submission, have additional files,
have a file that is too large for email submission, or have any other questions, contact the
APUS Library at ThesisInfo@apus.edu.
After submission to the APUS Library, the thesis/capstone paper, the email cover letter, and
the submission/approval form are stored in the Universitys digital archive. The librarian(s) in
charge of thesis submissions will process the files for electronic storage and access. Only
projects that have met the standard of Pass with Distinction and meet publication guidelines
set by the APUS Library are eligible for inclusion in DigitalCommons@APUS.
7. DigitalCommons@APUS
The students capstone professor and program director are responsible for determining if
the capstone project meets the criteria for Pass with Distinction and is therefore eligible for
consideration to be published in DigitalCommons@APUS. All academic work must meet the
programs academic levels, be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies, and be
approved for Web publication by the APUS.
Papers accepted for publication by the APUS Library will be posted publically on
DigitalCommons@APUS with an active link to a PDF version of the paper.
39
CHAPTER VII
Scholarly Research/Copyright Conduct
For capstone quality assurance and approval, a condition of publication is that the capstone
advisor agrees to have his/her name displayed next to the masters capstone studentauthor. There will be no exceptions. All capstone projects awarded an A+ will be considered
for publication by the APUS Library in DigitalCommons@APUS as an example of a capstone
project that meets the highest level of distinction.
1. Copyright
Copyright concerns focus primarily on copyright law both for registering intellectual property
and keeping to scholarly standards, especially the avoidance of plagiarism. In legal terms,
the United States is a signatory of the international Berne Convention for the Protection of
Literary and Artistic Works (http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/berne/index.html). More
importantly, internal enforcement is codified under Title 17 of the 1976 Copyright Act as
amended. The Librarian of Congress is the officially designated interpreter of the act, which
also is subject to decisions in the federal court system (See U.S. Copyright Office,
http://www.copyright.gov).
Note: Foreign copyrights are valid in the U.S. Material published outside the U.S. and
may not have clear-cut rules. Some authorities advise that it is not safe to assume a
foreign work copyrighted in the last two hundred years is in the public domain.
Copyrighting Your Research
Under the Berne Convention, original intellectual contributions are automatically copyrighted
when captured in a fixed medium, such as in print or a video. Under U.S. copyright law,
copyright for works created after January 1, 1978 normally extend for the life of the author
plus 70 years. The creator also may choose to formally register copyright status. Registration
is a legal formality that makes a public record of the exact details of a copyright claim. It is
necessary in order to bring suit against an infringer for damages. Registration can be done
online through the Electronic Copyright Office (http://www.copyright.gov/eco), as well as by
mail and in person. It requires three elements:
completed registration form

