M.S. students pursuing the research track and all Ph.D. students must prepare and defend a written proposal before their advisory committee to describe and justify their proposed study before any formal research is undertaken. The purpose of the proposal defense is to establish a formal agreement between the student and the advisory committee about the problem area being studied, the questions and technical approach, and the scope of work that will be completed. The successfully defended proposal forms the basis for evaluating the final research study.
All research students should work closely with their advisor and committee to develop a concept for their independent research. Students are also recommended to take CNST 5084: Methods in Construction Research or an equivalent course to help them develop their research proposals.
Additional resources:
General outline for research proposal (from CNST 5084)
Evaluation rubric for research proposal (from CNST 5084)
