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Choosing Between a Thesis or Non-thesis Master's Degree

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•       Resources       Choosing Between a Thesis or Non-thesis Master's Degree

As of 2015, approximately 25.4 million Americans held advanced degrees , with more citizens joining these ranks each year. As studies continue to show the career advancement and salary benefits of completing a master's degree, more and more students elect to pursue advanced educations. When considering their options, many question whether to enroll in a master's requiring a thesis or not. The following guide examines some of the reasons degree seekers may want to write a thesis while also highlighting why they might not. Students on the fence about this important decision can find expert advice, actionable tips, and relevant guidance to help them make an informed choice in the guide that follows.

Understanding the Master's Thesis

What is the difference between a thesis & non-thesis master's program, the decision not to do a thesis.

As students research various master's programs in their chosen discipline, it's common to find that many degrees require a thesis – especially if they want to enter a research-heavy field. While this word gets thrown around a lot in academia, some learners may want more information regarding what it entails in order to make an informed decision.

What is a Master's Thesis?

The master's thesis is an original piece of scholarship allowing the student to dig into a topic and produce an expanded document that demonstrates how their knowledge has grown throughout the degree program. These documents require significant independent research of primary and secondary sources and, depending on the subject, may require interviews and/or surveys to support the overarching argument.

Individual schools and departments dictate the length of these documents, but they typically range between 60 and 100 pages – or approximately 20,000 to 40,000 words. While tackling a document of such heft may seem overwhelming at first, learners need not fret. Each master's candidate receives a faculty advisor early in their tenure to provide support, feedback, and guidance throughout the process. Because the final thesis is expected to be of a publishable quality, learners seeking the highest marks typically send their supervisor excerpts of the document as they write to ensure they are on the right track.

When picking a thesis topic, no magical formula exists. Students should consider their interests and read extensively on that topic to get a better sense of existing scholarship. They should also speak to other academics working in that sphere to familiarize themselves with ongoing projects. Only after they feel reasonably well-read should they begin looking for uncovered angles or interesting ways of using emerging methodologies to bring new light to the topic.

When considering formatting, degree seekers should check with their specific schools and departments, as they may have unique requirements. To get a general understanding of what to expect, learners can review Simon Fraser University's guidelines on thesis formatting. After completing the thesis, some programs require an oral defense before a committee while others read the document and provide a grade. Check with your prospective schools to get a better sense of procedure.

Format & Components of a Master's Thesis

While this guide attempts to provide helpful and actionable information about the process of deciding whether to follow a thesis or non-thesis track in a master's program, readers should remember that specific components and requirements of a thesis vary according to discipline, university, and department. That being said, some commonalities exist across all these – especially when it comes to what students must include in their final drafts.

As the first section a reader encounters after moving through the table of contents and other anterior text, the introductory allows the writer to firmly establish what they want to accomplish. Sometimes also called the "research question" section, the introductory must clearly state the goals of the paper and the overarching hypothesis guiding the argument. This should be written in a professional yet accessible tone that allows individuals without specializations in the field to understand the text.

This section allows learners to demonstrate their deep knowledge of the field by providing context to existing texts within their chosen discipline Learners review the main bodies of work, highlighting any issues they find within each. Constructive criticism often centers around shortcomings, blind spots, or outdated hypotheses.

Students use this section to explain how they went about their work. While scientists may point to a specific method used to reach conclusions, historians may reference the use of an emerging framework for understanding history to bring new light to a topic. The point of this section is to demonstrate the thought processes that led to your findings.

This section allows for learners to show what they learned during the research process in a non-biased way. Students should simply state what information they gathered by utilizing a specific framework or methodology and arrange those findings, without interpretation, in an easy-to-read fashion.

After providing readers with all the necessary information, the discussion section exists for candidates to interpret the raw data and demonstrate how their research led to a new understanding or contributed a unique perspective to the field. This section should directly connect to the introduction by reinforcing the hypothesis and showing how you answered the questions posed.

Even though the previous sections give prospective degree seekers a better sense of what to expect if they decide to write a thesis during their master's program, they don't necessarily help learners decide whether to pursue a thesis or non-thesis track. The following section highlights some of the reasons students frequently choose to complete a thesis or bypass the process altogether by providing a pros and cons list.

Why a Thesis Program

• Especially when entering a research-heavy discipline, completing a thesis shows prospective schools and employers that you possess the skills needed for researching and writing long-form reports.
• Students hoping to pursue a Ph.D. stand in better stead with admissions panels if they wrote a thesis during a master's program.
• Individuals hoping to enter a field that values syntax and grammar often better their writing skills by completing a thesis.
• Students who write a thesis can submit the final product to various academic journals, increasing their chances of getting published.
• Theses expand students' understanding of what they're capable of, deepen their ability to carry out an argument, and develop their skills in making connections between ideas.

Why a Non-thesis Program

• Because they don't require a significant written product, non-thesis master's tend to take less time to complete.
• Often mirrors a bachelor's program in terms of structure, allowing learners to complete classes and take exams without a great deal of research or writing.
• Students who excel in project-based assignments can continue building skills in this arena rather than focusing on skills they don't plan to use (e.g. research)
• Provides learners the opportunity to work more closely and more frequently with faculty on real-world projects since they don't spend hundreds of hours researching/writing.
• Allows learners to take more classes and gain hands-on skills to fill the time they would have spent researching and writing a thesis.

How to Choose a Master's Program: FAQs

Within some academic disciplines and professional fields, research and writing plays a key role in work done on a daily basis. Because of this, master's programs in these fields require learners to complete theses to compete against peers and be seen as competent in their work. Other disciplines, conversely, rely on other tools to accomplish work and progress ideas – making theses less important.

Yes. Master's programs focused more on application than research typically don't require a thesis – although they may still give students the option. Examples of common non-thesis master's programs include nursing, business, and education.

Even though non-thesis students won't be writing a 100-page paper, that doesn't mean they avoid completing a significant project. In place of a thesis, most applied master's programs require students to take part in at least one internship or complete a culminating project. These projects typically ask learners to take what they learned throughout coursework and create an expansive final project – examples include case studies, creative works, or portfolios.

While students who followed a non-thesis path routinely receive acceptance to Ph.D. programs, those with theses often find the process easier. Even if a learner pursues a Ph.D. in a discipline that isn't research-heavy, admissions panels still want to get a sense of your academic interests and ability to engage in independent, nuanced thought. Students with theses can provide solid proof of these skills, while those without may struggle to demonstrate preparedness as thoroughly.

The answer to this question depends on many factors, but typically it is okay not to do a thesis if you plan to enter a field that doesn't depend heavily on research or writing, or if you don't plan to complete a Ph.D.

Students wanting to work in academic, research, or writing should always opt for the thesis track. They should also follow this path if they have any doctoral degree aspirations.

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to complete a thesis rests with the individual student. Figuring out how to proceed on this front requires lots of careful consideration, and learners should ensure they consider various aspects before coming to a final decision. The following section helps students consider how they should and should not come to a conclusion.

Dos and Don'ts of Choosing a Thesis or Non-thesis Program

• Consider the longevity of your decision: will you feel the same in 5-10 years or are you making a decision based on current desires?
• Talk to others who with experience in this area. Ask them questions about their decision-making process and if they regret their choice.
• Research potential thesis topics before starting a program. Going in with a game plan can help you feel more confident and settled about the process than if you're scrambling for a topic while in school.
• Reach out to prospective schools to speak with faculty and/or current students following both tracks. This will provide knowledge specific to the school while also expanding your network if you choose to attend there.
• Research Ph.D. entrance requirements to ascertain if the majority expect learners to possess a thesis when applying. This will give you a sense of whether you may experience issues later on if you do not complete one.
• Decide not to complete a thesis simply because you have never taken on such a task and feel overwhelmed or fearful that you will fail.
• Complete a thesis simply because you think it will look good on your resume. Theses require intense devotion over an extended amount of time; learners who complete them without conviction often find the process miserable.
• Forget to research alternatives to writing a thesis. Just because you don't complete a research paper doesn't mean a non-thesis track lacks rigor or challenging coursework.
• Forget to read examples of theses by previous students. If you feel overwhelmed by the task, reading work other people have done can often make the task at hand feel less scary.
• Let yourself off easy by taking the non-thesis path. If you find you have extra time in the program, talk to your advisor about taking more classes, develop meaningful projects for yourself, or see about presenting at an academic conference.

From the Expert

Sudiksha Joshi, Ph.D. is a learning advocate. Her mission is to empower our youth to think bigger, bolder thoughts and forge a career path that will change the world. She taps into her natural curiosity and ability to identify strengths to help students and those in transition find their path from feeling lost in the traditional ways of achieving success to charting their own path. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Huffington Post, Thrive Global, Medium and LinkedIn.

Why might a student decide to follow a thesis track? Why might they follow a non-thesis track?

A student might decide to take a thesis track if she/he wants to pursue a Ph.D. Also, if the students want to focus on careers where research and writing have a strong focus, the students opt for the thesis option. Research assistantships at the graduate level are also more often available to students who opt for the thesis option.

A student who might feel that writing is not one of their strengths might choose to go the non-thesis track. Likewise, a student who has other work commitments may find a non-thesis option more convenient.

Do you have any tips for deciding on a program?

I chose a thesis option because being able to conduct independent research was a big reason to go to graduate school. Also, showing the ability that I could do research was what afforded me research assistantships which meant that my tuition was paid for and I got a stipend that paid for expenses while I was in graduate school. This also allowed me the opportunity to work closely with the faculty mentor that provided me with the support and the accountability I wanted.

I would not recommend taking a non-thesis option if all the degree requires is for you to take courses. You have little to show in terms of your learning other than your grades unless you are already working on something on the side that does that for you and all you need is a certificate.

Opt for a non-thesis option if you can still work closely with a professor or on a project and if you'd rather be involved in multiple projects rather than focus on a single project. If you already have a good (informed) reason for choosing one over the other, go for it.

What's the most important thing to consider when choosing a program?

The most important thing to consider when choosing a program is getting excited about the projects that at least one of the faculty members are involved in. Do some research and see why you are excited about a particular work that at least one of the faculty members have been involved in.

Who should students talk to when considering options?

Students should talk to other students and also reach out directly to the graduate coordinator and even individual faculty members. This means that students should have done prior homework and have some good questions ready. Asking good questions will get you at least halfway through to make the right decision.

How to Write a Thesis: A Guide for Master’s Students

By Dr. David James Kritz   |  09/29/2023

Let’s face it. Researching and writing a quality thesis can be daunting for many reasons, including:

• A lack of knowledge on where to begin the assignment process
• What key arguments and questions to ask in relation to the thesis statement
• How to get to the data and subject matter
• How to cope with writer's block, a professor's expectations, and time constraints

According to Dictionary.com , a thesis is “a proposition stated or put forward for consideration, especially one to be discussed and proved or to be maintained against objections.”

Therefore, avoiding a weak thesis statement is vital when writing an applicable paper. Thesis statement examples are pivotal in understanding this position.

Currently, master’s students who select the thesis capstone within American Public University's School of Security and Global Studies intelligence master's degree program must choose a relevant subject.

Typically, these students must write a thesis statement that consists of at least one compelling sentence and at least 50 pages of content, then turn it in within 16 weeks.

I have taught graduate students, primarily from the U.S. Intelligence Community, how to conduct research for over eight years.

Based on my experience as an educator, I have 10 tips for creating good thesis statements. These tips, combined with some apt thesis statement examples, can elucidate the process.

Tip #1 for Effective Thesis Statements: Select an Appropriate Topic and Research Question

First, it is necessary to use a lengthy thinking process before developing a good thesis statement, whether it’s an expository thesis statement or an argumentative one. This process begins with many questions related to how to write a thesis statement, such as:

• What would be an interesting topic?
• What would be an original and interesting research question?
• What will be the main claim, key arguments, and central idea of the thesis statement?
• What is an appropriate research design?
• How will I get to the data to address my central research question?

Regardless of the thesis statement or topic, all research begins with a research question.

Without the right question, the analysis, literature review, and implications might miss their mark. This question should be unique, intriguing, and beyond a mere “yes” or “no” answer.

For instance, rather than asking, “Will Country X pursue nuclear proliferation?”, it's better to pose open-ended questions like, “How does…?” or “To what extent…?” Such an approach ensures nuanced and substantive answers.

Additionally, supplementary key questions should support the main research question's depth and intent.

Tip #2: Begin Work on the Thesis Statement and Break Up the Thesis into Manageable Sections

After selecting an appropriate topic and developing a central research question for the thesis statement, it is then necessary to apply the research and writing skills you have learned throughout your degree program.

It might be necessary to refine the thesis statement after some preliminary research; after all, you want a strong thesis statement rather than a weak thesis statement.

It is also essential to break up the thesis paper into manageable sections during the writing process. This strategy will help you to overcome the most common types of mental hurdle of creating a thesis paper that can be 50 or more pages in length.

For writing a thesis statement, this way of thinking is helpful before you begin writing. Instead of attempting to write every single sentence of a thesis statement in one long stretch, you can work on one section at a time, turn it in for review and work on the next section of the thesis statement while awaiting feedback.

