The M.A. thesis is one of two ways to complete the M.A. degree. It is reserved for those students with a passion for research and argumentation, and with proven writing skills. Other students should plan to take the Master’s exam. Those planning to write a thesis should review recent examples written in the department (in the Art and Architecture Library) to get a sense of the scope, methodology, and intellectual contribution of such undertakings. Original research and fresh perspectives are expected.

Normally a student should begin thinking of a thesis topic toward the end of the second semester (after 18 credit hours). It is usually best if the thesis grows out of a seminar, independent study, or a lecture course, taken in the first year. Students should work with a faculty member in the Spring of the first year to begin developing potential topics of interest. The summer between the first and second years should be used to carry out preliminary research and reading, in consultation with the advisor . Research done for Fall seminars may be directed toward the thesis topic, which, however, should be well underway by then.

The following deadlines need to be honored in order to complete the thesis by the end of Spring semester of the second year.

October 1
Thesis students should sign up for three units of Master’s Research credit in the Fall of the second year. Should they not continue with the thesis, the Graduate Advisor will have the course changed to an independent study.

The thesis topic and a formal proposal of up to five pages must be submitted for approval by the full faculty of the Department. In consultation with the thesis advisor, the student will select two additional readers, and obtain their agreement to serve on the thesis committee. At least two of these will need to be full-time members of the department. The advisor must be a full-time member of the department, unless otherwise approved by Chair and Director of Grad Studies. The advisor will need to write a letter to the Dean of the Graduate School to secure permission for readers in other departments. With departmental approval, the student should register his or her thesis topic in the Graduate School on a form entitled “Thesis Title, Scope, and Procedure” at least six months before the month in which the degree is expected.

Students who express a desire to write a thesis, but do not have a well-crafted proposal by October 1 will be required to take the M.A. exam option. Students who switch over to the exam option at the end of the third term will need to take a course in the spring of the second year in order to complete the 30 course units for the MA, while also studying for the exam. Preparation for the exam does not constitute course credit.

In the Fall, once the committee of three has been formed, and upon the acceptance of the proposal by the department, the student should initiate a meeting with the committee to discuss the proposal and the research plans. The defense should not be the first occasion the student and the advisors discuss the project in depth.

Students taking thesis work credits in the Fall of their second year will be expected to complete a substantial amount of research and writing in fulfillment of these three credit hours. We define substantial to include: a clear thesis statement, a well-developed outline for the entire paper, roughly 50% of the research completed, and one chapter (out of three or four, in general) drafted and ready to show to the advisor. This work may extend into the holiday break between Fall and Spring semesters; students must then turn their work into the advisor during the first week of the Spring term, giving them time to switch to the exam option, and to drop/add courses, if that proves necessary. Continuation of work toward the thesis will be at the discretion of the advisor following evaluation of the written work. Should the student be unable to meet these requirements, Fall thesis credits will revert to independent study credits.

We urge students to spend winter break traveling to research sites for primary research, or continuing with research and writing. Proposals for graduate funding for M.A. research need to be into the Graduate Advisor by November 1, giving students sufficient time to make research plans for the break. Check the department website for a list of issues to address in a travel proposal. In this case, written work for the Fall thesis credits should be completed by the end of term. Students writing the thesis will take three credits of thesis work and will devote themselves full-time to completing the thesis.

Before January 30
Students should have in hand: an outline, a preliminary bibliography, and a sample of the thesis. At her or his discretion, the advisor may call a meeting with committee members in order to assess progress on the thesis.

March 15
A substantial portion of the thesis (in draft form) must be presented to the advisor. In order to meet this deadline, it is important for faculty and students to enforce and to honor a strict deadline for submission of thesis chapters to the thesis director.

Intermediate deadlines for submission of chapters are to be set between the advisor and the student based upon the amount of work completed in the Fall and over break.

April 1
Thesis should be revised and completed. At this point the thesis should be ready to pass on to the readers, following the scheduling of a defense. Readers should be given a minimun of two weeks to complete their reading of the thesis. Following the defense, the student has until the deadline for final submission set each spring by the grad school (in early May, although date varies) to submit the final revised copy of the thesis to the Graduate School. This means that the revised copy should be submitted to the advisor no less than a week before the Graduate School’s official deadline, for final checking of the manuscript.

Students who are unable to meet any of these deadlines should renegotiate dates with their advisor. When circumstances prevent completion of the degree for a May graduation of the second year, we will grant an extension of no more than one year (or May of the following year) for submission of the thesis. Should this deadline be missed, students will be required to take the M.A. exam in lieu of the thesis, as the only means of finishing the degree requirements. The only exception made will be for extenuating circumstance, approved by both the thesis advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.

The final thesis will receive a letter grade, agreed upon by the committee of three, either at the defense or at the completion of revisions.

N.B. Students are strongly encouraged to form their own work groups to support each other in the writing of both M.A. and Ph.D. theses. Every MA/Ph.D. student is encouraged to present their work in progress at least once, and the advisor and committee members may be invited, as well as other students. Students are encouraged to initiate and follow a regular schedule of meetings with their advisor; it is not the advisor’s responsibility to keep the student on schedule. It is not the advisor’s responsibility to keep the student on schedule. The student should also assume responsibility for all forms that must be filed during the Fall semester, including the Intent to Graduate form, due October 3 (at Student Records) for a December 22nd degree. Students are now strongly encouraged to file this form online. See WebSTAC for access to the online form.