The GTD program encourages innovation, alternative thinking on development, and pursuing
projects that have meaning for students. The goal of the Applied Project is to culminate the
master’s program with an original piece of work that allows students to apply their coursework
to a specific problem. This could be in the form of a solution-oriented project that addresses a
current issue in global development, or it could be more theoretical, focusing on a gap in the
research literature, or in our knowledge of some aspect of an issue. There is some flexibility in
the final deliverable, including a research proposal for funding, a publishable paper, or a
multimedia project such as film documentary or other audio visual exploration and
demonstration of concepts, research, and development practices. The research sequence of GTD
505 and GTD 506 is designed to prepare students for this culminating experience. Applied
Projects must be relevant to the core subject areas of the M.S. in Global Technology and
Development program, and therefore must address in some way the global context, the factor of
technology, and social, economic, cultural or political development.
Paper Guidelines:
If a written research paper is chosen, or even a document reflecting an actual project, it should
have the following, to varying extents, as appropriate:
1. Introduction, significance, context – of the problem
2. Literature Review – what others have discovered that is related, and why further study or
a new angle is necessary
3. Methodology – how you will research or study the problem
4. Analysis of the data and conclusions (addressing questions raised in introduction)
How long are these papers? This is question that is often asked, and while we don’t have a
minimum or maximum page limit, most well done projects and research are completed in around
25-40 pages.The GTD program encourages innovation, alternative thinking on development, and pursuing
projects that have meaning for students. The goal of the Applied Project is to culminate the
master’s program with an original piece of work that allows students to apply their coursework
to a specific problem. This could be in the form of a solution-oriented project that addresses a
current issue in global development, or it could be more theoretical, focusing on a gap in the
research literature, or in our knowledge of some aspect of an issue. There is some flexibility in
the final deliverable, including a research proposal for funding, a publishable paper, or a
multimedia project such as film documentary or other audio visual exploration and
demonstration of concepts, research, and development practices. The research sequence of GTD
505 and GTD 506 is designed to prepare students for this culminating experience. Applied
Projects must be relevant to the core subject areas of the M.S. in Global Technology and
Development program, and therefore must address in some way the global context, the factor of
technology, and social, economic, cultural or political development.
Paper Guidelines:
If a written research paper is chosen, or even a document reflecting an actual project, it should
have the following, to varying extents, as appropriate:
1. Introduction, significance, context – of the problem
2. Literature Review – what others have discovered that is related, and why further study or
a new angle is necessary
3. Methodology – how you will research or study the problem
4. Analysis of the data and conclusions (addressing questions raised in introduction)
How long are these papers? This is question that is often asked, and while we don’t have a
minimum or maximum page limit, most well done projects and research are completed in around
25-40 pages.