nonrefundable fee
nonreturnable deposit copy
Fair Use Exemptions and Citation Responsibility
Copyright law balances between guaranteeing the creator appropriate recompense and the
public good. Materials are either in the public domain or under copyright. Anything published
by the government or before 1923 is normally in the public domain and may be freely used.
40
At this time, assume that anything else is covered by copyrightespecially if it displays the
international copyright sign: .
Normally, students have no problem directly quoting reasonable amounts of material within
their narratives. The 1976 Copyright Act has even included exemptions for educational
purposes under the doctrine of fair use. The main test is one of substantiality. The amount
of material that may be freely quoted depends on the size and nature of its context. Feel
free to use a full page or even excerpts that total a chapter from a substantial book. Yet, an
entire poem or substantial excerpts from a short story may be too big and require
permission. Consult with librarians at librarian@apus.edu in the APUS Library for specific
guidance.
Similarly, media (images, video, audio, and datasets) should be utilized with the copyright
holders permission or, if not possible, judiciously and with evidence of obtaining the media
creators permission. Papers submitted without proper permissions will not be featured by
the library. Questions regarding copyright guidance can be sent to copyright@apus.edu.
Please consult with librarians in the APUS Library ahead of time as much as possible if your
research involves significant amounts of copyrighted media.
More importantly, university policy mandates that students must be aware of the crucial
importance of attribution for direct quotations, paraphrases, or the source of ideas that are
used in their manuscripts. Graduate studies are intended to share within a discipline and
build on the work of its scholars. The general rule is, when in doubt, cite. Check the
appropriate style manual of your program for details.
Copyright Permission
Although rarely needed, students may be responsible for securing copyright releases for
substantial use of a copyrighted item. Permission also may be required as a courtesy for the
use of materials from certain private collections and museums without respect to copyright.
Any letter(s) of permission become part of the appendices in the submission (see Appendix
12 for a sample permission letter). Information about obtaining permission can be found
http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-fairuse.html#permission.
2. University Research Policies
Misconduct in research implies the intent to deceive or defraud; it extends to the
mistreatment of animals and human subjects. Misconduct includes, but is not limited to,
fabrication of or employment of spurious data, purposeful omission of any conflicting data,
deceptively selective reporting, misappropriation of intellectual property, and cases of
frivolous accusations. It does not include honest error or honest differences in interpretation
or judgments of data.
41
Student research misconduct resulting from regular course assignments that are not
published for public scrutiny remains under the purview of the instructor and is not subject
to these protocols. Other common forms of misconduct covered by these protocols are
defined as follows.
Falsification of data is deliberately changing any form of evidence in such a way that
it substantially affects its usefulness.
Plagiarism is deliberately appropriating the writing or recorded work of another
without his/her consent or improperly documenting for one's own benefit.
Conflict of interest occurs when an individual serves or represents two distinct
entities and neglects or breaches a duty to one entity to benefit the other or when a
person uses his/her position with one entity to advance a personal gain or the gain of
another entity.
Fraud and misrepresentation are deliberate attempts to deceive others to secure
unlawful or unfair advantage. This category of misconduct includes providing false or
misleading information to or intentionally deceiving coauthors, granting agencies,
editors, or other interested parties regarding the results or the status of a research
project.
Noncompliance is failing to comply with the published regulations of federal
agencies, state agencies, the university, or granting agencies that support an
individual's research.
Misappropriation of research funds is any deliberate act or omission in the handling
of research funds that violates university policy, or the policies of granting agencies
either state or federal.
These policies apply to individuals (other than students involved in regular classroom
assignments) engaged in any form of research and scholarship, funded or otherwise, in
every discipline throughout the university.
3. Institutional Review Board
Students engaged in research that involves human subjects and whose research is
systematic and generalizable are required to complete an Institutional Review Board (IRB)
application, which includes Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program
courses. Students who plan to engage in human subject research should discuss it with the
course instructor at the very beginning of the course. The IRB process can take at least one
month.
For a brief overview of the IRB, visit
http://wpc.242f.edgecastcdn.net/00242F/academics/center-teachinglearning/web/IRB_Intro/IRB_Intro.html.
42
For detailed information on the APUS Institutional Review Board, visit,

http://www.apus.edu/community-scholars/institutional-review-board/.
Note: APUS takes academic dishonesty very seriously. Any evidence of plagiarism will result
in the students work being rejected and the student will fail the EOP course. Engaging in
academic dishonesty and/or plagiarism will directly threaten the ability of the student to
graduate from APUS.
43
Appendices
Appendix 1: M.A. Theses
M.A. theses are expected to contain the following elements:
Abstract: Includes the following components: purpose of the research, methodology,
findings, and conclusion. The body of the abstract is limited to 150-200 words.14
Introduction: Identifies students specific research question and sets the general context for
the study.
This section should include
a statement of the problem or general research question and context leading to a
clear statement of the specific research question;
background and contextual material justifying why this case or topic should be
studied; and
a purpose statement.
Literature Review: Reviews the literature on a specific research question. The literature
review focuses on discussing how other researchers have addressed the same or similar
research questions. It introduces the study and places it in larger context that includes a
discussion of why it is important to study this case. It provides the current state of
accumulated knowledge as it relates to the students specific research question.
Summarize the general state of the literature (cumulative knowledge base) on the
specific research question:
o Study one: summarize to include researchers findings, how those findings
were obtained, and evaluation of biases in the findings.
o Study two: summarize to include researchers findings, how those findings
were obtained, and evaluation of biases in the findings.
o Include a minimum of at least three of the most important studies.
Include a short conclusion and transition to the next section.
The APUS Center for Graduate Studies and the APUS Library have created an instructional module on Writing
the Abstract for Your Graduate Capstone Thesis at AMU/APU. It will take you through the entire process. You
can access it here: http://apus.campusguides.com/writing/thesiscapstone/abstract
14
44
Theoretical Framework/Approach: The theoretical framework section develops the theories
or models to be used in the study and shows how the student has developed testable
research hypotheses.
This section should include
an introduction discussing gaps in the literature, how this study will help fill some of
those gaps, and justification for the theory or model to be used in study;
a summary of the theory or model to be used in the study, including a diagram of the
model if appropriate; and
a statement of hypotheses to be tested.
Research Design/Methodology: Describes how the student will test the hypothesis and carry
out his/her analysis. This section describes the data to be used to test the hypothesis, how
the student will operationalize and collect data on his/her variables, and the analytic
methods that to be used, noting potential biases and limitations to the research approach. It
should include
identification and operationalization (measurement) of variables;

