The colloquium is the standard final project for M.A. students. This 1-unit course focuses on developing a portfolio that highlights the student’s academic achievements throughout the program.

The colloquium has two main objectives:

1. Reflect and Synthesize: Students reflect on what they have learned in the program, considering how their studies have deepened their understanding of international security, shaped their worldview, and contributed to their personal and professional development.
2. Prepare for Professional Advancement: The colloquium also provides tools for career development, such as crafting a professional bio, updating a resume, providing writing samples, and optionally creating a personal website to share with potential employers.

For M.A. students who prefer a more in-depth academic project, the thesis option is available. Since it deviates from the standard ISS curriculum, students must first seek approval from Professor Kurzer. The thesis allows students to explore a specialized area of interest in greater depth, contributing original insights to the field of international security.

The thesis is worth 4 units, reducing the total required substantive coursework to 30 units. It involves the completion of a minimum 25-page (6,500-word) research project, drawing on at least 15 scholarly or refereed sources.

To be eligible for the thesis, students must:

• Maintain a GPA of 3.8 or higher after completing at least 9 courses in the ISS program.
• Obtain approval from an ISS faculty member to serve as the thesis advisor.
• Gain approval from the ISS program director for the advisor and project.

A successful thesis proposal should include:

1. Research Question: The central question should be clearly defined and puzzling, typically framed as a "why" question. For example: "We expect (based on these theories) to see this , but we see that—why is that the case?"
2. Significance Statement: A 1-2 paragraph explanation of the significance of the research question, addressing what theoretical debates or issues the project will engage with, and why the question is of academic or policy importance.
3. Proposed Answer: A preliminary hypothesis, acknowledging that it may evolve as data is gathered.
4. Alternative Hypotheses: A discussion of alternative hypotheses, drawing from theories in political science and international relations covered in ISS courses.
5. Evaluation Strategy: A plan for how the student will evaluate the merits of their hypothesis against competing alternatives, including the evidence required to support or challenge the hypothesis.
6. Bibliography: A list of primary and secondary sources to be used in testing the hypotheses (note: the bibliography is not included in the word count).

Once the proposal is approved, a thesis committee will be formed, consisting of the student’s thesis advisor and the ISS Program Director, Professor Kurzer.