College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Catalog 2016

140 Once completed, the student submits the Thesis Proposal Approval Form and the IRB application (if applicable) to the Department Chair for review and approval. Phase Two: Research, Data Collection, and Writing the Thesis Thesis research and data collection should occur according to the approved timeline and IRB specifications (when applicable). The student should meet with his/her thesis adviser regularly during all phases of the project (especially during the writing phase) and demonstrate consistent progress in the development of the thesis. During the writing process, the student should seek feedback from the adviser and committee member(s). Revision is considered complete when additional changes would result in minimal improvement of the document. Prior to the defense, the student submits final copies of the project to each committee member and the Department Chair. Phase Three: Thesis Defense After the student has submitted final copies of the thesis, the thesis adviser will schedule a Thesis Defense. The student and the thesis adviser should discuss appropriate presentation of the project prior to the defense. The defense will be before the graduate faculty and an audience of other students and invited guests. During the event, the student summarizes the project, presents the major findings, and addresses questions from the thesis committee. The student’s presentation of the project and answers to these questions will be considered as part of the assessment of the thesis project. After the committee finishes asking questions, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions of the student. After the Thesis Defense, the committee members will assess all parts of the project and decide whether or not to recommend approval of the thesis. The committee may require that the student complete further work or revisions following the defense. If approval is recommended, the committee will complete the signature page. Finally, the student will submit one copy of the final thesis to the department to be bound and become part of the university’s thesis archive. This copy must adhere to the Thesis Format and Style Guidelines in this catalog. Important Deadlines Fall Semester Completion Winter Semester Completion Thesis Proposal due to Thesis Adviser midterm week of winter semester midterm week of fall semester Thesis due to Thesis Adviser October 1 March 1 Thesis Defense November 1–7 April 1–7 Thesis Format and Style Guidelines Students must adhere to the following Thesis Format and Style Guidelines. After successful completion of the Thesis Defense, each student will complete the following steps.