MQP Resources and FAQs

How can I prepare for my PW MQP?

  • Attend our PW MQP planning event in the spring of your junior year or sooner.
  • Consult previous Professional Writing MQPs as examples.
  • Plan ahead and brainstorm early (see MQP questions to consider below).
  • Begin drafting your MQP preliminary preferences during the year before your MQP takes place. You will be asked to provide these preferences in the spring of your junior year (the year before your MQP begins). 

What are MQP questions I  should consider?

Conceptual questions include:

  • Which topic(s) are you interested in pursuing in a larger research project?
  • Which research question and/or problem would you like to address?
  • Which type of project interests you?
  • If you are a double major, how might you answer the above questions in a way that ties your majors together?
  • Which prior training and preparation do you have that will help you pursue this topic and/or type of project?
  • Which types of deliverables might this kind of project produce that connect with Professional Writing? Options include but are not limited to: review articles, manuals, reports,  genre analyses. Your PW MQP advisor will work with you to determine which types of deliverables suit your project.

Logistical questions include:

  • When will you complete the MQP?
  • Is it an interdisciplinary 4/3-unit MQP (i.e., common for double majors) or a PW-only 1-unit MQP?
  • How quickly will you complete the MQP (i.e., over how many terms)?
  • Are you interested in having a specific PW faculty member be your MQP advisor?

What should my MQP Preliminary Preferences include?

Your MQP preliminary preferences can be as brief or long as you like. At a minimum you should provide at least one paragraph that includes:

  • An idea (or two, or three) of the type of project (high-level topic) you might be interested in pursuing
  • A list of PW advisors with whom you would like to work

It may be helpful to think of this as an initial project proposal. This proposal might include:

  • A specific research topic and/or question you would be interested in pursuing
  • A problem statement and/or a supporting rationale that explains this project’s exigence (i.e., Why this topic/question/project? Why pursue it now? Who might be invested in and/or benefit from its outcome, besides you and your advisors?)
  • Any additional information that can help the PW faculty understand how you are prepared to pursue this kind of project (e.g., previous coursework; related academic and/or professional training and experiences; methods and methodologies you might use; deliverables you’re interested in creating)
  • Any additional information about an existing project/team you’re hoping to work on
    • Example: PW double majors often have the opportunity in their other major to work on an existing project and/or team to complete their MQP. In those cases, your PW faculty advisor can help you find a way to apply a PW-approach to that project in order to complete your 4/3-unit interdisciplinary MQP.

Points to bear in mind as you develop your MQP preliminary preferences:

  • None of these preferences are set in stone or guaranteed. Your preliminary preferences are used for planning and coordinating the MQPs; they are a starting point. The PW faculty will use these preferences to coordinate the MQPs and to work with you on developing a feasible MQP. 
  • Most PW majors are double majors who complete 4/3-unit MQPs. This means that PW faculty typically work with each student to develop a combined MQP that works with an advisor from your other major. 

What is the difference between a 1-unit MQP and a 4/3-unit MQP?

PW majors can choose whether to complete a 1-unit or 4/3-unit MQP:

  • 1-unit: Typical for (but not limited to) PW single majors. The entire MQP has a PW focus. If you are a double major, you would still have to complete a 1-unit MQP for your second major.
  • 4/3-unit: Typical for PW double majors. The MQP is interdisciplinary. It combines two majors in one project, and it has at least one advisor from each discipline (e.g., a 4/3 MQP for a BME/PW double major would have a BME advisor and a PW advisor).

Can I complete a 4/3-unit MQP in 3 terms or fewer?

Yes. Typically, 4/3-unit MQPs take place over four terms (i.e., A-D term of an academic year). However, it all depends on the MQP (i.e., the project, the student, the advisors). If it is feasible for you to complete the MQP in 3 terms or fewer, you can do that as long as you have identified a faculty member who is willing to do that.

Here is a typical MQP timeline for a 4/3-unit, double-major MQP:

  • Early Spring Junior Year: You will submit one or more initial project ideas for your MQP (typically one paragraph). These are only ideas; nothing is set in stone. If you have a preferred advisor, provide that too. Again, this is only a preference until the advisor commits to the project. We recommend speaking with potential advisors first.
  • Late Spring Junior Year to Summer: You are assigned to a PW faculty advisor. Depending on how you and your advisor schedule this work, you may have already mapped out an initial project plan with them.
  • Start of A-term Senior Year: You meet with your PW faculty advisor to begin your MQP. You should begin thinking through questions that will help you plan your possible MQP (see MQP questions to consider above). You use this time to try identifying a complex but feasible research topic/problem you are interested in addressing in your MQP. If you will be completing a 4/3 MQP that combines two majors, think about how this project might do that.
  • All Terms Senior Year: You complete your MQP as a 4/3-unit, double-major MQP. You complete 1/3 unit each term (i.e., 1/3 in A-term, 1/3 in B-term, etc.).