Research Apprenticeship

Information for enrolling in a research apprenticeship— HE 786:

Before Registering

  1. Secure a faculty member who is willing to have you serve on their research project.
  2. Submit a proposal (below) to the faculty member outlining the nature of the apprenticeship and proposed outcomes.
  3. Obtain approval for the independent study from the Higher Education Program by submitting your proposal to the program director.
  4. Develop a unique title with the approval of the faculty member—one that is not currently used by an existing Mason course.
  5. Discuss with the faculty member the criteria used for grading the research apprenticeship (e.g., length of paper(s), project, and readings).
  6. Periodically meet with the faculty member to discuss one’s progress and to obtain instructor feedback.


Proposal Requirements
Proposals are due one month before the start of the semester. A thoughtful proposal should look similar to a syllabus with a clearly defined schedule of proposed readings and assignment deadlines, as well as specific criteria for how your work will be evaluated and graded. Ultimately, your proposal will serve as your contract with your advisor on how your research apprenticeship work will be evaluated and graded. Each proposal should include:

  1. Statement of purpose and rationale
  2. List of learning outcomes
  3. Description of research responsibilities/deliverables (will you be working on articles, papers, other projects etc)
  4. Description of how the purpose of the apprenticeship will be accomplished
  5. Criteria the supervisor will use to evaluate the apprenticeship
  6. Plan of work (minimum of 150 hours for three credits, 50 hours per credit). Hours can include research and writing time.