Tip #3: Pay Attention to Your Professor's Feedback about Your Assignment

When I give my essay assignment to my students with advice on how to write a thesis, I also explain the importance of a strong thesis statement.

I advise them to avoid becoming emotionally attached to the thesis. That emotional attachment can lead to a battle of wills and wits with the capstone course's professor over the thesis statement examples they present.

When it comes to implementing feedback, revisions to the thesis paper often need to occur. Faculty members are there to help guide you and assist you in the production of a good-quality, argumentative thesis statement that will provide new insights for the reader.

Just go with the feedback you receive from your instructor as you write a sentence, or more, and move on to complete your thesis paper more efficiently.

Tip #4: Complete an Abstract

The abstract of a thesis is vital, so it must be carefully crafted. The abstract may be the only section of a published, scholarly paper or article that someone may take the time to read, based on their time constraints and interest.

Ideally, the abstract should be 250 words or less and must contain the main point of the paper. I advise students drafting an abstract for scholarly journal editors to ensure that the abstract has these elements:

An introductory sentence

A “hook” (why the reader should care about the thesis statement or its topic and to motivate the reader to look at your paper)

The central research question to show the main point of your paper

The research design – how you collected evidence to support your arguments

The results and implications, such as the negative and positive aspects of your main topic and the broader context of your research

Tip #5: Write the Literature Review

When crafting a literature review, incorporate multiple peer-reviewed articles from academic sources like ProQuest and EBSCOHost. Opt for articles frequently cited in other works to enhance your paper's credibility.

The review examines arguments in thesis statements and their counterarguments from scholarly works. For clear discussions, organize your review thematically, showing topic synthesis and your position. This reduces confusion.

For example, if 40 articles discuss open-source intelligence and seven focus on social media, that could be a central theme.

Rather than just listing articles, create broader themes and keep synthesizing. When crafting the thesis, evaluate each paragraph's relevance to the main research question. I advise students to assess the “So what?” factor. If a paragraph isn't pertinent, it might be best to remove it.

Tip #6: Develop a Theoretical Framework within Your Thesis Statement

Theories in theses are often mishandled, reflecting a student’s unclear grasp. Academic theory goes beyond mere "I have a theory" statements and leans on robust, time-tested frameworks.

For instance, a strategic intelligence studies thesis statement might employ national security theory or national defense theory. This theory should align with the thesis's central question.

For example, if probing how Country X uses social media for misinformation, a student might be directed to the communication theory, which aligns well with the study's main topic and question.

Tip #7: Select a Research Design

Before conducting research, students must devise a strategy to address their central question. The research design is their roadmap for data collection. This encompasses methodology, methods, and data gathering instruments like surveys or interviews. Research on humans requires IRB approval, which I advise against due to time constraints in a 16-week paper cycle. Additionally, it's vital to distinguish between “methodology” and “methods,” terms often mistakenly used interchangeably.

Methodology involves the justification of the how and why a research method was selected to address the central research question , according to Indeed. The three primary methodologies include:

• Qualitative methodology
• Quantitative methodology
• Mixed methods

“Mixed methods” involves a researcher’s use of at least one research method from a qualitative methodology and another research method from a quantitative methodology, then explaining how those methods will be integrated into a study.

But if two methods from the same methodology are used in a study, that is referred to as a multi-method approach. An example of a multi-method approach would be using a comparative case study as the first qualitative research method and process tracing as the second research method.

Research methods are linked to either qualitative or quantitative methodologies. They focus on “what” a researcher selected to interpret data.

Research method types include:

• Archival records
• Alternative futures
• Case studies
• Comparative case studies
• Content analysis
• Correlational research
• Descriptive research
• Ethnography
• Experimental research
• Phenomenology
• Process tracing

Tip #8: Write about Research Findings and Data

After gathering data for a thesis, analyzing its significance is crucial, with methods including coding. While qualitative methodology doesn't aim to prove anything, unlike the quantitative approach which tests hypotheses, it can discuss correlations, causation, and delve into theoretical implications in data.

Some may view qualitative research as subjective, but selecting variables in quantitative research has its subjectivity too. Ultimately, it's essential to adhere closely to the scientific method, rather than relying on opinions or claims without concrete evidence.

Tip #9: Consider How Bias Will Affect Your Thesis Statement

When writing thesis statements, it is necessary to consider how bias will affect your writing and your reader. Being 100% objective is an admirable goal, but it is impossible to avoid biases as we are human beings.

All of us have biases, including latent ones. At best, we can mitigate biases, such as using coding software, but never holistically remove bias. As researchers, we just need to be aware of biases and develop strategies to mitigate them.

Tip #10: Be Aware of the Limitations of a Study

The study's limitations section is a pivotal part of a thesis. It highlights the research's shortcomings and indicates what might be done differently.

For instance, a student may mention a 16-week time constraint or contemplate a different research design or question.

This section not only helps students recognize how to enhance their research but also guides future scholars. They can learn from prior omissions or envision alternative research avenues.

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Thesis and Writing Resources

We are here to help

Graduate Studies provides support, guidance, and oversight to students and faculty through the entire thesis process.  Please contact us if you have questions or need any assistance.

Graduate Research Workshops

Research is an essential part of graduate education.  All graduate students should become knowledgeable about research in their particular fields of study and should engage in the process of conducting, analyzing, interpreting, and reporting their own personal research.  To gain a comprehensive overview of the research process and to gain practical experience and tools for effective research, graduate students are encouraged to attend the Graduate Research Workshops. 

Attendance is highly recommended for graduate students in all disciplines. Register for one or all workshops!  Students who attend the entire series will receive a Graduate Research Certificate .  

All workshops will be offered virtually (via Zoom) and face-to-face (JCKL) in a synchronous format.  

Workshop 1: Uncovering the Research Question/Research Problem

• Overview of academic and professional research
• Applied development of research questions

Click "Register Now" button below to see workshop schedule.

Workshop 2: Resource Investigation/The Literature Review

• In-depth exploration of the elements of the literature review/resource investigation as related to the research problem/question.
• Introduction to the exploratory phase of the literature review.
• Introduction to the various types of broad and focused literature reviews.
• Overview of the chain of information resources and accessing the resources.
• Overview of the types and role of various information sources.

Workshop 3: Plagiarism and Academic Writing

• In-depth exploration of citation styles used within the disciplines
• Application of APA citation style and others to source content

Workshop 4 & 5: Research Methods, Part 1 & 2

• Overview of qualitative, quantitative and mixed method research approaches.
• Introduces students to the correlation between the research question/problem statement and the applicable research approaches.

Part 2 - Research Ethics and Data Integrity

• Overview of the role of research ethics and common pitfalls.
• Introduction to IRB, IACUC, and data integrity including the application process.
• Practical experience cleaning a dataset.
• Introduction and intermediate topics related to plagiarism based upon discipline.

   Register Now   

Research and Writing Resources

Research consultation.

Librarians are available for consultation in finding and retrieving literature.  Contact Janette Klein at [email protected]  for more information and to set up an appointment.  

The Writing Center

The Writing Center offers writing instruction for all graduate students at all stages of the writing process.  This is a free service available to all UCM students via walk-ins, appointment, or online.  A specific graduate writing tutor is available to answer questions, perfect citations, provide a fresh perspective, and explore the conventions of academic writing at the graduate-level.  

Location: JCKL 1250, inside the Learning Commons . 

Thesis Resources

Research is an essential part of graduate education. While all graduate students should become knowledgeable about research in their field of study, thesis students engage in the process of conducting, analyzing, interpreting, and reporting their own personal research. The fulfillment of a thesis requirement is a distinct advantage to students who plan to do additional graduate study or to work in certain fields of employment.

A thesis is the result of research, scholarly, or creative activity that gives evidence of independent, critical, and creative investigation. The thesis demonstrates the ability to define and develop a problem; to understand and synthesize relevant literature; to use appropriate data collection methodology; to analyze and interpret data; and to draw reasonable conclusions based on the investigation that integrated the new knowledge into the discipline. This is different from capstone courses, projects, research papers, or other types of culminating experiences which are not reviewed by Graduate Studies and generally not preserved in the library repository. While still maintaining flexibility within program guidelines, the thesis does bear distinct university standards and requirements.

Graduate Student Responsibilities

The pursuit of a graduate degree infers a high degree of initiative on the part of the graduate student. Graduate students assume responsibility for engaging in intellectual activities at the graduate level, as well as responsibility for complying with all policies and procedures as set forth in the Graduate Catalog, in the Thesis Manual, and in college and school regulations.

Faculty Responsibilities

A successful thesis experience requires communication, collaboration, and support from multiple people. While a thesis is an individual research project, it is guided by the expertise of faculty who have knowledge of the discipline, theory, and methodology. Students should reach out to additional individuals as necessary depending upon the specifics of their project. The roles below are identified at UCM.

Thesis Chair -  The chair of the thesis committee is a faculty member with full graduate faculty status and is the primary mentor throughout the thesis process from beginning to end. They guide the student through each step and are there to answer questions, provide feedback, and point them towards other people and information as needed. They ensure regular communication between all and that feedback is being provided to the student. They review the final thesis copy and submit their approval to Graduate Studies via the Thesis Transmittal Form. They also submit the final letter grade for the thesis course. It is expected that the thesis chair will be accessible, responsive, and provide quick turnaround with feedback so as not to delay student progress.

Thesis Committee -  Thesis committee members (typically two) are faculty with either full or associate graduate faculty status (or external to UCM as noted below) and provide additional content and/or methodological expertise to support and supplement the thesis chair and the student. They provide feedback on every draft that they receive, participate in the thesis defense, and ensure the final thesis is of high quality. It is expected that thesis committee members will be accessible, responsive, and provide quick turnaround with feedback so as not to delay student progress. They submit their approval to the thesis chair.

Upon request, one of the committee members may be from outside the University, such as a retired faculty member, a faculty member from another university, or a professional from the appropriate field. Appointment of an external committee member is subject to approval by the thesis chair and the Assistant Vice Provost for Graduate Studies. A completed application for an external thesis committee member must be completed before the research is begun in order to have an external member on the thesis committee.

Department/School Chair - The department/school chair reviews the defense thesis and provides a quality check to ensure that the research project meets university expectations. It is expected that the department/school chair will be accessible, responsive, and provide quick turnaround with feedback so as not to delay student progress. They may submit their approval to the thesis chair or via the Thesis Transmittal Form.

Graduate Studies - The Graduate Studies office provides oversight of the entire thesis process from beginning to end and ensures quality and university wide consistency. They provide the structure and the guidance to all involved and are ultimately responsible for all thesis requirements being met. Graduate Studies reviews the prospectus, the defense thesis, the final thesis, and then authorizes approval of the final thesis on the degree audit (simply as completed or not completed).  Graduate Studies is available to answer questions, offers support as needed, and provides timely and immediate feedback.

Thesis Workshop

Thesis workshops are open to all students and faculty in order to learn about the process from start to finish. This includes a review of steps in completing a thesis, formatting guidelines, review of the thesis manual, writing resources, research funding, and time for Q&A. These presentations are scheduled at least twice every semester. While students and faculty are welcome to attend at any stage in their program, we encourage earlier rather than later. You are also welcome to attend multiple times for a refresher.

Graduate Studies will also accommodate students and faculty that would like to schedule individual, small group, or class presentations around your schedules upon request.

Thesis Manual

The Thesis Manual provides the instructions and the precise formatting requirements for all theses. Please be sure to follow the manual as you prepare your submission.

A properly formatted Microsoft Word template is provided below for faculty and students to utilize.

UCM Thesis Template 

Students not as familiar with Microsoft Word may have questions about certain features in order to meet the formatting requirements. Below are instructions for some of the most frequently asked questions.

Page Numbers: Section breaks

Table of Contents: Tab stops, leader dots, and alignment

Prospectus Template

As a matter of best practice and in order to set the groundwork for a successful thesis, all students begin with the development of a prospectus or a similar type of document as identified by the program. Following acceptance by the thesis chair the student must submit the finished prospectus to Graduate Studies via the Thesis Transmittal Form. The precise timeline for the completion of the prospectus is determined by the thesis chair and the program. However, at the latest this needs to be completed prior to conducting research.

The thesis prospectus is a plan on what the student wishes to research before conducting the research. It typically includes a draft abstract, overview, start of a literature review, and brief methods section. While a template is provided on the Graduate Studies website, thesis chairs may modify prospectus requirements to fit program needs. The student should follow the guidelines as set forth by their thesis chair. The prospectus serves as the official agreement between the student and the thesis committee and although changes may take place throughout the research process, it does reflect a well thought out plan.

Most programs use the prospectus as a prerequisite for enrollment in the thesis course. Students in programs that have a different process should work with their thesis chair for enrollment assistance.

UCM Thesis Prospectus Template

Be sure you are logged in to your UCM student Google account:

• Determination of Research  and other IRB, and IACUC forms and materials from the  Office of Sponsored Programs & Research Integrity
• External Thesis Committee Member
• Library Electronic Thesis / Research Paper (ETRP) Release Form ( pdf / docx ) - Publication agreement for inclusion of the thesis in the library digital repository.
• Transmittal Form  - Used by students to submit materials throughout the process: prospectus, defense thesis, final thesis, as well as accompanying documents. Thesis chairs also complete this form to provide their approval. The form requires that you are logged in to your active UCM Google account.