a sampling plan (i.e., study population and sampling procedures, if appropriate);
justification of case studies used;
data collection/sources (secondary literature, archives, interviews, surveys, etc.);
a summary of analysis procedures (pattern-matching, etc.); and
the limitations of study and bias discussion.
Findings/Results/Discussion: This section describes the results of the study. Keep in mind
that the results are the direct observations of the research, while the discussion is the
interpretation of the results and research. This should include, as appropriate:
results, including tables, graphs, statistics;

significance and interpretation of the results;
discussion of results as they relate to thesis statement/research question;
discussion of results as it relates to the theoretical framework/approach; and
directions for future research.
Reference List: References the works the student has cited (direct quotes or paraphrases)
in the text. This list must be formatted according to the schools prescribed style guide.
45
Appendix 2: M.A. Creative Projects

M.A. creative projects are expected to contain the following elements:
Introduction: This section identifies your specific creative project and sets the general
context for it.

Provide a clear and lucid description of the creative project including the goal and
intent of the project.
Discuss the schedule and objectives for the work to be completed.
Literature Review: The literature review focuses on how the creative project experience fits
into the discipline. Specifically, it introduces the project and places it in a larger context that
includes a discussion of how this experience helps the student meet the program objectives.
It provides the current state of accumulated knowledge as it relates to the project.
Describe how completing this project is consistent with the course of study.
Articulate the objectives the student hopes to achieve through the completion of this
project.
Provide a short conclusion and transition to the next section.
Findings Log/Journal: This section is where the students log/journal should be included
and where the student describes how the overall project experience is situated within
his/her discipline.
Include the log/journal kept for the duration of the project.
Discuss how the experiences mirror, contradict, or reinforce existing theoretical
knowledge relative to the students experience and discipline.
Provide a summary of ways in which the experience helped the student meet the
program objectives.
Discuss the limitations of the students experience and bias.
The Project: This section is where the student includes his/her project, which must comport
with discipline standards.
15
46
Reference List: This section should reference the works cited (direct quotes or paraphrases)
in the text. This list must be formatted according to the schools prescribed style guide.
47
Appendix 3: M.A. Practicum and Critical Reflection Papers

The M.A. practicum and critical reflection paper are expected to contain the following
elements:
Introduction: Identifies the students specific practicum experience and sets the general
context for the study.

Provide a clear and lucid description of the practicum, including the location or
organization in which the practicum will be completed.
Describe the 160 hours of work required to complete the practicum.
Include the schedule and objectives for the work to be completed.
List the name and title of the supervising staff member at the organization.
Literature Review: This section reviews the literature on the specific practicum. The
literature review focuses on how the practicum experience fits into the discipline.
Specifically, it introduces the practicum and places it in a larger context that includes a
discussion of how this experience helps the student meet the program objectives. It provides
the current state of accumulated knowledge as it relates to the students specific practicum
experience.
Describe how completing this practicum is consistent with the students course of
study.
Articulate the objectives the student hopes to achieve through the completion of this
practicum.
Provide a short conclusion and transition to the next section.
FindingsLog/Journal: This section is where the student includes his/her log/journal and
where he/she describes how the overall practicum experience is situated within your
discipline.
Include the log/journal kept for the duration of the practicum.
Discuss how the students experiences mirror, contradict, or reinforce existing
theoretical knowledge relative to his/her experience and discipline.
16
48
Provide a summary of ways in which the experience helped the student meet the
program objectives.
Discuss the limitations of the students experience and bias.
Reference List: Reference the works cited (direct quotes or paraphrases) in the text. This list
must be formatted according to the schools prescribed style guide.
49
Appendix 4: Title Page (Required format for all theses.)
Papers using APA

