Students are expected to meet the Graduate College academic requirements. In addition, grades below B cannot be used to meet the requirements of the M.S. degree in IPT. A student who earns a grade of C or lower in a required course will be asked by the Program Committee to retake the course or to take another course deemed to be equivalent in purpose. With special permission of the Program Committee, a student may apply 3 ELECTIVE credits of C toward the degree.

* Transfer Credits

General policy - A maximum of nine semester graduate credits taken at other accredited institutions may be transferred for credit toward the M.S. degree in IPT, provided the courses are an acceptable part of the program of study approved by the Program Committee. Such courses must have been taken at an accredited college or university. Only courses with an A or B grade may be transferred to Boise State University for application to a graduate degree. All work offered toward a Master’s degree from Boise State University must be completed within a period of seven calendar years. The seven-year interval is to commence with the beginning of the oldest course (or other academic experience). Courses used to satisfy requirements for a graduate degree at another institution are not transferable.

* Culminating Activity Options

Important:

• Students must make a choice among the four culminating activity options using the Application for Admission to Candidacy (AAC) form before enrolling in their 19th credit. The AAC form must be approved by their advisor and department chair. Students should contact their advisor for assistance in making their decision before submitting the form.
• Effective Fall 2006, students must have completed or be enrolled in their 33rd credit, including all the required courses, in order to take the comprehensive exam or portfolio defense.

[1-2] Thesis or Project Options

Students selecting a thesis option will complete 30 credits of course work and 6 credits of IPT593 Thesis. The thesis will usually consist of five chapters (e.g., Introduction, Literature Review, Research Design, Findings, and Conclusions). Students who will conduct a quantitative research study should plan to take IPT531 Overview of Research Design, Measurement, and Statistics. Students who will conduct a qualitative research study should plan to take IPT532 Ethnographic Research in Organizations.

Students selecting a project option will complete 30 credits of course work and 6 credits of IPT591 (Culminating) Project. The project report will usually consist of five chapters (e.g., Introduction, Literature Review, Project Design, Outcomes, and Conclusions).

The student will present and defend their thesis or project and respond to any questions that the examining committee might ask.

See the IPT thesis procedures.

Residency Requirement for Project or Thesis Option: In order to complete the project or thesis option, students are required to be in residence on campus for at least one semester during which they are enrolled in IPT591 Project or IPT593 Thesis. (Petitions for exceptions should be made to the IPT Program Committee) Consequently, students in the distance education IPT courses are invited to come to campus to participate in the project/thesis option, or they may pursue the portfolio or nonthesis option with no obligation to be on campus at any time.

[3] Portfolio Option

Students selecting the Portfolio experience will create and document products and projects from course projects, directed research, and work done for employers or clients. If this alternative is selected, at the end of a student's program the student will present and defend the portfolio and respond to any questions that the examining committee might ask. These questions will deal primarily with the way the projects in the portfolio relate to the field of IPT and with the student's explanations of why they conducted particular projects in the way presented.

All students will be admitted with the tentative presumption of the portfolio approach, since it will be difficult for them to reconstruct the past if they do not capture it in professional documents during their earliest classes. Although students are initiated in the portfolio undertaking, they may select a different culminating activity at any time.

See the Portfolio Guidelines.

[4] Nonthesis Option

Students selecting the nonthesis option will take a comprehensive oral exam at the end of the program. Students must have completed or be enrolled in their 33rd credit, including all the required courses, in order to take the comprehensive exam or portfolio defense. Students must submit the Application for Admission to Candidacy (AAC) form.

The student will request the department to schedule a comprehensive exam. Exams are generally only given during Fall and Spring semesters and must be completed within the Graduate College deadlines. An information sheet about the exam is available from the IPT Office.

* To Graduate

See the graduation flowchart and complete the paperwork required for graduation.