1. In order to register for NURS 800, the course during which the scholarly project is completed, students must satisfactorily complete Nurs 605 and NURS 610 or have permission of the project advisor to register at a different time. It is expected that students plan the assignments associated with those courses so they are prepared for the scholarly project to be conducted while registered for NURS 800.
2. Read the Research tip sheets. these describe the process of selecting and working with the project advisor, the project committee and the statistical consultant.
3. Decide on a topic of interest for the scholarly project. Students are expected to select research topics related to their MSN concentration. Nurse practitioner students, therefore, should study problems related to primary care while nurse educators are expected to study problems related to the teaching/learning process.
4. If you have not already done so, Identify 1 or 2 other students who will comprise your research team.
5. Working together, obtain a project advisor.

Consult the faculty information on the MSN web page and see which of the current faculty have research interests that are similar to those of your team. (The use of telephones, fax, and email make this, and not physical proximity, the most important factor is selecting a Project Advisor.) Faculty members are expected to guide research only in their areas of expertise, and students should keep this in mind when selecting an advisor. Both temporary (reappointed annually) and permanent full members of the Graduate Faculty are eligible to guide scholarly projects.

Contact the faculty member you've selected to determine his/her interest and availability.  Be prepared, whether you're phoning, making an appointment, or emailing, to be able to outline your ideas for the proposed study and be able to respond to questions about your background in the area and your interest in the topic.

If the faculty member agrees to become your project advisor, call the Clarion Graduate Office at 814-393-2337 to register. You will not be registered without identifying the faculty member who has agreed to act as your projcet advisor.