Written Report Guidelines

Students will prepare a proposal that is 10 pages (maximum) with one inch margins, 1.5 spacing with a 12 point font. The proposal should consist of:

• Introduction
• Proposed research problem and importance
• Proposed research strategy and methodology
• Preliminary results
• Timetable for completion
• Anticipated outcomes/milestones of a completed dissertation

Note: References and appendices are not allowed

In addition to the 10-page proposal, students should include a cover page, a one-page executive summary page, a specific aims page, and list of references that do not count toward this overall page limit. 

• The cover page is a standard cover page
• The one-page executive summary of research proposal should be single spaced with a 12 point font
• The specific aims page is a bullet point summary of the specific goals of the project. It should be placed after the executive summary and should precede the rest of the document.
• The list of references should follow the written report and may be single spaced. 

Proposals that do not follow these guidelines should be returned to the student without being evaluated.

NOTE: content equivalent to a completed research paper is NOT expected in the candidacy exam