Procedures and Policies
In the process of developing a thesis, it is the responsibility of the graduate student to follow the guidelines below.

Thesis Advisory Committee - The initial step in establishing an advisory committee is to select a thesis director. Next, with the advice of this person, a thesis topic should be selected as soon as possible. Following completion of these two steps, the balance of the committee can be formed. The committee is to be composed of a chair (thesis director) and at least three other members of the graduate faculty; two selected by the thesis director in consultation with the student and one appointed by the department chair from a list of candidates provided by the Dean of Graduate Studies. Committee members with adjunct graduate faculty membership may serve where deemed appropriate with the approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies, but may not serve as the thesis director.

Thesis Proposal - Under the supervision of the thesis director, a graduate student prepares a thesis proposal that is then submitted to the advisory committee for approval. After each committee member has signed the Thesis Proposal Approval Form, the proposal and form are submitted to the department chair for final approval. A copy of the Proposal Approval Form is then sent to the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Any research proposal that uses human participants, laboratory animals, or hazardous materials must be accompanied by a memorandum of approval from the chair of the appropriate university committee. These committees are as follows: the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, the Institutional Biosafety Committee, and the Environmental Safety and Health/Radiation Committee.

Registration for Thesis - A graduate student preparing a thesis enrolls first in the appropriate thesis course. Following the initial enrollment in thesis and until the Thesis Examination is held, a student must continue to register each full semester and summer term during which the resources of the university (faculty, library, laboratories, etc.) are utilized. A student must be enrolled during the semester in which the thesis examination is conducted. However, enrollment is not required for the semester or summer session in which the student graduates unless it is the same one during which the Thesis Examination is held. Until the thesis is completed, a grade of WH (withheld) is given for each section of Thesis in which the student was enrolled. When the final copy of the thesis has been approved and signed by the advisor committee, it is the responsibility of the thesis director to turn in grades for all Thesis courses.

Supervision of Thesis Research and Writing - The graduate student conducts the thesis research and writes the thesis under the supervision of the thesis director and the thesis advisory committee.

Thesis Writing - The thesis must by written using Office Word 97 or XP or 2003. Office Word 2007 is not compatible with the older versions and should not be used. The electronic version will be used to print the final printed copy except for the cover signature page.

Thesis Defense – Thesis Draft - A thesis draft may serve as the basis for the thesis examination/defense. The thesis draft must meet the following requirements:

• Complete in all aspects.
• Clearly readable in letter-quality print but on inexpensive paper such as used in word processors and copy machines.
• Mechanically correct. (See Items under Final Manuscript Preparation in the Thesis Guide.)
• Figures, plates, and tables in final form, but photographs may be high quality reproductions.
• Approved for content by all members of the thesis advisory committee.

The graduate student must take a draft of the thesis to be checked by the Graduate School before filing the application for the thesis examination.

Thesis Examination - The application for Thesis Examination Form can be submitted only after the thesis draft is submitted to and approved by the Graduate School. This form must be filed in the Graduate School at least one week before the examination and no later than three (3) weeks before the day of commencement. See the Graduate School web site for specific dates.

The thesis advisory committee also serves as the thesis examination committee.
A copy of the final thesis draft must be in the hands of each member of the thesis examination committee and one copy to the Graduate School at least one week prior to the examination. The thesis draft that goes to the thesis director must contain original figures and plates.

The thesis examination is held at a time and place agreed upon by the graduate student and all members of the thesis examination committee. If the thesis examination committee requires changes or additions to the thesis more extensive than just improvements in language, punctuation, format, or illustrations, approval of the thesis shall be delayed until each committee member has a chance to examine a new draft incorporating the changes.

Report of Thesis Examination - Following the examination, the thesis director submits the Report of Thesis Examination to the Dean of the Graduate Studies.

Final Corrections, Approval, and Signatures - Following the thesis examination, all changes and corrections required by the thesis examination committee and the Graduate School must be incorporated into the final draft. The graduate student then submits the revised thesis to the Graduate Office for approval. After receiving approval from the Graduate School, the student must have a minimum of four copies of the thesis made. The final thesis and all four copies must meet all specifications of this thesis guide. The final thesis (original plus four copies) must all be signed by each member of the thesis advisory committee and must be on 20# white paper.

It is the graduate student’s responsibility to check the thesis guide for proper arrangements and page numbering on each thesis. See the Graduate School web site for final thesis due dates.

Binding, Shipping, and Microfilming Fees - The graduate student must decide how many copies need to be bound (minimum of five) and go to the Technical Services Office of the Steen Library for payment of fees for binding, shipping costs, and microfilming. The graduate student obtains a receipt for payment of fees and brings a copy of the receipt to the Graduate School.

Submission of Final Copies of Thesis - Each of the final theses should be placed in a separate envelope with a copy of the cover page taped to the front of the envelope. The graduate student takes the final copies, along with the receipt for binding, shipping, and microfilming, to the Graduate

School for the Dean of Graduate Studies to sign. The Graduate School then sends all copies to the Steen Library for binding. After binding, two copies will be retained by the Library, one copy will be sent to the thesis director, one copy will be sent to the graduate student’s major department, and the original bound manuscript will be sent to the graduate student.

Checklist of Procedures