Master's Project: Adding Pollinator Habitat to Solar Farms
From Minnesota to Maryland, solar developers and farmers are seeing the agricultural and financial benefits of developing solar farms that use pollinator-friendly vegetation. Olivia Eskew (MEM’18) focused on creating a guide to assist the solar industry with developing these habits.
Master's Project: Helping Kids With Asthma Breathe Easier
Gina Daniel’s Master’s Project studied the effects of a high-efficiency indoor air filtration on peak expiratory flow (PEF) with asthmatic children in Shanghai.
Master's Project: San Francisco 2030 District
Eleanor collected and analyzed data on urban energy use for the San Francisco 2030 District. Her findings could help the district reach its 50% reduction goal. They also helped her land a post-graduation job as a program manager for the district.
Origin of Topics
MP topics may originate from faculty, students, client partners, or a combination thereof. During students’ first semester, MP ideas are collected and developed by a team of faculty and administrators. In some cases, students may also develop their own ideas. During their second semester, students are given a menu of MP topics from which to select from. They are then thoughtfully matched to projects based on interests and skillset.
Types of MPs
All MPs require a workload equivalent to that of 1.5 – 2 classes (i.e., 4-6 credit hours), yet the type of MP can vary significantly. MPs may be done individually or in groups of 2-5 students. Both individual and group MPs may be either client-centered or research-based. MPs can be classified into four categories:
- Client-centered group project
- Client-centered individual project
- Research-based group project
- Research-based individual project
Client-centered MPs
Client-centered MPs are conducted in collaboration with, or for the benefit of, a real-world client. Clients can be private-sector corporations, government agencies, or non-profit organizations, and can be based in the local community, across the country, or even abroad. Client-centered MPs typically do not follow the usual format for scientific research, and instead may result in the formation of management plans, educational curricula, policy analyses, business plans, or other similar deliverables. These projects are mutually beneficial, with our students achieving additional professional growth by collaborating with a real-world client, and the client receiving tangible research benefits at no cost.
For Clients
Interested in proposing a project for your organization? A faculty advisor will first work with a potential client to define the precise scope of the project. A group of students (4-6) or, on rare occasions, a single student will then be matched with the client and the project. Work on the project will begin in March of the student’s first year and will be completed during April of the second year.
Research-based MPs
Research-based MPs more closely resemble the type of work completed for a Master’s thesis. Such MPs follow the usual format for scientific research (i.e. introduction, methods, results, and discussion), introduce a brand new idea or theory, and may involve original laboratory or field data collection. Students wishing to pursue additional schooling or research-based employment after their MEM or MF degree may benefit from this type of MP by receiving tangible research experience.
All MPs should be of publishable quality, although they need not be comprehensive enough to stand alone as a publication (yet some are later published either as stand-alone papers or as part of a larger piece of work). Regardless of type, all MPs should explicitly follow an accepted method of analysis within the research field in question.
Past Master’s Projects
Database of Past Projects
Exemplary Projects (2017)
For Current Students
MP Process & Timeline
Although the timing of different steps may vary slightly by program areas, the following explains the major steps in formulating, executing, and completing a master's project.
Semester 1
A. Development of MP topics by NSOE faculty and staff
Every fall semester, MP topics are developed collaboratively with clients and faculty, based on research needs and student interest. Descriptions are finalized and prepared for publishing by NSOE administration.
B. Submission of student-driven MP topics to program chairs
Students wishing to do a solo MP will submit their idea for approval by their program chair(s). (Please note that this deadline is waived for certain program areas, as solo MPs are handled differently across programs.) Students may also submit their own ideas for group MPs at this time.
Semester 2
D. Publishing of Group MP topics
A menu of client-centered Group MP topics will be available online to students at the start of the Spring semester of their first year. Students will have two weeks to rank their preferences via an online form. Programs offering solo MP ideas will also make this menu available at this time.
E. Group MP assignments
Students will be assigned to group MPs by a committee of program chairs and NSOE administration, who will carefully consider student interests and skillset. Students are not guaranteed their first choice of project, but very often are matched with one of their top priorities. Students are then required to set up an initial meeting with their advisor(s) within three weeks of placement.
MP Advisors
Proposed MPs will have pre-assigned faculty advisors (and in some cases, clients) attached to them. Once assigned, students may or may not have the same coursework advisor as MP advisor. MP advisors will have a Duke faculty appointment (Lecturers, Assistant, Associate or Full Professors, Professors of the Practice, Adjunct Professors, or Visiting Professors), and can also be Duke faculty outside of the Nicholas School. Others that are associated with the Nicholas School or have ample knowledge in the necessary subject area can act as de facto MP advisors, but need to serve with a Nicholas School faculty member as the primary advisor (who will sign and approve the final MP as well as with whom the student will register for MP credits). Students wishing to change MP advisors can do so here.
