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Professional Paper

Spring 2026

(This will be recorded and made available to HHH students, for those who could not attend)

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Today’s Presenters

  • Sarah French, Academic Program & Project Specialist
    • Ask her about deadlines and forms
  • Deborah Levison, Professor and long-time instructor of PA 8082
    • Ask her anything about writing a professional paper
  • A panel of HHH alumni who took PA 8082
    • Ask them anything about writing a professional paper (except deadlines)

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Finding a Supervisor & Committee Member(s)

One of the two must be a member of the Graduate Faculty for your degree. The other can be a community member or faculty member with expertise in your topic area.

  • Talk to multiple potential supervisors/committee members to seek advice about your topic.
  • They should know some of the literature you will be reading/using.
  • For quant/qual. analysis, look for a supervisor with expertise in that
  • Ask helpful experts if they would be open to being on the committee or supervising you.
  • Give possible supervisors/committee members information on serving on a Paper Committee. They can also talk to Deborah.

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PA 5082: Professional Paper Preparation Workshop

New 1-credit Fall course to help Professional Paper writers to:

  • focus broad topics, then figure out specific research questions; theoretical & empirical frameworks; and methodology;
  • find a committee with appropriate experience who can guide them;
  • find and prepare data that will work for their purpose, if needed;
  • submit IRB requests, if needed.

This course is a prerequisite for students taking PA 8082 (Spring seminar) just as PA 5080/MDP 5100 is required for capstones.

Wednesdays 8:15-9:45 am starting on October 22, 2025

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PA 8082 Professional Paper Writing Seminar

  • Most students completing Professional Paper in Spring 2026 should enroll in the PA 8082 seminar. (Why?)
  • Weekly deadlines → finish high-quality, well-written papers by May
  • Supportive environment, feedback → regular progress on papers
  • A paper supervisor and committee are still needed.
  • Students who do not take PA 8082 must submit a waiver request to their DGS for approval before October 3, 2025.

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Timeline

  • Before October 3, develop the paper topic and confirm your paper supervisor and committee member(s).
  • October 3, 2025: Paper topic approval form is due
  • Register for PA 5082: Professional Paper Preparation Workshop
    • 2nd half of the semester (Starts Wednesday, October 22 from 8:15-9:45 am)
    • 1 credit
  • November 11, 2025: Spring semester registration begins.
    • Register for the PA 8082 Professional Paper Writing Seminar.
    • Scheduled on Wednesdays from 8:15-11:00 am (Spring 2026).

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Alumni Panel (& their paper titles)

Marcela Vargas (MHR)

Free, Prior, and Informed Consent in Colombia: Practices, Tensions, and Community Strategics

Benjamin Coder (MPP)

Cyber Conflict Risk Reduction: Behavioral Norm Construction in the Absence of Hard Law

Rachel Nichols (MS-STEP)

To Hunt, Fish, and Gather: Off-reservation Tribal reserved rights and the Clean Water Act

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Questions for the panel / Deborah?

Q & A session

The information covered today, and additional details are available on the Humphrey Individual Professional Paper Options web page.

After you read the web page, if you still have questions,

email Deborah Levison (dlevison@umn.edu) [only one N in Levison!]