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This page contains content from the 2008–09 academic year. For current information, visit the Harvard Extension School website at www.extension.harvard.edu.
Thesis and Capstone
Depending on which concentration you pursue, you complete either a master’s thesis or a capstone course. The requirements for each are described on this page.
Master’s Thesis
Concentrations Requiring the Thesis
- Software engineering (thesis track)
- Digital media arts and sciences
- Mathematics and computation
For this culminating project, you work individually with a thesis director to solve significant software problems and produce documents of publishable quality.
Getting Started on Your Thesis
When you have completed six courses, you consult Jeff Parker to define your topic, develop a thesis proposal, and secure a thesis director. Typically it takes six months and several drafts to develop an acceptable proposal. If you cannot produce an acceptable proposal, you may be required to withdraw from the program. Thesis directors can be Harvard faculty members or senior IT professionals.
Complete the following steps once your proposal has been approved by Parker:
- Submit your approved research proposal to Stephen Blinn.
- Register after receiving a letter of authorization from the Dean of Continuing Education. Tuition for the thesis is $1,875.
The thesis takes nine to 12 months to complete. Note the thesis deadlines for graduation in November, March, and June.
To support students in their preparation, the research advisor holds an orientation meeting at the beginning of each semester to outline the administrative details and strategies appropriate to the ALM in Information Technology thesis. In addition, the research advisor holds a workshop for thesis writers each semester, open to all candidates whose thesis projects are nearing completion.
When to register. International students with I-20 certificates from the Extension School should meet with the research advisor before completing the sixth course and must register for the thesis during the regular registration periods. All other students may register for the thesis throughout the year. To receive credit for the thesis in the fall term, register by December 7; to receive credit in the spring term, register by April 26. If you register after the April deadline, you will be registered in the summer term and may pay a higher tuition.
Capstone
For the Software Engineering Concentration’s Capstone Track
After you have completed at least nine courses in the software engineering concentration capstone track, you enroll in CSCI E-275. In this capstone course, you participate in a collaborative effort in which you are expected to demonstrate technical depth, work within time constraints, and apply knowledge and methods from the course to define a comprehensive IT solution for a significant business application. You must make a formal oral presentation of this work to an ALM in Information Technology faculty committee.
For the Information Management Systems Concentration
After you have completed at least nine courses in the information management systems concentration, you enroll in ISMT E-200. In this capstone course, you participate in a collaborative effort in which you are expected to demonstrate technical depth, work within IT business constraints, and apply knowledge and methodologies from the course to build a comprehensive, cost-sensitive IT solution for an end-to-end business process. You make a formal oral presentation of this work to an ALM in Information Technology faculty committee.