Undergraduate Research

Public Affairs 4000: Public Affairs Program Evaluation

Public Affairs 4011: Public Affairs Analysis Application, Capstone Class

Public Affairs 4040: Public Sector Data Sciences and Management

Public Affairs 5513: Excel I

Public Affairs 5514: Excel II

Public Affairs 5573: Qualitative Methods in Public Affairs Practice

Want to problem-solve for real-live clients? 

Take Public Affairs 5620: Rapid Innovation for Public Impact, offered by the Glenn College's Battelle Center for Science, Engineering and Public Policy. 

This multi-disciplinary capstone is a hands-on applications course in which student teams tackle real, contemporary, complex problems sponsored by government or non-profit agencies. 

Its goal is to produce solutions that are technically feasible, desirable from stakeholders’ perspectives, and viable for adoption and integration. Following a systematic methodology, student teams develop minimum viable products (MVP) or proofs-of-concept through intensive customer discovery and agile design, development, and testing with customers and stakeholders. Students acquire an in-depth understanding of and experience in systematic innovation, refining problem-statements, engaging customers and stakeholders, navigating public and private sector organizations, budgeting, and management issues.

Review the course syllabus. 

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Here are the steps to complete a thesis:

1. Identify a Glenn College faculty member to serve as the thesis advisor. The thesis advisor will provide guidance to the student throughout the research process—over the course of two semesters—and must be considered an assistant, associate, or full professor in the Glenn College.
2. Receive permission from the thesis advisor to enroll in 3 credits of PUBAFRS 4999.01. This permission may be secured via OSU email or a signed Course Enrollment Permission form, which should be sent for processing to a Glenn College academic advisor prior to the term in which the student plans to take the course.
3. Upon enrollment in the PUBAFRS 4999.01 course, the student should submit the Thesis Application to their Glenn College academic advisor no later than the 4th Friday of that term. This form qualifies the student as a candidate for research distinction and ensures that all parties have a common understanding of the scope of the project.
4. If the student is making acceptable progress with their research, they should request permission from the thesis advisor to enroll in 3 credits of PUBAFRS 4999.02 for the following term. This permission should be sent to the student’s academic advisor for processing prior to the term in which the student plans to take the course.
5. During the term in which the student is enrolled in the 4999.02 course, and no later than the last day of classes, they will be expected to defend the thesis during an oral examination. The oral defense will last one hour and will be evaluated by a committee of at least two Glenn College faculty members, including the thesis advisor and at least one other Glenn College faculty member. The student should inform their academic advisor of the defense plans, so that the advisor may provide the necessary paperwork. If the defense is successful, the thesis advisor and/or student should submit the Oral Defense Certification Form to the student’s academic advisor.
6. The approved thesis should be submitted to the Knowledge Bank no later than last day of finals week. If confidentiality is desired, the thesis can be embargoed when it is submitted. Review instructions for submissions and thesis examples.

The thesis advisor is responsible for overseeing the entire project. The student and thesis advisor should establish mutually acceptable guidelines for frequency of consultation, submission of preliminary drafts, and deadlines for submitting work. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in termination of the project and failure of the course.

If the thesis advisor will be absent during any part of the project, they must appoint another faculty member to supervise the project during that period, and the student’s academic advisor should be notified of this appointment.

If the student will be conducting research off campus, the student and thesis advisor should devise mutually acceptable guidelines for maintaining contact and reporting progress. In some cases, this might include the designation of an “on-site” thesis advisor, and the student’s academic advisor should be informed of these arrangements.

If it appears that the work, while satisfactory, will not be of such superior quality to qualify for graduation with research distinction, the student and the thesis advisor may agree to continue the project as regular independent study or terminate the project. The student’s academic advisor must be notified of the decision not to complete the project for graduation with research distinction. If the project is not completed, the thesis advisor may still judge that sufficient work has been done to merit a passing grade in the 4999.02 course.

To graduate with (honors) research distinction, a student must successfully defend their thesis through an oral examination or “defense”, during the semester they are enrolled in the 4999.02 course. The oral defense will last one hour and will be evaluated by a committee of at least two Glenn College faculty members, with the thesis advisor serving as the first member and chair of the committee. The purpose of the defense is to allow the faculty committee to determine whether the work of the student who is a candidate for graduation with research distinction is truly outstanding. The thesis advisor should discuss with the student the scope of this oral defense.

Faculty Committee

The candidate and thesis advisor will assemble a faculty committee to evaluate the thesis paper and defense by identifying (at least) one additional committee member. This additional committee member should be chosen early in the term of the projected examination and must be a Glenn College faculty member (full/assistant/associate or emeritus professor).

Scheduling the Oral Examination

The candidate and thesis advisor will work together to determine a time and place for the one-hour defense that does not conflict with the student’s other academic obligations, such as class attendance. This defense should happen no later than the final day of classes for that term.

All members of the committee must receive a copy of the thesis at least one week before the oral examination. Please note that all committee members must be present at the oral examination to certify the student for graduation with research distinction. (Video conferencing is allowed if necessary.)

Oral Defense Certification Form

At the conclusion of the defense, the members of the committee will each sign the Oral Defense Certification Form, verifying that the candidate has successfully completed and defended the thesis. The certification form must then be submitted to student’s academic advisor by the student and/or committee chair no later than the last day of classes for that term. Submission of this form is necessary to certify a student for graduation with research distinction.

Final Copy Submitted to the Knowledge Bank

A final copy of the thesis must be submitted to the University Libraries’ Knowledge Bank no later than the last day of final examination week of the term in which the examination takes place and/or the student will graduate. The Knowledge Bank employs an authorization process which may delay submission by up to two business days. Therefore, it is recommended that students begin the Knowledge Bank submission process before the final deadline.

Capstone Requirement

Students who successfully defend the thesis may use the 4999.02 course to fulfill the Public Affairs capstone requirement, which is typically completed through PUBAFRS 4011 or 4021.

Denman Undergraduate Research Forum

The Denman Forum provides an opportunity for graduating student researchers to share their research endeavors with the broader community. This competitive poster forum recognizes winners in various categories as determined by faculty, staff, and Denman alumni reviewers. 

Public Affairs Thesis Examples

Abstracts and copies of past Public Affairs theses are available to view online through the Ohio State Libraries’ Knowledge Bank and in the Mortar Board Room (room 202) of the Thompson Library.

The Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP) is a funding and professional development opportunity through the Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry office to assist students in any major or research area with financial needs while being involved in an undergraduate research project. URAP is a competitive program and funds approximately 60 students each summer semester.  Students are responsible for working with a faculty mentor to develop their research project proposal. In addition to their faculty-mentored research activities, URAP students also participate in a professional development curriculum organized by UR&CI staff.

Student Travel and Research Grants are awarded twice a year in support of students’ research activities, conference participation and other academically-oriented travel needs. Travel plans are not necessary to apply for these grants. 

The Interdisciplinary Programs Scholarship is designed to support students who are enrolled in any of the undergraduate or graduate CES interdisciplinary programs: American Indian Studies minor, Asian American Studies minor, Latina/o Studies minor or Latina/o Studies Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization. Students must have officially declared their enrollment in one or more of these four programs in order to apply for the scholarship and should work with the relevant program advisors to ensure they are officially enrolled. 

Review these programs from the Center for Ethnic Studies.

Funding to support undergraduate research is available through Ohio State and can be reviewed through the Office of Academic Enrichment. Each award has its own requirements including specifics on what the funds can be used for. Deadlines vary, but most awards require an application be submitted far in advance of when the student will need the funds for. 

Review funding opportunities.