formatting should
not include the
running head on
the title page.
DRONES AS WEAPON OF WAR IN AF/PAK REGION
Top margin:
2 inches
A Master Thesis
Submitted to the Faculty
of
Spacing must be
consistent and
double-spaced.
Do not capitalize
by or of
American Public University

by
Richard James Smith
Left margin:
1.5 inches
In Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Degree
of
Master of Arts
December 2011
Month of
graduation
American Public University

Charles Town, WV
50
Bottom margin:
1.25 inches
Appendix 5: Sample of Copyright Page (Required format for all theses.)
NOTES:
Text should begin just after halfway
down the page.
This sample includes the
exact language that must be used.
The author hereby grants the American Public University System the right to display these
contents for educational purposes.
The author assumes total responsibility for meeting the requirements set by United States
copyright law for the inclusion of any materials that are not the authors creation or in the
public domain.
Copyright 2012 by Richard James Smith
All rights reserved.
51
Appendix 6: Sample of Dedication Page (Required format for all theses.)
NOTES:
down the page.
Text should be double-spaced.
DEDICATION
I dedicate this thesis to my parents. Without their patience, understanding, support,

and, most of all, love, the completion of this work would not have been possible.
52
Appendix 7: Sample of Acknowledgments Page (Required format for all

theses.)
NOTES:
down the page.
Text should be double-spaced.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to thank the members of my committee for their support, patience, and good
humor. Their gentle but firm direction has been most appreciated. Dr. Betty Morrow was
particularly helpful in guiding me toward a qualitative methodology. Dr. Judith Slaters
interest in a sense of competence was the impetus for my proposal. Finally, I would like to
thank my major professor, Dr. Stephen Fain. From the beginning, he had confidence in my
abilities to not only complete a degree, but to complete it with excellence.
I have found my course work throughout the national security program to be
stimulating and thoughtful, providing me with the tools with which to explore both past and
present ideas and issues.
53
Appendix 8: Sample of Abstract of the Thesis (Required format for all

theses.)
ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS
DRONES IN NATO LED EFFORTS IN AF/PAK

by
Richard James Smith
American Public University System, July 1, 2007
Charles Town, West Virginia
Professor John Doe, Thesis Professor
Begin typing the abstract here, double-spaced. The abstract must include the
following components: purpose of the research, methodology, findings, and conclusion. The
body of the abstract is limited to 150-200 words (no less than 150 and no more than 200).
NOTE:
The abstract is a required component of the thesis/capstone paper. If you are not sure of what an
abstract is or of how to write one, the APUS Center for Graduate Studies and the APUS Library have
created an instructional module on Writing the Abstract for Your Graduate Capstone Thesis at
AMU/APU, viewable at http://apus.campusguides.com/writing/thesiscapstone/abstract.
54
Appendix 9: Sample of a Table of Contents
Refer to the notes on the

following page for formatting
information.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER
PAGE
I.
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................... ......... 1
II.
LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................ 5

Competing Perceptions of National Security .................................................... 5
Drones as a Weapon of War............................................................................. 8
Afghanistan Security....................................................................................... 12
Pakistan Security............................................................................................ 15
III.
METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................. 24
Subjects and Setting ...................................................................................... 24
Data Collection Technique ............................................................................. 25
Statistical Analysis.......................................................................................... 27
Limitations of the Study ................................................................................. 30
IV.
RESULTS......................................................................................................... 34
Legal Framework ............................................................................................ 34
Impact of Drone Strikes on War Effort ........................................................... 38
Impact of Drone Strikes on U.S.-Pakistani Relations ..................................... 40
Impact of Drone Strikes on U.S. Regional Interests ....................................... 48
55
V.
DISCUSSION ................................................................................................... 49
Ethics and Legality of Using Drones ............................................................... 49
Competing Conceptions of Self-Defense and National Security .................... 50
Controversy about Use of Drones in Warfare ................................................. 52
Summary ........................................................................................................ 54
Recommendations ......................................................................................... 56
LIST OF REFERENCES ................................................................................................. 60
APPENDICES . ................................................................................. 66
NOTES:
Follow your style guide for exact formatting
requirements.
Dot leaders (periods between words and pages)
are required.
Hyperlinking to sections within the thesis can add
ease to navigation.
56
Appendix 10: Sample of List of Tables