Thesis Binding

UCM no longer prints, binds, nor stores physical copies of final theses. However, students who wish to do so for their own use, for family, or to gift to faculty, may contact any of the companies below:

• Acme Binding
• Houchen Bindery
• Thesis on Demand

Submission, Approval, and Acceptance Overview and Timeline

A thorough content and format review is completed on every thesis through a collaboration between your Thesis Committee and the staff in Graduate Studies. Final approval of the thesis is sent to the registrar by Graduate Studies to fulfill this graduation requirement on the degree audit.

Submissions will be reviewed in the order received. Depending upon the number it may take up to a week to review each submission and provide a reply.

Your thesis committee and Graduate Studies will attempt to work with you year round, regardless of semester beginning and end dates, until your thesis is completed and approved. However, if you have a specific semester that you are hoping to finish by then there are specific timelines to be aware of. Failure to follow the deadlines and timeline below may delay your graduation to a subsequent semester.

Active student status is required in order to maintain access to faculty, advisor support, graduate program guidance, library resources, electronic accounts, university research facilities, and other resources. This may be fulfilled by continuing enrollment in additional credit hours of thesis or in additional graduate-level course as guided by the graduate program coordinator. Or upon approval from the thesis chair, a student can be enrolled in GRAD 5001- Continuous Enrollment to maintain active enrollment (please contact the Graduate Studies Office for more information).  University faculty and staff shall not work with thesis students that are not currently enrolled. Additionally, if a student fails to enroll in coursework and more than one year has lapsed the student must submit an application for readmission to the program before they may return. 

Submission of Prospectus and IRB Approval

All students must work with the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Integrity (OSPRI) and then submit the appropriate approval letter to Graduate Studies via the Thesis Transmittal Form. This letter must be sent to Graduate Studies as soon as it is received by the student and before conducting research.

If the thesis involves human subjects or animals the student must submit the proper forms for the human subjects review process or to the institutional animal care and use committee. OSPRI review and official approval must be obtained before conducting research.

If the thesis does not involve human subjects or animals the student must submit the Determination of Research (DOR) form. OSPRI review and official approval must be obtained before conducting research. Students may not self-determine.

The prospectus and the appropriate OSPRI response letter should be submitted from your student UCM Google account to Graduate Studies via the Transmittal Form . 

Due prior to conducting research

Submission of defense thesis.

In order to ensure the successful completion of a thesis, all students must submit the defense thesis to Graduate Studies via the Thesis Transmittal Form.

A defense is scheduled when the thesis chair believes the thesis is done and it is time for the student to present their findings. The defense thesis is the near final paper that is 99% complete and only requires minor edits. It is the version that is provided to the thesis committee members and the department/school chair before the defense. To ensure a complete approach to thesis review, quality assurance, and proper formatting, Graduate Studies will provide feedback on this paper. For easier editing it is preferred that this be submitted in Microsoft Word format.

After Graduate Studies reviews the thesis, a copy with suggested corrections will be sent back to the student and thesis chair for final editing.

The defense thesis should be submitted from your student Google account  to Graduate Studies via the Transmittal Form . 

Recommended due date: 5 p.m. on the Monday before finals week. Thesis chairs may set a different due date.

Thesis defense.

The thesis defense is a two-part process involving a public defense and a committee examination. The public defense is typically a one-hour presentation that is advertised and open to the public that includes a questions and answer component. The committee examination is typically an oral examination centered around your thesis topic and is always conducted by your approved thesis committee. Your thesis chair will work with you and let you know when you are ready to defend.

A thesis defense must be scheduled with your committee and completed before your degree will be conferred. The thesis committee then votes on whether or not to accept the thesis.

Graduate Studies is not involved in the defense though we are notified by the faculty when it is completed.

Recommended due date: 5 p.m. on the Friday before finals week. Thesis chairs may set a different due date.

Submission and acceptance of final thesis.

In order to finalize the successful completion of a thesis, Graduate Studies is the last step and requires all students submit two items via the Thesis Transmittal Form: submission of the final copy of the thesis, and the library publication agreement.

Following the defense, a final copy (in pdf format) approved by your thesis chair and incorporating all revisions, corrections, and feedback from the thesis committee and department/school chair must be submitted to Graduate Studies for university review, approval, and degree clearance. This final version must be clear of errors and strictly follow the thesis manual formatting guidelines.

Along with the thesis is the library publication agreement for inclusion in the library digital repository. The sharing and dissemination of findings is an important part of the research process.

The corrected final thesis, with accompanying library publication agreement, should be submitted to Graduate Studies via the Transmittal Form. Graduate Studies will notify the student, thesis committee chair, department/school, and registrar of final approval.

If Graduate Studies finds that additional corrections are needed it will be sent back to the student as many times as necessary. Please be aware that if multiple revisions and resubmissions are required to correct mistakes this may draw out the process and possibly degree completion. Students have up to 7 days after the end of the semester in order to submit corrections. If the thesis is not completed and approved by that point, Graduate Studies will continue to work with the student on revisions and graduation may be moved to the next semester.

The corrected final thesis, with accompanying library publication agreement release form, should be submitted from your student Google account to Graduate Studies via the Transmittal Form . Graduate Studies will notify the student, thesis committee chair, department/school chair, and registrar of final approval.

Recommended due date: 12 noon on the last day of finals week. Thesis chairs may set a different due date.

Graduate Studies Ward Edwards 1900 Tel: (660) 543-4729

[email protected]

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Thesis/Dissertation

To graduate with a master’s (thesis program) or doctoral (dissertation program) degree, students are required to submit an Electronic Thesis/Dissertation (ETD) and a Committee Approval Form to the Graduate School through the  UW ETD Administrator Site . ETDs are distributed by ProQuest/UMI Dissertation Publishing and made available on an open access basis through UW Libraries  ResearchWorks Service .

The Graduate School partners with the UW Libraries to provide comprehensive resources for students as they write, submit, and publish academic theses or dissertations. These pages outline information and policies related to preparing your thesis/dissertation, including formatting, deadlines, copyright and distribution decisions, and, ultimately, graduation. We also encourage you to review the  ETD Library Guide  for additional information.

For comprehensive information on preparing to graduate, please refer to our graduation requirements information page .

Writing Your Thesis or Dissertation

Etd resources.

As a starting point, students submitting an ETD are encouraged to review the below resources:

• Hacking the Academy: UW Theses & Dissertations (Recording of July 29, 2020 event) This session helps students think through their options for how and when to share their work, including the copyright and publishing considerations they may need to take into account.
• Electronic Theses & Dissertations with the UW Libraries The University Libraries welcomes you to this self-guided course on electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) at the UW. In this five-part learning experience, you will learn a lot about the ETD process including how the submission process works, how to give and receive recognition for your work, how to find and interpret publisher policies and how to read and inspect publishing contracts.

Formatting Guidelines

After you submit your ETD, the Graduate School will review your document as part of the graduation process at the end of each quarter. We will review for information accuracy, consistency, and to ensure your ETD meets the formatting requirements described below. There are three required sections (pages) that must be included at the beginning of your manuscript: 1) Title Page, 2) Copyright Page, 3) Abstract. Templates for these sections are provided below.

Apart from these first three pages, the Graduate School does not adhere to any specific formatting or publishing requirements unless explicitly stated by the ProQuest Author Guide: Preparing Your Manuscript for Submission (provided below). You should refer to the citation, formatting, and style specifications of your discipline and the guidance of your supervisory committee.  Note: theses and dissertations must be submitted in PDF format.

For a complete overview of the graduation process, please review  Preparing to Graduate .

Required Sections:

• Must include all items listed in the sample title page and placed in the same order
• May be the first or second page of your document
• Title of document
• Author’s Full Name
• Name of degree as it will appear on your diploma
• Year of graduation
• Names of chair/committee members (do not include signatures or professional titles, e.g. Dr. or PhD, before/after faculty names)
• Program authorized to offer degree (school or department)
• Name and year must match title pages
• List the year of graduation
• Place abstract after copyright and title page

Master’s Thesis Approval Form:

You are required to upload a completed and signed Master’s Thesis Approval Form into the UW ETD Administrator (ProQuest) site; the Approval Form is part of your ETD submission. This Approval Form is a separate PDF and should not be included as a page in the thesis or dissertation itself.

• Master’s Thesis Approval Form

Electronic Doctoral Dissertation Approval:

Final Exams scheduled after March 3, 2020 include a link for Reading Committee Members to approve the dissertation online at MyGrad Committee View.

ETD Formatting Resources:

• Thesis/Dissertation Formatting Checklist  – a quick reference guide of the formatting do’s and don’ts provided below.
• ProQuest Dissertation Publishing — Author Guide: Preparing Your Manuscript for Submission
• ProQuest Online Submission FAQs
• Master’s Thesis Title Page – Fillable PDF Template 
• Doctoral Dissertation Title Page – Fillable PDF Template
• Word Templates  – Alex Mamishev, Professor in Electrical Engineering maintains a Word file that other students may find useful when formatting their document.

Common ETD Formatting Revisions Requested

To ensure timely graduating, take some time before you submit to review this information and ProQuest’s document formatting guidelines. These are all common errors and revisions the Graduate School will request when reviewing ETD formatting. You will be required to resubmit if revisions are needed. Be precise, and consistent as you format your document.  Many formatting errors result from following a fellow or former student’s example, so it’s important to review the most current templates and guidelines.

Title Page, Copyright Page, Abstract

Language requirement.

Your document must be written in English ( policy 1.1.4.3 ). If you need to write your document in another language to accommodate the main audience, you must get prior approval to do so by  submitting a petition the dean via MyGrad . If the petition is approved, the required sections (title page, copyright page, abstract) must still be written in English.

Plagiarism is using words, ideas, diagrams, and other content from publicly available work without appropriately acknowledging the sources of these materials. This definition constitutes plagiarism whether it is intentional or unintentional and whether it is the work of another or your own, previously published work.

Plagiarism is a very serious offense that the University of Washington does not tolerate. Evidence of plagiarism may prevent granting of your degree.

Submitting and Publishing

Submitting for dissemination and access.

The Graduate School and the Libraries require that all UW theses and dissertations be submitted electronically for management efficiency, cost control, ease of dissemination, and long-term preservation reasons. In addition, your ETD must eventually be made available openly on the web. Your ETD will be hosted in both UW’s institutional repository,  ResearchWorks , and in  ProQuest’s ETD Database .  Consequently, you will need to indicate your choices in two sections about how your ETD is made available. Most students choose to make their work available immediately, but you can choose to limit access  temporarily  before making it available openly.

Students may restrict access to their theses and dissertations…

• while seeking to publish journal articles or books based on them,
• to protect intellectual property during the patent application process, or
• to prevent the disclosure of sensitive or classified information.

During the submission process, you will select ProQuest and ResearchWorks (Institutional Repository, or IR) publication options. The options are summarized on a table below, followed by selected scenarios to assist you in making your decisions.

IMPORTANT: The metadata describing your ETD, including the citation and abstract, is openly available  immediately— regardless of the embargo or restriction status. This information is searchable by Google, Bing and other search engines, so take care that neither the descriptive information nor the text contain confidential or sensitive information.

Selecting Access Options

Selected etd access scenarios.

The UW Libraries and the Graduate School are committed to the goal of sharing graduate students’ research as soon and as widely as possible, while allowing students to temporarily limit access to their theses and dissertations for such reasons as to support formal publication in journal article or book form or to allow time for filing patents. Below are some examples of how students may wish to use these options to support their publishing or intellectual property-protection goals.

Discussion of Scenarios

• Journal Article Publishing. In recent years graduate students – especially in scientific, medical and technical fields — have increasingly been publishing results of their research in journals.
• The “Research Article” Dissertation. In some disciplines students may be expected to publish 2 or more journal articles during the course of their studies and submit them as the core of their thesis or dissertation — along with an introduction, literature review, and conclusions. Because this has become so common, most journals now permit authors to immediately republish their articles within their theses or dissertations as long as they provide the full article citation and a statement that an article is being “reprinted with permission” of the journal. However, some other journals allow the practice but require that an article not appear on an open access basis before a delay of 6 or 12 months. The Libraries strongly suggests that students become familiar with the policies in place at the journals in which they would like to publish their work, and choose appropriate access restrictions if needed when they submit their ETD’s.
• Book Publishing. Some students in such humanities and social science disciplines as history and political science may hope to publish a revised version of their dissertation as their first book. As they consider that possibility they may be concerned they might undermine their prospects by making their dissertations widely available via ProQuest and/or on an open access basis.Before deciding whether or for how long to limit access to their work based on these concerns, The Libraries recommends students become familiar with the arguments and evidence put forward on these issues. For example, Cirasella and Thistlethwaite 3 and Courtney and Kilcer 4 provide excellent discussions of issues and review recent literature, while William Germano’s classic From Dissertation to Book 5 and Beth Luey’s Revising Your Dissertation 6 offer important insight into what might be involved during the dissertation revision process. While the Libraries recommends that most students hoping to publish their dissertations as books make them widely available while they work toward that goal, they should feel free to consider choosing otherwise, such as “Immediate Access” for ProQuest and limiting to UW for five years – at the end of which students may request additional time.
• Patent Protection Strategies. Students whose theses or dissertations describe work for which patent protection might be appropriate should contact Jesse Kindra at CoMotion ( [email protected] or 206 616-9658) prior to submitting their work to ProQuest and choosing access restrictions. Depending on the circumstances, a student may choose to completely withhold access for one year, but should recognize that doing so will prevent anyone else at the UW from having access to it during the restricted access period. To exercise this option, students should delay releasing their work to ProQuest for 1 or 2 years, and then choose “No access for 1 year, then make Open Access” from the Institutional Repository (IR) Publishing Options menu for the UW copy. In unusual circumstances, requests for access to be withheld an additional year may be considered. To make such a request, students should describe the reason(s) for it in an email to [email protected] prior to expiration of the original embargo period.

