A research project or thesis will take at least two semesters to complete. Prior to starting a research, i.e.
enrolling in the first semester research course, students must go through the proposal stage, during which
students will develop their proposal and have it reviewed by his/her research advisor. This means that students
need months of planning and background research work before the start of the first semester research. Students
are not allowed to enroll in a research course without an approved proposal. For students planning to start their
research in the fall semester, the deadline for the proposal submission (to your advisor) is July 15. For those
who plan to start in the spring semester, the proposal deadline is December 1. During the proposal stage,
students should discuss their research interests with CM faculty members, identify a research topic, conduct
preliminary literature review and develop a project proposal. The proposal should discuss problem statement,
objectives, research methodology, research activities, and a time schedule in about 3-5 pages. A sample
proposal is attached here for your reference.