Subject: Academic Affairs

Policy: Graduate Professional Scholarly Project and Committee Membership

Revised: January 2021

Effective date: Fall 2021.

Review date: Spring 2024

Responsible Party: Level I:  GAAC; Level II: Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Introduction and Purpose: College of Nursing graduate students complete a scholarly professional project to meet the degree requirements as outlined by the MSU Graduate School. 

Policy: College of Nursing MN and DNP program utilize a two-semester course model to facilitate the design and defense of the professional scholarly project during the final year of the program.  MN students enroll in NRSG 575 (4 credits) and DNP students enroll in NRSG 675 (6 credits).  

Procedures:

  1. The graduate student and the scholarly project course faculty will collaborate to form the student’s committee The committee chair must hold a DNP, EdD, or PhD degree and be a faculty member in the College of Nursing (tenure track or tenured status not required for DNP committee chair - approved by Graduate Council, 2011).
    1. MN student committees will consist of a chair/advisor and one qualified member.
    2. DNP student committees will consist of a chair/advisor and two qualified members.
  2. Committee membership should reflect knowledge in project content area and methodology. All qualified College of Nursing faculty members may teach in the scholarly project courses.
  3. The Professional Project Proposal Approval Form (College of Nursing form) is to be signed by the committee and on file in the Associate Dean’s office before implementing a project. *Please contact Mary Gauvin, Graduate Coordinator, for form at 406-994-3500 or mary.gauvin@montana.edu 
  4. DNP degree (NRSG 675) Professional Project papers must be submitted to The Graduate School for electronic posting (ETD) and archiving in the MSU library.

Internal control considerations, if applicable: N/A