1 Marisa L. Ramirez, Joan T. Dalton, Gail McMillan, Max Read and Nancy H. Seamans, “Do Open Access Electronic Theses and Dissertations Diminish Publishing Opportunities in the Social Sciences and Humanities,” College and Research Libraries 74 (July 2013): 368‐80, http://crl.acrl.org/content/74/4/368.full.pdf+html .

2 Marisa Ramirez, Gail McMillan, Joan T. Dalton, Ann Hanlon, Heather S. Smith and Chelsea Kern, “Do Open Access Electronic Theses and Dissertations Diminish Publishing Opportunities in the Sciences?” College and Research Libraries 75 (November 2014): 808-21, http://crl.acrl.org/content/75/6/808.full.pdf+html .

3 Jill Cirasella and Polly Thistlethwaite, “Open Access and the Graduate Author: A Dissertation Anxiety Manual,” pp. 203-224 in Open Access and the Future of Scholarly Communication: Implementation (Kevin L. Smith and Katherine A. Dickson, eds.: Rowman and Littlefield, 2017), http://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_pubs/286/ .

4 Kyle K. Courtney and Emily Kilcer, “From Apprehension to Comprehension: Addressing Anxieties about Open Access to ETD’s,” pp. 225-244 in Open Access and the Future of Scholarly Communication: Implementation (Kevin L. Smith and Katherine A. Dickson, eds.: Rowman and Littlefield, 2017).

5 William Germano. 2013. From Dissertation to Book, 2d. ed. : University of Chicago Press.

6 Beth Luey (ed.). 2008. Revising Your Dissertation: Advice from Leading Editors. University of California Press.

Publishing Agreements

When you submit your ETD for review and publication, you will be required to read and accept two separate publishing agreements. You will also have to decide whether to publish your work right away or to delay its release. Additional pages within this section will outline all the considerations to keep in mind, when deciding how to make your work available to the scholarly community.

All students writing a thesis or dissertation should review the UW Libraries Copyright Research Guide . Understanding copyright law is another critical aspect as you write your thesis or dissertation.  As you compose your work, ask yourself the following questions:

• Have you referenced others’ work? If so, you either need to get explicit permission from the rights holder or to determine that your use is Fair.
• Have you previously published any part of the work? If you’ve signed your copyright over to your publisher, you will need permission to use your material in your thesis.

Ordering Paper Copies

There are no required fees , although you have the option to register your copyright via ProQuest for a fee. If you want to order bound (paper) copies of your document, you may do so through the UW Copy Centers or through ProQuest. Questions should be directed to the UW Copy Centers or to ProQuest at 1.800.521.0600 ext. 77020 — available 8 a.m.–5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday (excluding U.S. holidays).

Frequently Asked Questions

I created an account in the etd administrator site, but i’m not ready to submit my etd. can i come back to my account later.

Yes. If you need to finish your submission later (for instance, if you need to update your PDF file before uploading it), you can save your information and come back to finish. No information will be lost.

I submitted my ETD but would like to make an edit to the document. How can I edit my submission?

Once your thesis/dissertation is submitted, no additional changes to the document are allowed with the exception of a major data error in the document. In this circumstance, a letter outlining the necessary changes is required from your supervisory committee chair.

What will the Graduate School be reviewing after I submit my ETD?

Submissions are reviewed by GEMS advisors for formatting requirements for the three required sections — title page, copyright page, abstract — before they are delivered to ProQuest for publication. We are checking for accuracy and consistency. Refer to the Formatting Guidelines section on this page for detailed information.

I submitted my ETD and haven't heard anything yet. When will it be reviewed?

We try to review all ETDs as they are received, but if you submit early in the quarter it may not be acted on immediately. If you need to confirm completion of your degree requirements to an external agency or employer, please access the request for letter of certification in the forms section of our Additional Resources page (once your degree has posted to your UW transcript, we can no longer issue this letter). In general, ETDs are reviewed in the last two to three weeks before the quarter ends and after the last day of the quarter. When your submission has been accepted by a GEMS advisor, you will receive email confirmation.

How can I tell if my ETD was submitted and received by the Graduate School?

When your ETD is successfully submitted and pending review, the status will read “submission in review.”

When will my ETD be made available for access?

This depends on the type of access restrictions you selected when creating your account. However, your submission will be delivered to ProQuest for publishing four to six weeks after graduation and you will receive email confirmation when this has occurred. It should be available in UW ResearchWorks around the same time.

When will the printed dissertation / thesis copies I ordered from ProQuest be ready?

After you receive the email confirmation that UW has “delivered” your submission (ETD) to ProQuest, you should please refer to the ProQuest customer service guidelines for the expected delivery date of your order.

What if I am missing a faculty signature for my thesis or dissertation, or I have encountered difficulties in uploading my ETD? Must I pay the graduate registration waiver fee and graduate in the following quarter?

If you encounter these types of situations, contact Graduate Enrollment Management Services (206.685.2630 or  [email protected] ) as early as possible and no later than the last day of the quarter in which you intend to graduate.

Additional Resources

• Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) Guide  (start here!)
• Copyright and Fair Use
• Open Access
• Scholarly Publishing
• ProQuest/UMI Agreement — Traditional Publishing Agreement
• University Agreement — UW Libraries Thesis and Dissertation Submission Agreement
• UW Human Subjects Division (HSD)
• UW CoMotion

• Graduate Programs
• Request Information

What is a Thesis? Everything You Need to Know about a Graduate Thesis

If you’re looking into graduate school, you may have read about graduate thesis requirements. In today’s blog, we’re giving you the rundown of what a graduate thesis is and whether you need to complete a thesis at Emerson . 

What is a graduate thesis?

A graduate thesis is a capstone project that demonstrates what a student has learned in graduate school. Some programs require students to conduct research for their thesis, while others may require a creative project. Regardless of what form it takes, a graduate thesis is a substantial project that showcases your ability to do independent, graduate-level work.

At Emerson, a graduate thesis can take multiple forms and might be optional, depending on your program. You may have the option to complete research, write a creative manuscript, or complete a film or other creative project as a graduate student at Emerson. 

Regardless of what format your thesis takes, students are expected to submit some form of academic or creative writing as part of their thesis. 

For a research thesis, this written submission will take the form of an academic research paper that presents your research question and findings. Programs at Emerson offering a research thesis track are:

• Communication Disorders
• Publishing and Writing
• Theatre Education & Applied Theatre 

If your thesis is a piece of creative writing, such as a novel or collection of poems, your manuscript will count as the written portion of your thesis. You would complete this type of thesis in the following programs:

• Creative Writing
• Popular Fiction Writing and Publishing

For a film or creative project as a thesis, the written portion of your thesis would include an explanation of your work and what purpose it serves within your field of study. These are the programs in which you might complete this type of thesis:

• Media Design
• Film and Media Art
• Writing for Film and Television
• Publishing and Writing 
• Theatre Education & Applied Theatre

Do I have to complete a thesis as part of graduate school?

It depends! Some of Emerson’s graduate programs don’t even offer thesis options, and many offer optional thesis opportunities. Only a handful of our programs require a thesis. 

The following programs at Emerson require students to complete a graduate thesis:

• Students complete a design book that includes a literature review, creative portfolio, media design for a specific organization’s need, and plan for continued work with the partner organization.
• Students complete a film or multimedia installation project as their thesis. They must also write an academic paper about their project.
• Students in this program complete at least 100 pages of a near-publishable novel. The novel can fall within any genre, from mystery to science fiction to romance. Along with the manuscript, students also write a 3-4 page synopsis of their thesis.
• Students submit a near-publishable manuscript in one of three categories: fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction. Page requirements vary based upon the genre in which students are writing. 
• Students in this program complete a screenwriting thesis project. Generally, students can choose between writing a feature length screenplay, two pilot screenplays, or one pilot screenplay for a mini-series plus Treatment for Series that includes a summary for the other episodes in the series. 
• In the MA track of the Theatre Education & Applied Theatre program, students write a research paper about a topic that interests them. The research must be about a topic within the theatre education or applied theatre fields.
• Students in the MFA track of this program complete a two-part thesis, consisting of a thesis project and thesis paper. The thesis project is an opportunity to gain experience in the field of theatre education and/or applied theatre. For example, students could direct a play or design and implement their own curriculum as a thesis project. Students can either complete the thesis project independently or collaborate with 1-2 other MFA students for the project. Each student also completes a thesis paper, which is a critical reflection on the thesis project. 

For other programs, completing a thesis is optional.

The following Emerson graduate programs offer optional thesis tracks:

• Theatre Education & Applied Theatre, MA

Where do I start with a thesis?

The prospect of completing an entire research study or creative project yourself can be daunting, but Emerson faculty support students throughout the thesis process. While graduate theses are largely self-directed, each thesis student receives support and guidance from a thesis advisor. 

Usually, the thesis advisor is a faculty member within the student’s graduate program who has interest in or experience with the student’s thesis topic. The process of finding a thesis advisor varies slightly from program to program, but the advisor will schedule periodic check-ins with their thesis students, offering advice and support as needed. A graduate thesis is the student’s responsibility, but students are not alone in the process!

What are the benefits of completing a graduate thesis?

Having a graduate thesis under your belt can help set you apart as someone who is capable of self-directing large projects or research. This is helpful when you’re looking for work after graduation, or if you’re applying to PhD programs or want to work in research. 

Additionally, completing a creative project for your graduate thesis is a means for students to get their work recognized. For students in our writing MFAs, the thesis requirement gives them a polished, near-publishable manuscript that they can use to query agents after graduation. Students completing a film or media art project for their thesis will leave graduate school with a professional-level piece of work to showcase. Whether it’s a manuscript, film, or other creative project, completing a creative thesis in graduate school gives students material they can use to establish themselves in their field after graduation. 

Lastly, a graduate thesis is an excellent way to grow and challenge yourself. Whether you’re writing a novel, completing a research study, or creating a marketing design for a company, a graduate thesis will challenge you to get outside of your comfort zone. You’ll try new things and learn through your mistakes, all of which will help you grow both personally and academically.

We hope today’s blog has made the thesis process at Emerson a bit clearer. If you still have questions about graduate theses at Emerson, be sure to schedule a call with someone from our admissions team. To get an idea of what kinds of theses Emerson students complete, check out our Project Spotlight blog page. 

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Olivia Wachtel

Writing Assistant

Olivia is a second-year student in Emerson's Communication Disorders MS program. Originally from Ohio, she is loving Emerson and city life. When she's not writing for the Grad Life blog, she loves to read, bake, and crochet.

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Dissertations and Theses

The dissertation is the hallmark of the research expertise demonstrated by a doctoral student. It is a scholarly contribution to knowledge in the student’s area of specialization. By researching and writing a dissertation, the student is expected to demonstrate a high level of knowledge and the capability to function as an independent scholar. 

A thesis is a hallmark of some master’s programs. It is a piece of original research, generally less comprehensive than a dissertation, and is meant to show the student’s knowledge of an area of specialization.  

Document Preparation

PhD and master’s students are responsible for meeting all requirements for preparing theses and dissertations. They are expected to confer with their advisors about disciplinary and program expectations and to follow Graduate School procedure requirements.

The Graduate School’s format review is in place to help the document submission process go smoothly for the student. Format reviews for PhD dissertations and master’s theses can be done remotely or in-person. The format review is required at or before the two-week notice of the final defense. 

Access and Distribution

Ohio State has agreements with two organizations— OhioLINK   and   ProQuest/UMI Dissertation Publishing —that store and provide access to Ohio State theses and dissertations.  

Examinations

Graduate degree examinations are a major milestone in all graduate students’ pursuit of their graduate degree. Much hinges on the successful completion of these examinations, including the ability to continue in a graduate program. 

The rules and processes set by the Graduate School ensure the integrity of these examinations for graduate students, the graduate faculty, and for Ohio State. 

Final Semester

During your final semester as a graduate student there are many activities that lead up to commencement and receiving your degree. Complete the final semester checklist and learn more about commencement activities.

