Thesis/Dissertation - An Overview

Degree programs determine whether or not a thesis/dissertation is required for a graduate degree. A thesis/dissertation may take any of several forms, such as a scholarly essay, research report, or a creative artistic work. The format of such presentations does not need to conform to traditional standards of style where such standards are not appropriate. However, theses/dissertations that take the form of traditional research reports should follow standard manuals of style, with any supplementary guides used by the various disciplines acceptable to the departmental graduate committee. Students are strongly encouraged to review the guidelines before preparing their theses or dissertations. A copy of the guidelines are available in the College of Graduate Studies.

A student cannot be admitted to degree candidacy, or register for thesis/dissertation work, until the student is a Regular Graduate Student. Doctoral and master's students must complete the Thesis/Dissertation Proposal Approval Form and obtain the required signatures prior to thesis/dissertation registration. Once a student registers for thesis/dissertation credit, he or she must register for thesis/dissertation credit each semester during the academic year (fall and spring terms) until the completion and defense of the project. (See T Temporary noncredit grades, under Grades.) The number of thesis/dissertation credits required is a departmental matter. However, the student must register for a minimum of one thesis/dissertation credit each semester until the completion of the thesis/dissertation, acceptance by the program committee, and submission for final approval to the College of Graduate Studies.

Acceptance of the thesis/dissertation requires that the signatures of the advisor and at least two other Graduate Faculty committee members appear on the document. Master's thesis committees must be composed of at least three members. The chairperson and at least two other members must hold Graduate Faculty status. Doctoral dissertation committees must consist of at least three members. The chairperson and at least two other members must hold Graduate Faculty status. At least one member of the dissertation committee must be from outside of the unit awarding the degree. The outside member must hold Graduate Faculty status; or be approved by the Graduate Dean. Both master's thesis and doctoral dissertation committees may have additional members beyond the minimum of three persons. To be a voting member, the additional person(s) must have Graduate Faculty status. Committee members not holding Graduate Faculty status may serve as non-voting members of the committee. To determine if a faculty member holds Graduate Faculty status, consult the College of Graduate Studies' website at: http://graduatestudies.csuohio.edu/graduate/rosters/facultyroster.html.

All doctoral dissertations require a public defense, announced to the University community with sufficient notice.

Once the thesis/dissertation has been approved by the committee, the student must submit the final draft of the thesis/dissertation for format review and approval to the College of Graduate Studies (all corrections mandated by their committee must be done prior to the draft submission). The submission for format approval should take place not less than one week prior to the last day of instruction in the semester in which the student plans to graduate. A preliminary format examination is mandatory for the thesis/dissertation prior to submission of the electronic version to OhioLINK. However, a preliminary check does not guarantee the acceptability of the final version. To allow ample time for completing the final version, students are advised to schedule a format check well in advance of the deposit deadline.