Students who wish to write a thesis should consult the
current
forms and guidelines
provided by the Dean's office. The Dean's office recommends that
the working copy of the thesis be prepared three months before
graduation, so students need to get started on their work toward
the end of the fall semester before they intend to graduate in the
spring.
During the fall, students first submit a short prospectus, or
research proposal, about 5-10 pages long. The prospectus sketches
the topic, a preliminary thesis or research question, and contains
a working bibliography. Masters's prospecti are often based on a
course paper that a student wishes to expand into a longer project
(between 30-60 pages, depending on the purpose).
Unlike a course paper, however, the prospectus must summarize
the thrust of the course paper, and provide a discussion of how the
original paper will be amplified or developed. Accompanied by the
prospectus, Form 1M is signed by the students' advisor, one other
faculty reader chosen by the student, and the department chair.
After writing the thesis, the student submits the document to
the advisor and reader with forms 2M and 4M, approximately three
months before graduation. When the Graduate Dean has been notified
that the thesis is satisfactory, the student submits a copy to the
Dean, following the formatting and procedures described in the
Dean's Guidelines.