Graduation Calendar

Select your expected graduation term below to see specific dates concerning when to apply for graduation, complete your examinations and reports, submit approved thesis and dissertation, commencement, and the end-of semester deadline.

Applications to Graduate Due 1  : January 26, 2024

Examinations and Reports completed by 2  : April 12, 2024

Approved thesis and dissertation submitted and accepted by 3  : April 19, 2024

Commencement 4  : May 5, 2024

End of Semester Deadline 5  : May 6, 2024

Applications to Graduate Due 1  : May 24, 2024

Examinations and Reports completed by 2  : July 12, 2024

Approved thesis and dissertation submitted and accepted by 3  : July 19, 2024

Commencement 4  : August 4, 2024

End of Semester Deadline 5  : August 19, 2024

Applications to Graduate Due 1  : September 6, 2024

Examinations and Reports completed by 2  : November 22, 2024

Approved thesis and dissertation submitted and accepted by 3  : November 27, 2024

Commencement 4  : December 15, 2024

End of Semester Deadline 5  : January 3, 2025

Applications to Graduate Due 1  : January 24, 2025

Examinations and Reports completed by 2  : April 11, 2025

Approved thesis and dissertation submitted and accepted by 3  : April 18, 2025

Commencement 4  : May 4, 2025

End of Semester Deadline 5  : May 5, 2025

1  Applications to graduate include current semester or End-of-Semester deadline. Applications must be received by close of business.

2 Format reviews may occur electronically or in person at the Graduate School during announced business hours.  Both options require submitting a digital version of the dissertation or DMA document draft in a PDF format to  [email protected] .  

3  Approved documents must be submitted via OhioLINK and accepted by the Graduate School by the close of business before the Report on Final Document will be processed.

4  Students not attending commencement must complete the commencement section on the Application to Graduate to indicate how their diploma should be disbursed.

5  A degree applicant who does not meet published graduation deadlines but who does complete all degree requirements by the last business day prior to the first day of classes for the following semester or summer term will graduate the following semester or summer term without registering or paying fees

Still Have Questions?

Dissertations & Theses 614-292-6031 [email protected]

Doctoral Exams, Master's Examination, Graduation Requirements 614-292-6031 [email protected]

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Thesis and Dissertation Writing Programs

In addition to one-on-one writing appointments, the Graduate Writing Center has a number of programs and workshops that offer support to dissertators and thesis writers.

During the academic year, the GWC offers single-session overview workshops on master's theses, dissertation proposals, and dissertation writing. Click our current schedule or browse past workshops to see when these topics may be offered. We also encourage you to look at relevant workshop videos .

Writing Groups

The Graduate Writing Center sometimes organizes writing groups of various types (online writing groups, facilitated writing groups, or independent writing groups). We are also happy to help groups of graduate students self-organize into writing groups. For best practices on setting up writing groups, see our writing groups resource page . For information about writing groups currently being offered or organized by the GWC, see our writing groups web page.

Master's Thesis Mentoring Program

The Graduate Writing Center offers a program to support graduate students who are working on master's theses (or other master's capstone projects) and doctoral qualifying papers. The program provides workshops and one-on-one writing appointments. For more information, read Master's Thesis Mentoring Program .

Spring Break Writing Retreats

The Graduate Writing Center offers writing retreats for graduate students who are working on master's theses, dissertation proposals, dissertations, and other writing projects. These programs are usually offered in spring break and summer. Retreats are open to all graduate and professional students. For more information and registration instructions for spring break writing retreats, scroll to the bottom of this web page and click on the relevant program. For programs offered during to the summer, go to the summer boot camp and thesis retreat page.

Summer Dissertation Boot Camps and Thesis Retreats

The Graduate Writing Center holds a number of programs during the summer to help graduate students who are at the dissertation and dissertation proposal stages. We also offer dissertation/thesis retreats during the summer. See our most current summer dissertation boot camp and program offerings for more information.

Spring Break Writing Retreat (All Fields) with Online and In Person Options

This program is for graduate or professional students who are writing large-scale projects like master's theses or capstones, doctoral dissertations or proposals, or manuscripts for publication. The program provides dedicated time to focus on your writing and has online and in-person options. For STEM students, it additionally offers workshops related to scientific writing issues. To read more and register, please see the program description below. Deadline to register is Monday, March 18th.

CLICK HERE for application and program details for spring break writing retreat.

SCHEDULE, March 25th – 27th (in person); March 25th – March 28th (online):

Daily Schedule: 9:00-10:00: Online productivity workshops & discussion 10:00-12:00: Online writing groups or individual work (in person) 12:00-1:00: Lunch break 1:00-2:00: Online Workshops or individual work 2:00-4:00: Online writing groups or individual work (in person)

Morning Online Productivity Workshops (9-10 am) Morning workshops will address project organization, time management, and productivity tips.

Online Writing Group or Individual Work If you are doing the retreat online, you will join online writing groups via Zoom at the designated times. If you are at the in-person location, you may work independently or join the online writing groups via Zoom.

How to Sign Up for the Writing Retreat : Fill out the web form (linked here) by Monday, March 18th . We don't anticipate any capacity issues, but if we have any, we will accept registrants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Morning Productivity Writing Workshops (9-10 am)

Monday, March 25th, 9:00–10:00 AM — Project Organization for Writing In this workshop, we will discuss how to set up an organized system for a large-scale research and writing project, especially the writing components.

Tuesday, March 26th, 9:00–10:00 AM—Time Management and Productivity Tips for Writing In this workshop, we will discuss effective strategies for time management, goal setting, and productivity when conducting large-scale research and writing projects, especially for the writing components.

Wednesday, March 27th, 9:00–10:00 AM — Demos of Tools Writing consultants will demo a couple of organizational tools and how they use these tools to support writing.

Afternoon Scientific Writing Workshops (1-2 pm)

Monday, March 25th, 1:00–2:00 PM — Strategies for Writing Effective Scientific Papers This workshop will address basic principles for writing scientific papers and offer strategies for avoiding common pitfalls. We will also introduce key points from Joshua Schimel's book Writing Science on developing good narrative structure and clarity to make writing engaging and impactful.

Tuesday, March 26th, 1:00–2:00 PM — Creating Effective Figures and Visual Aids This workshop focuses on strategies for designing effective figures and visual materials. The workshop will also introduce different software packages that can be used to create high-quality figures and offer further resources for learning these programs.

Wednesday, March 27th, 1:00–2:00 PM — Thesis and Dissertation Writing in STEM Fields (Final Stages) This workshop will give an overview of the final components and writing stages of a STEM thesis or dissertation.

Further Resources

Advice for Thesis Writing If you haven’t seen a final thesis or dissertation in your field, we recommend looking one from your department in the ProQuest Dissertation database available through the UCLA Library. This database allows you to search by institution, advisor, and manuscript type (master's thesis versus dissertation).

Optional Reading: Joan Bolker. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes A Day . 1998. Paul Silvia. How to Write a Lot . 2007.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]

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• Master’s Thesis

Master's Thesis

Writing a thesis is optional for some master’s programs and not required.  There are abundant opportunities for personalized interaction with faculty through research courses, independent studies, and seminars.  If a student chooses to write a thesis, it requires eight courses and either two research credits (5970), or in some cases with program specific approval, one research credit (5970) and one independent study (5990). Two credits must be completed for a letter grade for successful completion of the master’s thesis.

A thesis or research paper based on joint work with other researchers is allowed, provided that a unique and separate document is presented by each degree candidate. The candidate must include a concise account of his or her contribution to the whole work. Authorship of a master’s thesis or research paper by more than one degree candidate is not allowed.

University Style Guide for Master’s Thesis

Please submit your thesis electronically at this time to Graduate Engineering. Directions will be sent via email after the graduation application closes for that period.

Font, Spacing, and Margin Requirements Any non-italic font 10-12 points in size should be used. Headings may be larger.  For enhanced screen readability, use Arial (10pt), Courier New (10pt), Georgia (11pt), Times New Roman (12 pt), or Verdana (10pt) font.  For footnotes, figures, citations, charts and graphs, a font of 8 point or larger should be used.  Italic type may be used for quotations, words in a foreign language, occasional emphasis, or book titles.  For the sake of readability, it is recommended that the text of the dissertation be double-spaced (except for footnotes, long quoted passages, and lists of tables and figures, which are single-spaced).  If desired, authors may chose to single-space the abstract and/or thesis manuscript.

Allow one and one-half inches for the left margin and one inch for all other margins. All text, including page numbers, must fit within these margins. Please remember to include the title page in the margin allowance. Organization of the Manuscript Pages must appear in the following order:

Title Page Dedication (optional) Acknowledgment (optional) Abstract (optional) Table of Contents (mandatory for theses 50 pages or longer) List of Tables (optional) List of Figures/Illustrations (optional) Main Text Appendices (optional) Bibliography/Works Cited

Title Page The Title Page must follow the sample format . The author’s full legal name must appear on the Title Page and the completed thesis must have electronic signatures when deposited electronically to Graduate Engineering. The sample shows how to list a co-supervisor if you have one. If not, please omit from your Title Page and list only the supervisor and director/chair’s names and signatures. Some Master’s Program’s have a Program Director, while others only have their Graduate Group Chair. If you are unsure if you have a director or chair, please talk with your program coordinator/administrator so you have that person’s title listed properly on the Title Page. Although the Title Page counts as page “i” of the preliminary pages, no page number appears on the Title Page. A Table of Contents m ust be included if the thesis is 50 pages or longer.

Pagination All pages (except the Title Page: page i) must have a page number. For the preliminary pages (dedication, acknowledgements, table of contents, lists of graphs, tables, and illustrations), use small Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, …).  For the text and appendices (if any), use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, …). Remember that page numbers must also appear within the margins specified above.

Other Requirements For citations, footnotes, references, and grammar, you may follow the guidelines in the Chicago Manual of Style, the MLA Handbook, or the appropriate manual in your field of study.

Student Handbook sections:

• Graduate Programs
• Academic Standing Requirements
• Registration Procedures
• Forms and Requests
• Penn Policies
• Graduate Student Resources
• Research Support Plan for Ph.D. students

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Phone:  (818) 677-2138

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Thesis / graduate project / dissertation.

The GRAD Center provides a variety of resources and funding support to students that are working on their thesis/graduate project/dissertation.

Thesis / Graduate Project / Dissertation Writing Retreat

The GRAD Center collaborates with the Learning Resource Center to offer writing support to students working on their thesis/graduate project/dissertation during the summer and winter breaks.

More about This Writing Retreat

Thesis /Graduate Project / Dissertation Writing Workshop

The GRAD Center offers a writing workshop for students that are interested in receiving additional support with their thesis/graduate project/dissertation.

More about This Writing Workshop

Thesis / Graduate Project / Dissertation Support

The GRAD Center offers financial support to students to offset the costs associated with working on their thesis/graduate project/dissertation.

More about Thesis/Graduate Project/Dissertation Support

Thesis / Graduate Project / Dissertation Information

We encourage students to visit the thesis/graduate project/dissertation website to view deadlines, guides, tutorials, and ETD login information. More about Thesis/Graduate Project/Dissertation Information

Learning Resource Center Writing Support

The Learning Resource Center offers a variety of writing support to graduate students. We encourage students who are working on their thesis/ graduate project/dissertation to visit their website to learn about their resources.

More about Writing Support

Visit the Health Advisories website for the latest vaccination and mask information and to Report a Case.

Questions about FAFSA and CADAA?

Visit our Financial Aid and Scholarship Office for updated information, workshops and FAQs.

College of Graduate Studies

Thesis and Dissertation Information

The master's thesis or dissertation project can comprise a significant amount of your graduate school experience. All of the information you will need to write, edit, and submit your thesis or dissertation can be found here. Please follow all deadlines, rules, and guidelines carefully. Master's students submitting a thesis or doctoral students submitting their dissertation to the College of Graduate Studies are expected to have applied for graduation and completed all necessary steps towards completion of their degree.

Thesis/Dissertation Guide

The Thesis/Dissertation Guide contains everything you need to prepare for and submit your thesis or dissertation

Thesis and Dissertation Due Dates

Keep track of important due dates related to your thesis or dissertation.

Thesis and Dissertation Workshops

These workshops are designed to help you navigate the thesis or dissertation process.

Required Submission Forms

The following documents must be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies by the posted deadline for the semester in which you are graduating. 

Outstanding Thesis Award

Recipients of the Outstanding Thesis Award receive recognition at SJSU's commencement ceremony and an award of $1,000. Find out how to get your thesis nominated by your College.

• October 15, 2023
• Academic Advice

Thesis vs. Non-Thesis Master’s Programs: Which is Right for You?

UOTP Marketing

Continuing your educational journey within your chosen field is an experience that fosters personal and professional growth. The next milestone in your academic path often involves pursuing a Master’s degree , with options ranging from thesis-based programs to non-thesis alternatives.  Deciding between these two paths is significant as it shapes your academic and career paths.

But how can you decide which is right for you before getting decision fatigue?

Let’s explore the difference between thesis vs. non-thesis Master’s programs, their unique characteristics, and reasons for choosing one or the other. 

Do You Have to Write a Thesis for Your Master’s Program?