LIST OF TABLES
TABLE
PAGE
1. Physical Education Teacher Demographic Data ............................................. ....... 15
2. Current University Student Demographic Data....................................................... 17
3. Number of High or Low Value Orientations for Respondents ................................. 25
4. Teacher Value Orientation Profile by Gender.......................................................... 28
5. Teacher Value Orientation Profile by Academic Rank ............................................ 33
6. Teacher Value Orientation Profile by Teaching Experience .................................... 39
7. Student Value Orientation Profile by Gender .......................................................... 41
8. Student Value Orientation Profile by Academic Major ............................................ 45
9. Student Value Orientation Profile in Different Year at University ........................... 51

NOTES:
requirements.
are required.
ease to navigation.
57
Appendix 11: Sample of List of Figures

LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE
PAGE
1. Physical Education Teacher Demographic Data ............................................. ....... 15
2. Current University Student Demographic Data....................................................... 17
3. Number of High or Low Value Orientations for Respondents ................................. 25
4. Teacher Value Orientation Profile by Gender.......................................................... 28
5. Teacher Value Orientation Profile by Academic Rank ............................................ 33
6. Teacher Value Orientation Profile by Teaching Experience .................................... 39
7. Student Value Orientation Profile by Gender .......................................................... 41
NOTES:
requirements.
are required.
ease to navigation.
58
Appendix 12: Sample of Permission to Quote or Reproduce Copyrighted

Material Letter
Date___________________________
I (we) _______________________________________________________________ owner(s) of

the copyright to the work known as ______________________________
_____________________________________________________________________ hereby
authorize _______________________________________________________ to use the
following material as part of his/her thesis to be submitted to American Public University
System.
Page
Line Numbers or Other Identification
_____________________
Signature
59
Appendix 13: Sample of Practicum Organizational Consent Form
Date___________________________
Name of organization _________________________________________________

Program _________________________________________________________
Work to be completed_________________________________________________
Dates of practicum/schedule ____________________________________________
I (we) _______________________________________________________________ as (state

position title) ______________________________ attest to the fact that (students name) will
be completing the above described practicum in our organization. We hereby authorize
(name of student) to work with us in completion of his/her masters degree at American
Public University System. It is our understanding that he/she will write a critical reflection
paper on this experience. The student may use/identify our name in the paper/the student is
required to keep our name anonymous in completing the reflection paper. (Name of person)
will serve as the mentor for this student in our organization throughout his/her work with us.
________________________________________________________________________
Signature
Title
Date
60
Appendix 14: Critical Reflection Method Required for Completion of

Practicum Paper
1. Description of the experience (5 - 7 pages)
2. Critical reflection on this experience and the related discipline practices experienced and
observed during the practicum in light of theory and literature relative to the work of the
practicum (8 - 10 pages)
3. Discussion of ways the theory and literature challenges/affirms the experience and ways
the experience challenges/affirms the literature and theory. (5 - 7 pages)
4. Recommendations for future practice and/or theory (5 - 6 pages)

I (we) _______________________________________________________________ owner(s) of
the copyright to the work known as ______________________________
_____________________________________________________________________ hereby
authorize _______________________________________________________ to use the
following material as part of his/her thesis to be submitted to American Public University
System.
Page
Line Numbers or Other Identification
_____________________
Signature
61
Appendix 15: Sample of IRB Approval Letter
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
1 April 2013
Dear John Smith,
The APUS IRB has reviewed and approved your application (submitted 4/6/2013). The approval
covers one calendar year. Should you need an extension beyond the one year timeframe, an
extension request will have to be submitted. However, this does not mean your research must be
complete within the one year time frame. Should your research using human subjects extend beyond
the time covered by this approval, you will need to submit an extension request to the IRB.
Sincerely,
Patricia J. Campbell
Chair, IRB
62
Appendix 16: Checklist for Thesis/Capstone Submission to APUS Library

