Graduate Studies

Outstanding Culminating Activities Award

Each year, the Office of Graduate Studies recognizes student culminating activities in multiple categories:

  • Outstanding Thesis
  • Outstanding Project
  • Outstanding Professional Paper
  • Outstanding Creative Works - to specifically capture the unique contributions of students who are generally in the Humanities whose work may not fit the traditional rubric.

Nominations are solicited from faculty from the previous academic year including three terms—Fall, Spring, Summer.

The awardees of the Outstanding Thesis, Project, Professional Paper, and Creative Works are each recognized on the master’s commencement program, and are listed on a virtual perpetual plaque displayed on the Office of Graduate Studies website.

Process

Fall: College committees solicit and evaluate theses, projects, professional papers, and creative works. Each college may submit a maximum of one in each category. Nominee(s) are chosen by each college's Outstanding Culminating Activities Committee from faculty submissions sent by department chairs. After review, each college committee will submit their nominee(s) to the Office of Graduate Studies.

To view the recipients of the Outstanding Culminating Activities Award, please visit the Virtual Perpetual Plaque website.