Whether you have to write a thesis for your Master’s program depends on the specific requirements of the program you’re enrolled in. It’s important to note that while not all Master’s programs require writing a thesis, a significant number of them do.

What is a Thesis vs. Non-Thesis Master’s Program?

A thesis Master’s program involves completing a large research project spanning over several semesters. Students are expected to conduct original research on a specific topic under a faculty advisor’s guidance, culminating in a thesis likely to be published. Completing and defending the thesis is a crucial part of the degree requirement.

A non-thesis Master’s program doesn’t involve a specific research focus but rather a more coursework and practical experience, allowing students to gain specific skills and knowledge applicable to their field of study. After completing their program’s core course requirements, students can choose any of the electives to meet their degree requirements. Depending on the institution, you may be required to do a Master’s Degree Capstone project, including reviewing previous courses, a comprehensive exam, or a summary project. 

Why Choose a Thesis Master’s Program?

Thesis Master’s programs offer several advantages, be that contributing to new findings in your field, close collaboration with professors and researchers, and standing out to potential employers with your abilities to work independently and analyze complex issues. However, the primary advantages are:

Research Experience

Thesis programs allow you to conduct extensive research on a specific topic that piques your interest.  This way, you’ll gain expertise and a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. 

Academic Growth 

Writing a thesis helps sharpen your critical thinking, analytical, and writing skills. It also challenges you to think independently, analyze a large amount of data, and draw meaningful conclusions. Furthermore, it prepares you for doctoral studies, familiarizing you with the rigor of independent research and equips you with the necessary skills to succeed.

Why Choose a Non-Thesis Master’s Program?

Non-thesis master’s programs also come with numerous advantages for students, including flexibility in scheduling, a range of career opportunities, shorter competition time, etc. Here are the main advantages: 

Non-thesis programs prioritize coursework, fostering the development of practical skills and their real-world application. This approach enables you to actively engage in hands-on learning experiences highly sought after in today’s job market. Critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, and leadership abilities are some of those skills.

Suitability for Professionals

Another advantage to pursuing a non-thesis Master’s program is that it doesn’t take as much time as the thesis Master’s programs. That way you can enter the workforce faster. It’s also well-suited for professionals already established in their field who are seeking to further their education and advance in their careers. 

The Academic and Career Outcomes of Thesis vs. Non-Thesis Master’s Programs

The academic outcomes for the thesis Master’s program graduates involve preparation for Ph.D. programs , opening doors to advanced research and specialized roles in research institutions. This provides solid research skills and helps them publish their work. Common career paths for graduates include research positions in academia, government, or private sectors. Some also pursue teaching careers in colleges and universities. Degree programs that usually require a thesis include sciences, social sciences, engineering, and humanities (history, philosophy, and language studies).

Non-thesis Master’s program graduates typically achieve academic outcomes focused on mastering practical, directly applicable skills within their field. While these programs are more career-oriented, graduates can still pursue a Ph.D. They can benefit from diverse career options in different settings and find employment in managerial, administrative, or specialized roles in their field. Degree programs that don’t usually require a thesis are business, education, healthcare administration, IT management, etc.

Thesis vs. Non-Thesis Master’s Programs, That is the Question 

With their abundance of advantages, choosing between the two can be pretty tricky. So, let’s compare thesis vs. non-thesis Master’s programs and help you make an informed decision. 

Personal and Career Goals

A thesis Master’s program is ideal if you’re interested in furthering in academia and want to pursue a Ph.D ., as these programs can provide the necessary tools to enhance your credentials for research-based careers. Meanwhile, a non-thesis Master’s program will suit you better if you’re seeking to gain practical skills to integrate into the industry immediately, as they can include practical projects or internships according to industry demands. 

Time and Financial Considerations

Thesis Master’s programs can extend the duration of your studies, as researching, writing, and defending the thesis can take several semesters to complete and can cause financial strain due to additional costs like lab fees and materials. In contrast, non-thesis ones can help you enter the job market promptly as they are shorter, allowing you to save time and money.

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Field of Study and Program Requirements

When deciding between a thesis and a non-thesis Master’s program, a crucial element to take into account is the field of study and the program’s specific requirements. A thesis Master’s program is better suited for those pursuing research-oriented fields, while a non-thesis program is a more fitting choice for individuals with a strong focus on their career. Furthermore, program requirements for thesis programs require substantial research to culminate in a thesis, whereas non-thesis ones require capstone projects, internships, or comprehensive exams. 

Switching from a Non-Thesis to a Thesis Master’s Program, or Vice Versa

Switching from a non-thesis to a thesis Master’s program, or vice versa, is possible in many institutions, although the process and requirements may vary. Switching from a non-thesis to a thesis program generally requires getting approval from the academic advisor or department, completing additional research methodology classes, finding a thesis advisor, and applying to the thesis program. 

Switching from a thesis to a non-thesis Master’s program requires having at least a 3.0 GPA, getting approval from the academic advisor, transferring credits of research methodology classes, and formally applying to the thesis program.

Choosing between a thesis and a non-thesis Master’s program ultimately depends on your career goals, research interests, and personal preferences. Thesis programs provide a robust foundation for research-oriented careers and advanced studies, while non-thesis programs offer practical skills tailored for immediate industry integration. Regardless of your choice, both paths offer unique advantages, ensuring you gain the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in your chosen field. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

What is the difference between a thesis vs. non-thesis master’s program.

The key difference between a thesis and a non-thesis Master’s program is that thesis Master’s programs require original research and completion of a thesis, whereas non-thesis ones focus on coursework and practical experiences. 

Do I have to write a thesis for a Master’s program?

If you’re pursuing a research-oriented Master’s degree in sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, etc., you’ll probably have to write a thesis. Whereas, if you’re pursuing a Master’s degree in education, business healthcare administration, or IT management, you’re more likely not to have to complete a thesis. 

Is a thesis required for all Master’s degree programs?

Although a thesis isn’t required for all master’s degree programs, many programs require one.

What should I consider when deciding between a thesis and non-thesis program?

There are several factors to consider when choosing between a thesis and a non-thesis Master’s program, including your career goals, interest in research, duration of studies, personal strengths and preferences, cost, and program requirements.

Are there any financial and duration differences between thesis and non-thesis Master’s programs?

There can be financial and duration differences between thesis and non-thesis Master’s programs. Thesis programs can be more expensive as you’ll have to spend additional resources on materials, lab fees, and data collection. In contrast, the main cost for non-thesis programs is tuition fees, which can be slightly lower. Furthermore, thesis programs require additional time to conduct research, write, and defend the thesis. In contrast, non-thesis programs allow students to earn the degree in a shorter period. 

Why should I choose a thesis Master’s program?

You should choose a thesis Master’s program if you’re interested in a research-heavy discipline and want to showcase your knowledge and expertise in an evidence-based, thorough thesis. 

Why should I choose a non-thesis Master’s program?

You should choose a non-thesis Master’s program if you want to enter the workforce earlier, don’t want to spend several semesters collecting data, and want to focus more on application than research.

Can non-thesis Master’s graduates still pursue doctoral studies later?

Yes, non-thesis Master’s graduates can still get accepted into a doctoral program. However, thesis Master’s graduates can go through the process more efficiently, as admissions panels want to gain insight into your academic interests and ability to engage in nuanced thought.

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Thesis Information

Upcoming thesis defenses.

If you are defending this term and do not see your information listed, please contact Sydney Miller in the APO.

Forming a Thesis Committee

When : Doctoral Students – After completing the written and oral exams and generally by the beginning of their third Year of study. Forming their committees at this stage will allow students to consult with all members of the committee during their studies and can provide additional advice and mentorship for them.

How : Register for thesis research under subject number 8.ThG, form a thesis committee, meet with full committee, and submit a formal thesis proposal to the department.

Thesis Committee Formation

Student should consult with their Research Supervisor to discuss the Doctoral Thesis Committee Proposal Form which will name the 3 required members of the Physics Doctoral Committee and a descriptive preliminary thesis title. 

Doctoral Committee must include 3 members with MIT Physics faculty appointments:

• Committee Chair: Research Supervisor from MIT Physics Faculty or Research Supervisor from outside MIT Physics + Co-Supervisor/Chair from MIT Physics Faculty
• Selected Reader: from MIT Physics Faculty (in the same/similar research area, selected by student and supervisor)
• Assigned Reader: from MIT Physics Faculty (in different research area, selected by the Department’s faculty Graduate Coordinator.)

The Form should include the names of the Student, Chair, and Selected Reader and a Thesis Title, when it is forwarded to the Academic Programs Office via email to [email protected] and Sydney will work with Faculty Graduate Coordinator Will Detmold , who will identify the Assigned Reader.

Following the consultation with their supervisor, the student should reach out to the proposed Selected Reader to secure an electronic signature or email confirmation in lieu of signature to serve on this committee. (Form should include either signature or date of email agreement.) It will take approximately 2-3 weeks before an Assigned Reader will be added and Sydney will provide an introduction to this final member of your Doctoral Committee. Please note: you may not form your committee and defend your thesis in the same semester.

Thesis Committee Meeting and Proposal

Once the Thesis Committee is established, the student should send all members a draft description of the proposed thesis topic and set up the first committee meeting with all members attending together in real time. A formal 2-page written Thesis Proposal should result from this important meeting and be sent to Sydney for the student’s academic record.  

Thesis Proposal

You should discuss your thesis research with your committee members all together in real time at your first committee meeting. Following this full discussion about your thesis topic, please write up your formal Thesis Proposal to reflect the mutually-agreed thesis plans and forward the Proposal to the graduate program at the APO using [email protected] for Sydney to document in the department’s academic records.

Thesis Research

Following the formation of the doctoral committee and submission of the thesis proposal, the student will continue to work on their thesis research in consultation with their Research Supervisor and other members of their Committee. This important communication paves the way for the thesis defense and degree completion.

When students are ready to defend, they should complete an ‘ Application for Advanced Degree ’ with the Registrar and schedule a thesis defense with all committee members attending in real time, whether in person or by video. Announcements for the defense will be coordinated by the Academic Programs Office and students should be in close contact with Sydney Miller during their final term or study.

Further details about this last stage of your studies will be available separately.

Thesis Defense

If there is even a slight possibility that you may finish this term, please complete an Application for Advanced Degree at the Registrar’s website at the beginning of the term. It is easy to remove your name if your plans change, but this timely step will avoid late fees!

Once you have scheduled your defense, please send this information to Sydney at [email protected] :

• Thesis Title:
• Committee Members:
• Meeting Details: (can be sent in the final week before the defense)

She will create the email notifications for our physics community and the MIT Events and Physics Calendar listings. This information you provide her is also used to generate the defense grade sheet for your defense.

Please send your committee members a thesis draft to help them prepare for your defense and plan to spend around two weeks making thesis revisions after your successful defense. The date you submit your thesis document to the department will determine whether it is for a Fall, Spring, or Summer degree.

Thesis Formatting

Archival copies of all theses must adhere carefully to principles specified by the MIT Libraries for formatting and submission. For complete information about how to format your thesis, refer to the  Specifications for Thesis Preparation .

Graduate Program Coordinator Sydney Miller can review your title page and abstract for accuracy before you submit the thesis. You may send these to her at  [email protected].

Required Signatures and Documentation

• Signatures:  The MIT Archives require an electronic PDF document and the Department needs a separate additional stand-alone title page with electronic/scanned signatures of   the student, research supervisor, and co-supervisor (if applicable). Theses are accepted by Associate Department Head, Professor  Lindley Winslow . Please send your documents to  [email protected]  and the APO staff will forward your thesis submitted to the MIT Library Archives.
• Thesis defense grade sheets:  Before accepting a PhD thesis, the Academic Programs Office must have a signed thesis defense grade sheet from the research supervisor indicating a “Pass” on the thesis defense.
• Thesis letter grade:  Before accepting an SM thesis, Academic Programs must have received a letter or email from the research supervisor, assigning a final thesis grade of A, B, or C.

Finalizing and Submitting your Thesis to MIT

Departments collect the thesis documents on behalf of the MIT Thesis Library Archives and Physics graduate students will submit their thesis to Sydney Miller.  Review overall information from MIT about  thesis specifications and format .

Please see the attached doctoral title page format for Physics and send your draft of the title/cover page and abstract to Sydney for review and any necessary edits. Once these are approved, please prepare the full document, with pagination appropriate for double-sided printing.

Theses may be completed and signed on any date of the year and the degree requirements are completed when the thesis is submitted. This is the final day of student status and payroll. (International students are eligible for Optional Practical Training starting on the following day.)

MIT awards degrees at the end of each term:

• Fall Term degree is in February. (Theses due second Friday in January.)
• Spring Term degree is in May. (Theses due second Friday in May.)
• Summer Term degree is in September. (Theses due second Friday in August.)

Thesis submissions are electronic files and you will submit the following to Sydney:

• A complete thesis document, without signatures
• A title page with electronic signatures from yourself, your supervisor (and co-supervisor, if required). Sydney will work with the Associate Head, Lindley Winslow , whose signature is required for the department and this will be added after you submit your document to the department/Sydney.
• A separate abstract page

Doctoral students also complete and submit the  Proquest/UMI form  (PDF), with attached title page and abstract (no signatures).