F. Submission of MP Proposal (Draft)
Once assigned, students begin preliminary work scoping and developing a plan for their MP. Draft MP Proposals are due to advisors approximately one month after MP assignments are made. The format of the MP Proposal is described online here. Groups will submit one single report together.
G. Submission of MP Proposal (Final)
A final project proposal (approved and signed by the student’s MP advisor) is due to Academic and Enrollment Services one month after Draft Proposals are submitted. Students who fail to meet this deadline will be unable to preregister for their next semester without written approval from their advisor, and may find that their graduation is delayed.
Changes to a Master’s Project
Any major change in the subject matter of an MP, between submission of the MP Proposal and Final Report, requires submission of a new proposal, which must be approved by the advisor. Furthermore, at least one semester of study is normally required after submission of a new proposal before the student is eligible for graduation.
Reaching Faculty during the Summer
All students must maintain close contact with their MP advisor during the period when the project is being developed and written. Communication during the summer and regular meetings during the academic year are necessary to ensure progress toward completion. However, research or other commitments may cause faculty members to be away from campus during the summer. Students who will need to consult with their advisors during the summer should make arrangements for this beforehand.
Semester 3
H. Presentation of status report
Upon returning from the summer, students will begin work on their MP (unless there is an internship component). After work has begun, students will give brief presentations on their progress to other faculty and students in their program.
Semester 4
I. Submission of Final Report (Draft)
A complete draft of the final report must be submitted to the advisor by the beginning of the 7th week of their final semester. Students should keep in mind that advisors typically need 10-14 days to edit each draft and revisions may take longer than expected. Thus, students must observe submission deadlines to ensure on-time graduation. Guidelines for preparation of the Final Report are described online here.
J. Submission of Final Report (Revised Draft)
A revised draft incorporating the advisor’s comments is due to the student’s advisor by the beginning of the 10th week of the semester. Within 10 days, students will receive approval from their advisor to present their project in the upcoming MP symposium and graduate on time. Note: the standard for such approval is (a) no need for additional collection of raw data, (b) no need for major re-analysis, and (c) the advisor is confident the student can accomplish any additional analysis and re-writing successfully before the final deadline at the end of the semester. The purpose of this standard is to avoid last-minute discovery that the MP is not adequate for graduation.
K. Presentation of Final Project
Each student will present his/her MP individually or with his/her group in an oral presentation during the winter or spring MP symposium. These presentations are of professional and defensible quality, and are live-streamed and open to the public. Programs may hold formal or informal practice sessions to help students prepare their presentations. During the symposium, presentations are evaluated by advisors and other faculty. Satisfactory evaluation is necessary to receive a passing grade for the MP seminar (ENVIRON 898.xx). 10-line abstracts should be submitted at least 2 weeks in advance of the first day of the MP Symposium.
L. Submission of Final Report
Students will submit their final report in four steps, all by the Friday of reading week:
- By scanning the Final Report through iThenticate, to check for plagiarism (directions found here);
- By submitting a copy of the executive summary signed by the advisor, to Student Services via Duke Box here;
- By uploading the final product to DukeSpace (directions found here); and
- By sending the Final Report to the advisor.
If the research is to be submitted to a journal for publication, students are expected to follow the guidelines of the particular journal concerning style and format of the manuscript, which may differ from NSOE’s requirements.
Master’s Projects & Summer Internships
It is not required that MPs be related to internships, but in some cases, internships are a good opportunity for students to begin working on their masters projects. Internships may allow students time and resources to collect their own data, if necessary, and provide students additional time for data analysis. Students wishing to pursue this route, however, will need to pin down their internship plans earlier than otherwise, since MP plans are declared early during the second semester.
Exceptions to Traditional Timeline
Concurrent and Non-Traditional Degree Students
Concurrent degree students, or other students who are not following the usual 4-semester sequence, are on slightly modified schedules. December graduates who want to participate in group MPs with other students graduating in May will need to follow the deadlines for a May graduation. MEM/MBA students have different MP requirements entirely, which can be found here. All concurrent students should pay close attention to their specific timeline, since sometimes they will be required to submit deliverables during a semester when they are taking all or part of their courses in another school. These students should verify with their advisor and/or program chair their specific deadlines.
Delayed Master's Project Completion
All work, including MPs, must be completed within 5 years of matriculation. This includes successfully presenting their master's projects in the April or December MP symposium and submitting approved copies of all the above deliverables in order to graduate. During each academic semester until all of these requirements are satisfied, students must be registered either for course credits or for continuation/completion. They must pay either flat-rate tuition (if minimum semesters of tuition have not yet been paid), per-credit tuition (if minimum semesters of flat-rate tuition have been met), or the continuation/completion fee for every academic semester (fall or spring) until all requirements for graduation are satisfied.