Master's Project

The Master's Project is a major research paper.  It's purpose is to have students demonstrate:

• Familiarity with the tools of research or scholarship in the field of public health;
• The ability to work independently;
• The ability to plan and carry out a systematic investigation related to a public health issue; and
• The ability to effectively present, in written form, the results of their investigation

Students choose one of the following options:

• A written report, often in the form of a manuscript suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, that demonstrates the student’s ability to do quantitative analyses, utilizing data collected by the student or obtained from another source;
• A  literature review, of publishable quality, which demonstrates the student’s ability to critically review the literature and synthesize published findings on a medical or public health topic;
• A grant proposal to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Students complete the Master’s Project near the end of their studies.

Examples of recent Master’s Project Titles include:

• "Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission in Minnesota: An Evaluation of USPHS Prevention Guidelines, 1990-2002"
• "Weight Perception and Dieting Behaviors among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White High School Students"
• "Vitamin A Intake and the Risk of Hip Fracture in Postmenopausal Women: The Iowa Women’s Health Study"
• "The Natural History of West Nile Virus in Minnesota: The Introduction of a Novel Virus into a Naive Environment, 2002-2003"
• "Incidence and Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in African Americans with Diabetes: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study"
• "Understanding Prostate Cancer Screening Knowledge and Participation in Facilitated Shared Decision Making"
• "Status of Human Anaplasmosis Reporting and Laboratory Testing in Minnesota, 2002-2005"
• "The Relationships Between Depression Symptoms, Physical Activity, Fruit and Vegetable Intake, and BMI Among Bus Drivers"