In addition to submitting your thesis to the department for the library archives, you may also  add your thesis to DSpace .

Digital Submission Guidelines

All theses are being accepted by the MIT Libraries in  digital form only . Digital theses are submitted electronically to the Physics Department, along with a separate signed title page. Students on the degree list will receive specific guidance about submission from the Academic Programs Office.

General Thesis Policies

All theses are archived in the MIT Libraries. An archival fee must be paid before a student’s final candidacy for a degree can be officially approved.

After all required materials have been submitted to the Academic Programs Office, a thesis receipt will be sent by email.

Thesis Due Dates

Check the MIT Academic Calendar for deadlines to submit your online degree application.

Thesis submission deadlines Graduating in May: Second Friday in May Graduating in September: Second Friday in August Graduating in February: Second Friday in January We strongly recommend that your defense be scheduled at least three weeks prior to the submission date. Consult with Academic Administrator Shannon Larkin to determine your thesis submission timeline.

Thesis FAQs

The information on this page is applicable for both PhD and Masters (with the exception of an Oral defense) degree candidates.

How do I submit a Thesis Proposal? When is it due?

Students register for thesis research units and assemble a thesis committee in the term following passing the Oral Exam.

The first step is for the student and research supervisor to agree on a thesis topic. An initial Graduate Thesis Proposal Cover Sheet (PDF) (Master’s Degree candidates should see process in section below) must be submitted to Academic Programs by the second week of the term.

The form requires

• an initial thesis title
• the name and signature of the research supervisor
• the name of one additional reader for the thesis committee agreed upon by the student and advisor

A third reader from the MIT Physics faculty, who is not in the same research area but whose background makes him or her an appropriate departmental representative on the committee, will be assigned by the Graduate Program Faculty Coordinator. If a student has a co-supervisor (because the main supervisor is from outside the MIT Physics faculty), the thesis committee will consist of four people: research supervisor, co-supervisor, selected reader, and assigned reader.

After the student is notified of the assigned reader, he or she should convene an initial thesis committee meeting within the same term. The student should also register for 8.THG beginning in this term, and in each term thereafter. 8.THG registration should be for up to 36 units, depending on whether the student is also still taking classes and/or receiving academic credit because of a teaching assistantship. All post-qual students should routinely register for a standard total 36 units.

Master’s degree candidates should complete an SM Thesis Proposal Cover Sheet (PDF). A second reader for the Master’s degree thesis committee is assigned by the Graduate Program Faculty Coordinator. Note that there is no public defense required for an SM degree.

See the Doctoral Guidelines for additional information.

I am going to graduate soon–what do I have to do in terms of paperwork etc.?

Please reference the Registrar’s complete graduation checklist . Students should reference this list at the START of the semester prior to graduation. Your research area’s administrative office and the Physics APO will also help you manage the final stage of your degree.

How do I get on/off the Degree List?

Fill out the Degree Application through the student section of WebSIS . Petitioning to be on the degree list for a particular commencement is required. Note that it is easier to be removed from the degree list to be added, so students are encouraged to apply for the degree list if there is any reasonable chance they will complete the PhD in the coming term.

The WebSIS degree list is used to communicate information about thesis defense announcements and grade sheets, thesis formats, and completion dates, so it is important to file a degree application to be on the list in a timely way. The standard deadline for filing a degree application without being assessed a late fee is the Friday of the first week of the term in which a student anticipates graduating. Removing oneself from the degree list requires an email to Academic Programs .

When is my thesis due? Can I get an extension?

Students can defend and submit their thesis on any dates that work for their committees, but MIT confers degrees only 3 times each year: in May, September and February. Thesis submission deadlines Graduating in May: Second Friday in May Graduating in September: Second Friday in August Graduating in February: Second Friday in January We strongly recommend that your defense be scheduled at least three weeks prior to the submission date. Consult with Academic Administrator Shannon Larkin to determine your thesis submission timeline.

Note that these deadlines are already more generous that the Institute thesis deadline. Students desiring extensions should contact the Academic Administrator, Shannon Larkin .

How do I find a room for my Thesis Defense?

Many Divisions have conference and/or seminar rooms which can be used for oral exams and defenses. These locations are recommended to keep your Thesis Defense comfortable and in familiar territory. Students who cannot book a room in their research area should contact Sydney Miller in the Physics APO to check availability of a Physics departmental conference room (often difficult to schedule due to heavy demand) or to help schedule a classroom through the Registrar’s Office.

When I submit my thesis to Physics Academic Programs, what do I need to bring?

Please refer to the Graduate Thesis Submission Guidelines .

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Theses & Dissertations

Graduate students in Purdue programs at IUPUI who are depositing a thesis or a dissertation need to follow the Purdue deposit process including templates, forms and deadlines.  Click below for the full Purdue graduate student site or for the Purdue deposit process information.

Purdue Graduate Students Site

Purdue Deposit Process Page

IU Graduate Students in UGS Programs

The thesis or dissertation is the capstone work of your academic career. This is your opportunity as a graduate student to apply everything you have studied during and leading up to graduate school and contribute to the academic community.

A thesis or dissertation can take months or even years to complete, and it is one of the final steps in achieving a graduate degree.

At IUPUI, master’s degree candidates complete theses, while doctoral candidates complete dissertations. Each work comes with its own set of requirements, including formatting and deadlines , and both have multiple options for submission . A doctoral dissertation also comes with the added requirement of a defense .

By participating in The Graduate Student Writing Group , you’ll receive feedback on your work, participate in skill-building activities, discuss ideas with peers, and set aside designated time to write. Email [email protected] to join.

The IU Graduate School Indianapolis will make forms or documents available to those who cannot access them via this website. Please contact gradoff@iupui.edu to request the document you wish to see.

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Thesis & dissertation.

  Understanding Deadlines and Requirements

The final requirement in earning a graduate degree is the completion and defense of the master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation. Understanding the steps and associated deadlines in the thesis/dissertation submission and degree conferral process is necessary to establish a successful plan and realistic timeframe.

2024 Thesis/Dissertation Submission to the Graduate School Deadlines:

• For May 26, 2024 conferral, deadline is May 1.
• For August 31, 2024 conferral, deadline is August 1.
• December 31, 2024 conferral, deadline is December 1.

See our  Planning Timeline  for more detailed information.

  Writing Your Thesis/Dissertation

The Graduate School offers several writing resources to help you get started, meet your goals, and complete your thesis/dissertation on time. 

Before You Begin:

• Guide to Writing Your Thesis/Dissertation
• Fields Permitting the Use of Papers Option
• Required Sections, Guidelines, and Suggestions
• Formatting Requirements
• Fair Use, Copyright, Patent, and Publishing Options

Resources for Writing:

• Thesis & Dissertation Templates
• Writing from A to B

  Scheduling and Taking Your Final Exam

Once you have submitted your draft thesis/dissertation to your committee you are ready to defend. This involves scheduling and taking your final exam (“B” exam), an oral exam/dissertation defense for Ph.D. candidates, or (“M” exam), an oral exam/thesis defense for Master’s candidates.

• About Exams
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 Submitting Your Thesis/Dissertation

Policy requires the thesis/dissertation be submitted within 60 days of the final exam. The Graduate School uses a service called ProQuest to administer the electronic thesis/dissertation (ETD) submission and committee approval process. Once you have made any necessary revisions and the thesis/dissertation is final, you are ready to begin the approval and submission process.

Before initiating the submission process, students are required to complete an ORCID iD and complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates.

• Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID iD)
• Survey of Earned Doctorates 
• Thesis & Dissertation Submission Process
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THESIS PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

Pharmacology graduate students are required to prepare a written Thesis Research Proposal describing the scope and aims of your thesis project. This necessitates that you put careful thought into your research and develop in writing the hypotheses you are testing and the detailed proposed approaches to investigate them. The Steering Committee will review your status after the semester of your proposal defense to determine whether you should be advanced to candidacy for the PhD. The Committee will consider your record in course work, evaluations from faculty mentors and the reports from your Qualifying Exam and Thesis Proposal defense when taking this decision.

 The defense of your proposal should take place within the Fall  term of your third year (second year for MSTPs). By setting up an early defense, we hope to help you meet our program’s goal for students to finish in 4 - 5 years.

 Unlike for the Qualifying exam, you are responsible for selecting your own committee for the Thesis Proposal Defense. Your committee should consist of three faculty. One faculty member at least must be part of the Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Graduate program

( https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/mcp/faculty/index.php#Alphabetical )

and one must be an external member (i.e., not listed in the faculty page linked above, but could be a faculty member at Stony Brook). The third member can be internal or external. Only an internal member can serve as committee Chair. (The composition of this committee can change over time and does not need to be identical to your final thesis defense committee.)

 Your thesis advisor should help you with preparation of the proposal, but should not participate in the proposal defense. At the end of the meeting, the advisor can be invited to discuss with the committee members the evaluation of your defense. Your advisor, together with the three other committee members, will become your research advisory committee for all subsequent committee meetings.  Please submit an email to the Graduate Program office before the beggining of the semester in which you will defend your proposal with the names of your committee members.

 It is expected that a full thesis project will be sufficiently ambitious to encompass at least one (or more) publication(s) in leading journals.  The proposal should represent your best current view of the goals of your project. However, as results are obtained, the focus of your project may evolve. During the course of research, you may find that some of your original aims were unrealistic, or you may uncover a new, more interesting line of experimentation.

 As you write your Thesis Proposal please observe a limitation of 8 single-spaced pages incorporating the following sections:

 1)         Summary (including a clearly defined hypothesis)                      1 page

2)         Specific Aims                                                                                                          1 page

3)         Research Strategy                                                                                              6 pages

4)         Bibliography (no page limits)

You should aim to craft a proposal that could then be submitted to the NIH as a fellowship (NRSA) application, if possible. The guidelines from NIH for the written document are listed below:

Project Summary/Abstract ( one page. )

The Project Summary must contain a summary of the proposed activity suitable for dissemination to the public. It should be a self-contained description of the project and should contain a statement of objectives and methods to be employed. It should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and insofar as possible understandable to a scientifically or technically literate lay reader.

  Specific Aims are limited to one page.

State concisely the goals of the proposed research and summarize the expected outcome(s), including the impact that the results of the proposed research will exert on the research field(s) involved.

List succinctly the specific objectives of the research proposed, e.g., to test a stated hypothesis, create a novel design, solve a specific problem, challenge an existing paradigm or clinical practice, address a critical barrier to progress in the field, or develop new technology.

Research Strategy is limited to six pages.

Organize the Research Strategy in the specified order using the instructions provided below. Start each section with the appropriate section heading — Significance, Innovation, Approach. Cite published experimental details in the Research Strategy section and provide the full reference later in the Bibliography and References Cited section (Bibliography does not count towards the page limit).

 (a) Significance

• Explain the importance of the problem or critical barrier to progress in the field that the proposed project addresses.
• Explain how the proposed project will improve scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice in one or more broad fields.
• Describe how the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field will be changed if the proposed aims are achieved.

(b) Approach

• Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project. Include how the data will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted.

-Discuss potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success anticipated to achieve the aims.

- If the project is in the early stages of development, describe any strategy to establish feasibility, and address the management of any high risk aspects of the proposed work.

- Point out any procedures, situations, or materials that may be hazardous to personnel and precautions to be exercised.

If an applicant has multiple Specific Aims, then the applicant may address Significance, Innovation and Approach for each Specific Aim individually, or may address Significance, Innovation and Approach for all of the Specific Aims collectively.

Preliminary Studies.

Please include information on preliminary studies, if any. Discuss the preliminary studies, data and/or experience pertinent to this proposal.

When applicable, provide a succinct account of published and unpublished results, indicating progress toward their achievement.

Bibliography & References Cited

Provide a bibliography of all references cited. Each reference must include the names of all authors (in the same sequence in which they appear in the publication), the article and journal title, book title, volume number, page numbers, and year of publication. Include only bibliographic citations.

You should be able to complete this proposal and present it in print (and/or electronically) to your Research Advisory Committee at least one week before your defense. The proposal defense is a closed event, but it can be preceded by a public seminar where you outline your plans and/or discuss your preliminary results. Since you and your classmates will be scheduled to present your first departmental/program seminar this Fall, one option is to schedule the oral defense following your seminar. Alternatively you can select any other time during the Fall semester. If for any reason you feel that you cannot meet this deadline, please contact the program director. Remember that you do not need to have extensive preliminary results for this proposal.

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Graduate Thesis Programs

Video: Welcome to EEPS

Graduate program introduction.

The Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Rice University offers an unusual combination of quality, resources, opportunity and cultural richness to its graduate students. The department offers two graduate thesis programs: a Master’s and a Ph.D. Each program is customized to the individual student’s interests, strengths and academic background. The focus in on providing the intellectual and physical environment that will enable students to generate original groundbreaking research, presentations, and publication in professional journals. Students are required to complete one semester as a teaching assistant during their graduate work, but they can do more if there is personal interest or by individual faculty request.

