Health Services Administration Master Degree

Objective: The process of formally proposing a project will help you successfully plan and implement your project and will be very much akin to that which you will experience in your professional life as leaders in Health Service Administrators within your community Hospital , Health Care centers, Ambulatory Centers or Doctors Office.

PROPOSAL GUIDELINES (10%):

The primary purpose of the Capstone Project proposal is to provide the enough information to (1) determine if the topic is appropriate, (2) gauge whether the scope is likely to be manageable within the given timeframe, and (3) identify a suitable Capstone Advisor (In this case will be Dr. Gisela Llamas your current professor). Although the Capstone proposal is not as extensive as a typical research proposal, you might find aspects of this resource informative and useful: “Writing a research proposal” http://libguides.usc.edu/content.php?pid=83009&sid=2319840. Each paper must be typewritten with 12-point font and double-spaced with standard margins. Follow APA Style 7th Edition format when referring to the selected articles and include a reference page.

THE PROPOSAL SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

1) Project Definition: Provide a one-sentence description that defines your project. Save the specifics for the sections below; here, simply label the big picture.

2) Project Setting: Clarify the location and the most relevant background there – the "where" – of your proposed project. Clearly specify the "arena” for this project. As appropriate (different project types involve differing ranges of external contact), include mention of any key agencies, departments, and/or parties involved. If your project is primarily analytical (e.g. analyzing an organization, a group, a process, a body of rhetoric or literature, etc.), specify the genres and types of research materials you will be exploring.

3) Project Relevance and Rationale: Identify the main issues that you have chosen to address and justify their importance – the "why" of your project. Clarify the problem, or “opportunity,” at the setting named above, and explain the relevance, to your education at Regis, of addressing this problem or opportunity. That is, in this section you will cover both why this project is needed for "them" and why it's an appropriate Capstone project for you.

4) Project Objectives: State your targeted outcomes for this project – the "what" – of your project. What, exactly, are you going to acquire, accomplish, produce, and/or deliver? Note that the broader goals (e.g. "to improve communication between departments") are identified earlier, under "Relevance." By contrast, in this section you must name the specific and concrete – if possible, measurable – accomplishments (external and personal) intended of your project.

5) Project Methodology: Describe your proposed game plan – the "how" – through which you plan to obtain the outcomes described above. That is, how will you go about accomplishing the objectives you defined in the previous section? Save the "timetable" for Section 7 (see below), but do provide, here, an overview of your planned approach to reaching your stated objectives, and also list any essential resources (material and human!) you will need in order to succeed. Be clear on how and when (during this project or at a later time) your project will be implemented. Also, include a specific manner of project evaluation. How will you determine your level of success? What will you measure? Whose evaluative input will you seek?

6) Project Research Methods: Identify, in this section, your intended methods or modes of research (more on the “how” – and this is an important requirement of every Capstone project). At minimum, you must find reference materials on how to succeed with your project and also interview experts who can provide project-specific direction and answer your specific questions. Depending on your project type and needs, you might go further with your research, perhaps conducting a survey or otherwise gathering, organizing, and analyzing data relevant to your project. Note that you will be summarizing your research findings in a separate assignment, the "Research Summary."

7) Project Timetable: Determine and present a week-by-week plan – the "when" – that you can follow to balance the workload and assure that preliminary needs are met early on. Remember, things you need from others (such as pre-project approval or post-project thank-you notes or other written acknowledgment of your work) usually require some lead time. Show your plan "bullet-style" with each week of the term listed, followed by the actions and steps that need to be accomplished during that week.

     Text Box: THE INTRODUCTION SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

The introduction sets the stage for what is to come and should provide the background and rationale for the proposed project – what is this about and why is it important? It should succinctly contextualize the problem in one to three short paragraphs, and include a brief statement of the problem. Recommended length is 1-2 page.

Briefly, what is your project?

The aspect/problem/issue in science and/or math education that is the focus of the project, and what is the need for reform or change or research.

How can your project make a difference?

The community (public, families, teachers and/ or students) impacted by the project, and if applicable, the need for research/change/reform among this population.

Again, how might your project make a difference?

The evidence that reform/change or research into the proposed area of science and math education is needed. This part of the introduction should provide a brief (1-2 page) review of the pertinent literature.