Page 63 - DISSERTATION AND THESIS HANDBOOK 2017 -2020

I. WHAT IS A THESIS?
A thesis is a scholarly manuscript completed by a master’s candidate. It is the defining
component of a master’s education and should make a contribution to the body of
knowledge it addresses. A thesis should demonstrate that the author understands and is
capable of conducting original research.

The thesis is required of all students working towards a master’s degree in Organizational
Communication and English Studies. Students will observe and follow the policies in this
handbook. Upon completion of the thesis, the Graduate School will grant permission for a
candidate to defend the thesis through an oral examination. Following successful defense, a
candidate will complete any final revisions and submit the thesis for binding and publication
by ProQuest/ UMI.

The thesis process starts in the department in which a student will work with his/her
advisor and the other two members of the thesis committee. It is critically important that
candidates understand that the thesis process is recursive. The committee under the
guidance of the thesis advisor must make sure that the student‘s thesis meets the proper
standard before submitting it to the Graduate School for defense approval,

All completed theses must be approved by the Dean of Graduate School before the degree
is conferred. The Dean of the Graduate School reserves the right to reject any thesis that
does not demonstrate the following:
✦ Original research in the field,
✦ Academic integrity,
✦ Mastery of the research method,
✦ Relationship of the work to the broader field in which it is lodged,
✦ General readability, and
✦ Excellence in content, grammar, and formatting.

63