Most students in the thesis degree programs receive full tuition waivers and receive nationally-competitive stipends that enable them to live comfortably in Houston — an exciting, diverse, and culturally-rich city.

Houston is both the center of the international energy industry, and also home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the Lunar and Planetary Institute, giving the city an unusually vibrant earth science community. About 20 local energy and space science professionals serve as adjunct faculty in our department, greatly expanding the intellectual breadth, opportunities and areas of instruction and research available to our students. We have several visiting scientist programs that support extended research visits by prominent earth scientists from institutions around the world, further enriching the department’s intellectual life.

Students work very closely with an internationally-known and respected faculty that has research projects all over the world. Faculty members have joint research projects with scientists at over 100 institutions worldwide, giving an international scope to the department with research programs on all the continents, in all of the oceans, and on four planets. Their research interests span a wide range of topics and fall broadly under two principal research themes: Earth Structure and Dynamics and Earth Systems Science. Many departmental research programs involve substantial field activities, both on land and at sea. Similarly, several course offerings include field trips to a variety of destinations and geologic settings. The Department sponsors Rice field trips, enabling faculty, students, and researchers to visit classic geologic features, sites, and provinces locally and around the world. Recent field trips include travel to Antarctica, Hawaii, Cuba, the Alps, the Canadian Cordillera, Spain, Morocco and Turkey.

Rice’s size encourages interdepartmental research. Earth Science faculty conduct multi-disciplinary research projects with faculty in a number of other Rice science and engineering departments, in particular, Chemistry, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Computational and Applied Mathematics, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. In addition, the Department of Earth Science hosts the collaborative research center, the Center for Computational Geophysics, and collaborates with other interdepartmental research centers, such as the Energy and Environmental Systems Institute, the Institute for Biosciences and Bioengineering, the Center for the Study of the Environment and Society, the Shell Center for Sustainability, the Ken Kennedy Institute for Information Technology, and the Center for Lunar Science Exploration.

Graduate Degree Programs

Our graduate thesis degree programs are customized to individual student interests, strengths, and academic background. Each student’s course of study is flexible, developed in consultation with an advisory committee and the department Graduate Committee. A cross-disciplinary program with departments in Rice’s Brown School of Engineering is available for graduate students wishing to emphasize computational research in the earth sciences. Incoming students should have or should acquire a strong background in physics, chemistry, and mathematics and should have a broad grounding in fundamental earth science. Students who majored in any science or in mathematics are encouraged to apply.

All graduate students enrolled in either the thesis master’s or doctoral program are required to take a written qualifying exam covering general earth science knowledge, usually in the second semester. Starting in their second year they are also required to make a progress research presentation annually within the department and submit short progress reports of their research and coursework to the Graduate Committee.

MS students generally must complete one semester of residency and 30 credit hours. The thesis must include a least one manuscript that has been submitted to a recognized peer-review journal with the student as the lead author. PhD students must complete either 60 or 90 credit hours, depending on whether or not they are entering the program with a relevant master’s degree. Doctoral students are expected to submit an annual paper for publication starting in the second year. The doctoral thesis must include at least three manuscripts that have been submitted to a recognized peer-review journal with the student as lead author, and at least one of the manuscripts must be in press or published at the time of the thesis defense.

The department also plays key roles in two Professional Master of Science tracks: 1) Subsurface Geoscience and 2) Environmental Analysis and Decision Making, which train professionals for exploration and production in the petroleum industry, and for science management roles in the environmental industry.

The department has a large endowment that helps maintain state-of-the-art facilities including classrooms, offices, research equipment such as the ICP-MS and the Malvern particle analyzer, and extensive computing technology, labs, and workstations. The endowment also provides generous graduate fellowships and support for student research, travel, and equipment. Department research expenditures are over $2M annually, with faculty research programs sponsored by a number of federal agencies, notably the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Department of Energy, as well as by the energy industry.

Career Opportunities

Houston is both the center of the international energy industry as well as home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the Lunar Planetary Institute. The department maintains strong ties with the oil and gas exploration industry, in which many of our alumni are now employed. Each year, over a dozen oil and gas companies recruit students in the department for summer internships and full time employment. Our PhD students find many employment opportunities in both academics and in industry.

Student Life

The department has a very active student organization, known as the GeoUnion, for both graduate and undergraduate students. GeoUnion hosts visiting speakers, is involved with campus and national professional societies (AAPG, AGU, GSA, SEG, SEPM), sponsors social and professional gatherings, holds an annual, industry-funded field trip, and coordinates earth science outreach and other graduate activities on campus. Rice also has a very active Graduate Student Association (GSA) that offers many additional resources, social opportunities and activities to the graduate community. International graduate students receive special support and services through the Rice Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS).

Information about applying to the Earth Science graduate thesis programs at Rice University

Guidelines for Advanced Degrees in the Department of Earth Science

• 2021-22 Graduate Guidelines
• 2020-21 Graduate Guidelines
• 2019-20 Graduate Guidelines
• 2017-18 Graduate Guidelines
• 2016-17 Graduate Guidelines
• 2015-16 Graduate Guidelines
• 2014-15 Graduate Guidelines
• Instructions for Ph.D. Qualifying Exam [ pdf ]
• Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Brief [ pdf ]
• Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Results Form [ pdf ]
• Instructions for Thesis Proposal [ pdf ]
• Master’s Thesis Proposal Brief  [ pdf ]
• Master’s Thesis Proposal Results Form  [ pdf ]
• Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Rubric [ pdf ]
• Master’s Thesis Proposal Rubric  [ pdf ]
• Thesis Defense Rubric  [ pdf ]
• Guidelines Forms Appendix [ pdf ]

Rice and the department of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences offers a combination of department and university resources for both the personal and professional success of our graduate students. 

Eeps resources, ombudspersons.

Within EEPS, Ombudspersons are a formal option for counsel; a faculty member who is not a member of the Graduate Committee serves in this role. The Department has two Ombudspersons who are available to assist students involved in conflicts with faculty or other students.

Dr. Kirsten Siebach (ksiebach@rice.edu)

Dr. Mark Torres (mt61@rice.edu)

What students can expect from a department ombudsperson:

The ombudsperson will listen and make recommendations, and/or make referrals to other resources on campus. Although the recommendations from the ombudsperson are not binding, faculty and students are expected to make good faith efforts to implement the recommendations.

Faculty-Student Liaison

EEPS also offers graduate students the opportunity to speak directly with a faculty liaison about anything beyond the role of the ombudspersons.

Dr. Sylvia Dee (sylvia.dee@rice.edu)

What students can expect from the faculty-student liaison:

• Promote open lines of communication between the faculty and student body;
• Communicate broad student issues to faculty, and faculty to students, as well as relay questions;
• Provide information regarding departmental activities and decisions;
• Provide access to resources for work-life balance, departmental environment and culture, expanding your mentoring network, career development;
• Enhance student quality of life;
• Field any other concerns students may want to communicate to the liaison.

University Resources

Interpersonal Misconduct Prevention and Support offers care management and navigation to students who are reporting an incident of interpersonal violence perpetrated against them and to students who have been accused of perpetrating interpersonal violence. The Office also provides prevention education to the Rice community on sexual and domestic violence, sexual harassment, stalking and Title IX and Clery Act requirements.

The Wellbeing and Counseling Center supports student development and success by providing a good first point of contact for students who want to talk to someone about solutions to their wellbeing and mental health concerns.

The Office of Access, Equity and Equal Opportunity works closely with faculty, administrators and staff to increase tolerance, opportunity and diversity within the Rice Community and to ensure that the University complies with the letter and spirit of the federal and state laws and regulations governing these programs.

The Ethics and Compliance site provides guidance on reporting suspected or actual wrongful conduct at Rice, anonymously, for government reporting, or whistleblower reporting.

To file a report, you will need to go to the Rice University EthicsLine site , a secure site from which to access and submit the appropriate form.

The Center for Academic and Professional Communication serves as the communication support hub of the university. Our mission is to assist all members of the Rice community in effectively communicating their ideas to a wide range of audiences, using various written, oral, and visual modes of communication. Our staff and peer consultants support undergraduates, graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and staff through one-on-one consultations, workshops, and online resources.

The Center for Career Development (CCD) is located in Huff House and exists to help you find and make your place in the world by: Educating you on knowledge of self, career options and resources, Connecting you with opportunities through the global Rice network, and Empowering you with skills, tools, and confidence.

Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences Rice University MS-126 6100 Main Street Houston, TX 77005 USA Phone: 713.348.4880 Fax: 713.348.5214 Email: geol@rice.edu

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Templates & Formatting Assistance

Formatting templates.

Manuscript Clearance provides templates for both Word and LaTeX into which students can type their text directly and that are formatted according to FSU requirements. The main elements in the three templates are the same, but the layout of the Table of Contents is different. You can select a Table of Contents that lists only the main section headings (which is all The Graduate School requires) or one that also lists subheadings, either numbered or unnumbered. 

Please note that these templates are created with general formatting requirements. Specific items such as chapter titles, the number of chapters you include and the content of those chapters is not dictated by The Graduate School.

Word Templates for FSU's ETDs

Latex template for fsu's etds.

This template is for use by students who prefer to use LaTeX for their manuscript. Manuscript Clearance staff are unable to assist with issues arising in LaTeX, but students are encouraged to review the User Guide and other materials in the Help section of the following website. 

Click here to visit the LaTeX ETD template website.

Formatting assistance.

Manuscript Clearance also provides a number of step-by-step instructions to assist students with common formatting issues. Please review the topics in the list below for assistance.

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Explore original research questions in one of our thesis-based graduate programs.

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8.0. Department Policies

The following are department policies of particular importance to graduate students.

8.1. Advisory Committee

An advisory committee chair should be selected during the student's first semester in the graduate program. The student and committee chair will jointly select other members of the advisory committee. Advisory committees for M.S. and MAB students must have a minimum of three faculty members, at least two of whom must be graduate faculty members in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. Advisory committees for Ph.D. students must have at least four faculty members, one of whom must be from outside the department.

8.2. Degree Plan

M.S. and MAB students should file a degree plan by the end of the first semester of graduate study. Ph.D. students should file a degree plan before beginning the second year of coursework. The student and committee chair should work out a tentative plan, which will be discussed and approved by the full advisory committee. Degree plans must be approved and signed by the department Graduate Advisor.

8.3. Research Topic

Students working on M.S.-thesis and Ph.D. degrees should begin discussions on possible research topics with their committee chair and other commit¬tee members during the first semester in their program.

8.4. Thesis and Dissertation Proposals

Each M.S.-thesis or Ph.D. candidate will develop a formal written thesis or dissertation proposal. The proposal should include a title, a statement of the problem and rationale for the proposed research, a statement of objectives, hypotheses to be tested, a review of the literature, and a detailed description of the design, data analysis, and procedures of the study. Proposals must also include a conceptual framework that applies relevant economic theory to an analysis of the research problem.

After your committee chair approves your draft proposal, you need to distribute copies to the other members of your advisory committee. You should allow at least two weeks for the committee to read and evaluate the proposal prior to your proposal defense.

8.5. Proposal Defense

Under the direction of your committee chair, you should prepare an oral presentation of your thesis or dissertation research proposal. This presentation is expected to be formal and scholarly. Your presentation should include a clear rationale for the proposed research, a concise statement of objectives, hypotheses, and a detailed description of the design and methods of the proposed study.

You should be prepared to defend your proposal during a question-and-answer period following the oral presentation. When the questioning has concluded, the committee will determine whether you have satisfactorily completed the defense/exam. They will also decide what modifications, if any, should be made to the proposal before proceeding with the research. All committee recommendations at the proposal stage should be appropriately reflected in the final thesis or dissertation submitted in preparation for the Final Examination.

8.6. Preparation of Thesis or Dissertation

In preparing even the earliest draft of the thesis or dissertation, you should follow style conventions currently accepted by the department and Graduate School.

8.7. Final Requirements for Graduation

Students who are within nine months of completing their graduate degree programs are advised to consult the Graduate School Web site, and personnel in the Graduate School for information on graduation requirements and deadlines. Students are responsible for meeting all of these requirements and deadlines.

8.8. Offices and Computers

Graduate student office space is assigned by the department Graduate Advisor. All funded students are provided office space. Other M.S. and Ph.D. students are assigned office space if available. Office space should be used or it may be reassigned.

The department has computer facilities which are available to all graduate students. Students with office spaces are often furnished with a computer. Students should use these computers for academic purposes only. Any relocation of departmental computers will be done by the department's computer support staff at the request of the Graduate Advisor.

8.9. Copying and Office Supplies

Office supplies are available to faculty and staff. They are available to graduate students only by special request from their graduate advisors and for use only on department business, not for the student's course or personal use.

The department copy machines are restricted to staff and faculty use. Graduate students gain access to the copy machines only when approved by the student's committee chair or work supervisor. The copy machines are intended to support research and teaching activities and are not intended for copying course work material or books

8.10. Vacations

Part-time research and teaching appointments do not carry provisions for vacation or sick leave. Absences from campus must be approved by your committee chair or work supervisor. If a requested absence conflicts with departmental needs it may be denied

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