All capstone projects must be submitted to the APUS Library for archiving by the program
director.
1. Download the APUS Library Capstone Submission/Approval Form from this link:
APUS Library Capstone Submission/Approval Form (for PD use only).
NOTE: Form must be downloaded before fields can be filled out.
The new form does not work with older version of the Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Be sure you have the latest version: https://get.adobe.com/reader/
This form contains interactive fillable fields. It is recommended you save this
file to your APUS laptop for ease of repeated use.
2. Complete the Submission/Approval Form
Note that all fields except Keywords and 2nd Readers Signature are required.
Check to make sure the spelling of the students name and paper title is correct.
3. Send the following as attachments to an email addressed to
ThesisCapstoneSubmission@apus.edu:
The completed Submission/Approval Form

The FINAL version of the thesis document in Microsoft Word file format.
IRB Review docs (if applicable)
4. The subject heading for submission email should be Thesis Submission [student
surname]
Example: Thesis Submission Jackson
5. Only one (1) thesis should be sent per email.
If you have any difficulties with submission, have additional files, have a file that is too large for
email submission, or have any other questions, contact the APUS Library at ThesisInfo@apus.edu.
63

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Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts................................................................................................ 14

CHAPTER III .......................................................................................................................................17

Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper ............................................................................................ 29

CHAPTER VII ......................................................................................................................................40

EOP Assessment Alternatives

Capstone, which includes the following variations (availability varies by degree

NOTE: Masters students in the School of Education have a different set of

The EOP assessment is meant to be a culminating experience, and as such, each

at APUS. Evidence of repeated violations of academic integrity may result in disciplinary

Beginning the Comprehensive Exam

Self-plagiarism. The student must be careful not to self-plagiarize in his/her exam.

The following are the requirements for proctors:

administrator or faculty member of any accredited institution of higher education ;

spouse and his/her parents;

grandparents and grandchildren and their spouses; or

Self-plagiarism. The student must be careful not to self-plagiarize in his/her exam.

scholarship. 2 Evidence of academic dishonesty found in a comprehensive exam or

have received a grade of A+ (i.e., equivalent of a Pass with Distinction);

course to academics@apus.edu. The extension request will be reviewed by a committee of

required cover letter/page;

plan and execute a creative project;

Beginning the Creative Project

Self-plagiarism. The student must be careful not to self-plagiarize in his/her exam.

Approval of Creative Project

have received a grade of A+ (i.e., equivalent of a Pass with Distinction);

Unsuccessful Capstone Attempts

required cover letter/page;

obtain experience in a focused area or discipline of their study;

Beginning the Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper

Self-plagiarism. The student must be careful not to self-plagiarize in his/her exam.

The citation approach and manuscript formatting is established by the program or

Approval of the Practicum and Critical Reflection Paper

have received a grade of A+ (i.e., equivalent of a Pass with Distinction);

required cover letter/page;

demonstrate a mastery of the area or discipline of their study;

Beginning the Portfolio Option

Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper

Completing the Capstone

Self-plagiarism. The student must be careful not to self-plagiarize in his/her exam.

Approval of the Portfolio and Critical Reflection Paper

have received a grade of A+ (i.e., equivalent of a Pass with Distinction);

required cover letter/page;

Copyright Warrant: The applicant assumes responsibility for meeting the

.gif, especially appropriate for line drawings and graphs;

Aka, The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

Aka, the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.

The completed APUS Library Submission/Capstone Approval Form (available at this

The FINAL Thesis document in Microsoft Word file format

Submit the above via email to ThesisCapstoneSubmission@apus.edu. See Appendix 16 for

completed registration form

Fair Use Exemptions and Citation Responsibility

For detailed information on the APUS Institutional Review Board, visit,

Theoretical Framework/Approach: The theoretical framework section develops the theories

identification and operationalization (measurement) of variables;

results, including tables, graphs, statistics;

Appendix 2: M.A. Creative Projects

context for it.

with discipline standards.

Appendix 3: M.A. Practicum and Critical Reflection Papers

context for the study.

must be formatted according to the schools prescribed style guide.