Masters Project

Get ready for the Master’s Project!

As a Master of Education student at Teachers College of San Joaquin, you will be well-prepared to meet this final requirement. Having said that, you are not alone in this pursuit. Please reach out to faculty, other students, and members of the educational community for additional guidance and assistance. The following subsections will help you accomplish this project and provide you with details to help you succeed.
"When you have a vision or question seek the answers and ask lots of questions of those who have expertise in your area of interest."
Michelle Jones
Michelle JonesM.Ed. Early Education, 2017
"What stands out to me most is the support I got towards the end of my process...it seemed overwhelming. My advisor, Katie was supportive and made a stressful time into something I could see as manageable for me. She helped break it down so I was able to "see" the process and carry on."
Tammy Voss
Tammy VossM.Ed. Environmental Literacy, 2023
"There are wicked problems which feel almost impossible to resolve. Yet, with the right stakeholders, we can be the change. I am most proud of my qualitative research project assessing the influence of citizen science upon the scientific self-image of middle school students."
John Kanemoto
John KanemotoM.Ed. Environmental Literacy, 2022
"I stopped my studies due to a death in the family, then COVID hit, it was a difficult time. My advisors never gave up on me and helped me through the process in order to complete my degree."
David Qualls
David QuallsM.Ed. Educational Inquiry, 2021
"Amanda Peters was so amazing to work with on my project. She has so much knowledge and experience which she puts into practice when advising. She collaborates so well and gives you the support and encouragement you need when things get overwhelming."
Laura Ponce
Laura PonceM.Ed. Special Education, 2024

Resources and Forms

Introduction to Project Details:
  1. Watch the Overview 
  2. Project Documents
  3. Project Examples and Criteria
Steps for Completing the Master’s Project:
    1. Advisor Agreement Form
    2. Project Proposal Form
    3. Application for Institutional Review Board (IRB)  – If Conducting Research
    4. Write Manuscript – Use Appropriate Project Guidelines Below
    5. Directions for Presentation
    6. Project Rubric
    7. Final Reflection

Steps to completing a master's project:

At the end of CURR304 and prior to beginning CURR305 you will begin the search of your master’s project advisor. 

Your advisor is a key person in helping you succeed in completing your master’s project.  It is important to select someone who shares your interest in your selected topic and one whom you respect and trust.  In your selection, do not be afraid to ask lots of questions or interview potential advisors (they may do the same).  Your advisor will give you direction and guidance, please be open to receive this guidance and assertive to question if something is not clear.  When you approach a faculty member about becoming your advisor, be prepared to briefly describe your topic of interest or ideas.

Advisor Responsibilities

Advisors will spend approximately 20-25 hours supporting you in the completion of your project and reviewing your work.  Your advisor:

  • Helps you develop a focused, specific topic for your project;
  • Reviews and approves the Master’s Project Proposal;
  • Submits the Master’s Project Proposal to TCSJGradStudies@sjcoe.net;
  • Helps you develop a realistic and efficient timeline for completing your project;
  • Reviews the final literature review completed in the Writing a Literature Review course;
  • Reviews and provides feedback at agreed upon project benchmarks;
  • Approves the final manuscript;
  • Forwards the manuscript for a second read; and,
  • Provides guidance and assistance with preparation for presentation/publication.
Student Responsibilities

Student responsibilities are outlined thoroughly within the Master’s Project Overview.  To be successful, you must make yourself available to meet with your advisor, follow their guidance, and meet the timelines to which you both have developed and agreed.

Below is a list of faculty members who are currently master’s project advisors. Feel free to contact them via their TCSJ email. 

Adrianne Go-Miller, Ed.D.agomiller@teacherscollegesj.edu
Amanda Peters, M.Ed.amandapeters@teacherscollegesj.edu
Andra Yeghoianayeghoian@teacherscollegesj.edu
Angela Pascual, Ed.D.apascual@teacherscollegesj.edu
Angeles Rojas, M.Ed.angelesrojas@teacherscollegesj.edu
Brandy Byers, Ed.D.bbyers@teacherscollegesj.edu
Cari Bright, M.Ed.cbright@teacherscollegesj.edu
Jackie Villines, M.Ed.jvillines@teacherscollegesj.edu
Jennifer Simon, M.Ed.jlucas@teacherscollegesj.edu
John White, M.A.johnwhite@teacherscollegesj.edu
Katie Burns, Ed.D.kburns@teacherscollegesj.edu
Lori Morgan, Ed.D.lmorgan@teacherscollegesj.edu
Mitchell Mesimer, Ph.D.mmesimer@teacherscollegesj.edu
Nicole Combs, M.Ed.ncombs@teacherscollegesj.edu
Sheila Harrison, Ed.D.sharrison@teacherscollegesj.edu
Tiani Hudgins, M.Ed.thudgins@teacherscollegesj.edu
Yvonne Thornton, M.Ed.ythornton@teacherscollegesj.edu

Once you have selected your master’s project advisor and have filled out the Student-Advisor Agreement Form then you will begin the process of preparing your proposal with the support of your advisor. 

Think about the following: Throughout your time at TCSJ you have been preparing for the development of your master’s project.  What have you been thinking about?  What has sparked your interest?  What made you deepen your inquiry?  What do you want to do/learn more about?

When you have decided what master’s project you want to propose, you will work alongside your master’s project advisor to complete the Master’s Project Proposal Form and your advisor will submit this form to TCSJGradStudies@sjcoe.net

Please Note: This is an iterative process and may require multiple rounds of feedback, revisions, and resubmission. 

Hear about the project options from Master of Education alumna, Ruth Alvarez Mojica in the video below.

Master’s Project Options by Teachers College of San Joaquin 

Once the master’s project proposal has been approved, you will recieve an email from TCSJGradStudies@sjcoe.net with next steps.

Research conducted by Teachers College of San Joaquin (TCSJ) students must be reviewed by the TCSJ Institutional Review Board (IRB) before proceeding with data collection for a research study.  Once a Masters Project Proposal is approved, each candidate who is conducting research is required to submit the TCSJ IRB Research Protocol and supporting documents to the Chair of the IRB (Dr. Mitchell Mesimer) at TCSJGradStudies@sjcoe.net. If a candidate is not conducting research, the IRB Research Protocol is not required.

Candidates will be notified via email of the IRB’s decision to accept or deny the application.  If the researcher’s application is denied, revisions will be requested and the application will be reconsidered upon re-submission.  Gathering data for a project may not commence until the candidate gains approval from the IRB.

Once your master’s project is formatted according to the guidelines above and has received a final review from your project advisor, the advisor must send an electronic link of your manuscript to TCSJGradStudies@sjcoe.net for a second read. Once the second read has been completed, it will be sent back to the student and master’s project advisor for revisions. 

Once the student has made the revisions, the master’s project advisor will send the final digital copy to TCSJGradStudies@sjcoe.net a hard copy of the binder is no longer needed. 

After receipt of final copy, the student and advisor will be provided with next steps to schedule the presentation.

Directions for Project Presentation

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