Orientation for New Graduate Students
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Thesis & Dissertation Assistance
Administrative & Faculty Information
Contact your academic department and meet with your academic advisor in order to select the thesis option on your plan of study, select a thesis chair and committee, obtain a copy of the Graduate School's Guide for Writers of Master's Theses, and to obtain any departmental information, such as preferred writing style manual, special departmental/school procedures, etc. Consult with your academic department/school continuously throughout the thesis process.
This step must be done before you begin to collect data. Data collected without prior approval may be disallowed for use in a thesis. For more information, refer to the "GENERAL INFORMATION -- Use of Human and/or Animal Subjects" section in the Guide for Writers of Master's Theses, or contact the Academic Research Services office (309/438-8451).
Proposals for research involving living human subjects, living animals, or biosafety issues require review and approval by the university's Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).
To begin the process (no later than early in the semester prior to anticipated degree completion) submit your proposal to your department/school IRB/IACUC/IBC representative. Upon final approval by the university you will receive a protocol number.
Check with your academic department for department-specific proposal approval procedures. Submit the completed Proposal Approval Form--with all requested signatures and protocol numbers, if applicable--to the Graduate School office by the deadline specified for the semester in which you plan to graduate. Refer to "Important Dates and Deadlines" available on this Web site.
At least eight days before you would like to have your oral defense, and no later than the format check deadline specified for the semester in which you plan to complete the degree, submit a complete copy of your thesis to the Graduate School (309 Hovey Hall) for a format check. Refer to the "PROCEDURES -- Format Check" section of the Guide for Writers of Master's Theses.
When your thesis has been approved by the Thesis Examiner, you will receive a Right-To-Defend form, which will allow you to schedule your oral defense with your department. Submit two copies of your thesis to your academic department for departmental review at least five days before your defense. Refer to the "Important Dates and Deadlines" (available on this Web site) for the defense deadline for the term in which you plan to complete the degree.
Upon successful completion of your defense, your committee chair will sign your Right-To-Defend form. Your committee will sign the thesis signature pages to confirm acceptance of your thesis.
For final thesis copies requirements, refer to the "GENERAL INFORMATION -- Final University Copies" and "PROCEDURES -- Final Copies and Forms" sections of the Guide for Writers of Master's Theses.
You must stay continuously registered from the time your proposal is approved until you complete the degree, and you must be registered for some type of credit hour(s) (e.g., a course, thesis hours or thesis audit hours) during the term in which you will complete the degree. Contact the Graduate School office to register for thesis audit hours and for more information regarding continuous registration.
In order to complete the degree, you must apply for completion of the degree and pay a $30 application fee. Refer to the "Important Dates and Deadlines" for the application deadline specified for the term in which you plan to complete your degree.
For more information, contact the Graduate School (309/438-2583), the Thesis Examiner (309/438-2597), or your academic department.
