Students have the option of completing a field research paper or a master's thesis. A student should make the decision concerning the track they wish to pursue after completing all required courses in the MSUSP program. A student may change their track with the permission of their advisor and the program coordinator. Completion of the field research track consists of the identification of a current issue in urban studies and the completion of a paper that directly addresses the issue. The master's thesis track consists of completing an original research project under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Unless the student has received special permission, no student will be allowed to receive credit for the internship paper or master's thesis without completing their required courses and at least two elective courses. All students must select either a Field Research or Thesis advisor with approval by the program faculty and the program coordinator. The principal advisor must serve as a faculty member for the MSUSP program. The program reserves the right to select an advisor if the student is unable to make a decision within a required time period. Students who opt for the thesis are responsible for selecting a principal advisor from among the faculty teaching within the program.

The master's thesis consists of the completion of an original research project under the direct supervision of an advisor chosen by the student with the approval of the program coordinator. In order to receive 6 hours credit for the master thesis, students who enroll in the thesis track must complete and defend a master-level thesis paper. Thesis students will enroll for the thesis credit and meet with their thesis advisor on a regular basis. They will also be required to participate in an oral defense of the thesis. The master thesis must be defended before a committee of three persons, two of whom must be faculty members associated with the MSUSP program. A third person may be chosen as a committee member who meets one of the following criteria: (1) the committee member must possess the terminal degree in their field of study or (2) has other expertise in the area of urban studies. The program faculty reserve the right of approval on all committee members.

The field research option consists of identifying a contemporary topic influencing the field of Urban Studies and Planning and producing an applied research paper. The topic must be placed within an academic context and consist of an applied research paper. The topic must be placed within an academic context and consist of an original project design, policy analysis, evaluation or another project with approval from the student's advisor. The research must demonstrate the student's ability to apply the basic theories of urban studies and research methodology to the appropriate topic. Admittance into the field research class is dependent upon the prior selection of an advisor and approval of the proposed topic. The final paper must be defended before a committee of three faculty members, one of whom may be from another academic department, or otherwise considered an expert in the field of Urban Studies and Planning. The committee members must possess the terminal degree in their field of study or have other expertise in the area of urban studies. The program faculty reserve the right of approval on all committee members. The defense of the field research paper will consist of defending the paper's subject matter along with assessing the student's grasp of other relevant information about the field of Urban Studies and Planning.