Thesis

518 is the three semester credit hour thesis course students take to receive credit for their thesis. Students must be registered in 518 to receive thesis-related services, such as those provided by the thesis advisory committee and byThesis and Dissertation Services (TDS). Students must be registered in 518 when they submit their proposal and they must be registered in 518 when they submit their final thesis. Therefore, students are required to take a minimum of six semester credit hours of 518. The two 518 courses must be taken in separate semesters.

After registering for your first 518 course, work with your thesis advisor to form your thesis advisory committee. Your committee must have at least three members (including your thesis advisor) from your department. A faculty member from a different department (who has the applicable knowledge and/or expertise) may serve on the committee if the student so desires. For all University requirements regarding thesis advisory committees please see University Procedure 11.99.99.R0.06. Once the committee is formed, fill out the Thesis Committee Selection form, obtain the signatures of your committee members and your department head, and submit the form electronically to TDS. Once your committee is approved by the Dean of the Graduate School, you and your advisor will receive an email from TDS confirming the approval and providing you with a signed copy of the form. At this point, you may move forward in the process.

RELEVANT LINKS:

Thesis Committee Selection Form 

University Procedures

TDS@tamuc.edu 

Work with your committee to prepare your proposal for defense. All proposals must follow the formatting shown in the thesis template and Thesis Formatting Guide. Make sure to bring the Thesis Proposal Approval Form (found in the Thesis Proposal Packet) to the defense so you can obtain the signatures of your committee members if they approve your proposal. After making all changes suggested by your committee, the department head, and college dean and they have signed off on the Thesis Proposal Approval Form, keep the form for use in Step 3.

Regarding data collection:

Students conducting studies that have been determined not to require IRB, IACUC, or IBC approval may begin data collection after completing RCR training through CITI and after receiving approval from their advisor to do so. Students do not need proposal approval from TDS to begin data collection.

Students conducting studies that have been determined to require IRB, IACUC, or IBC approval may begin data collection only after receiving their committee's approval of their proposal and then from the appropriate reviewing body. Students do not need Graduate School's proposal approval to begin data collection.

If you are unsure about whether or not your study requires approval from IRB, IACUC, or IBC, please visit their websites.

RELEVANT LINKS:

Thesis Template

Thesis Formatting Guide

Thesis Proposal Packet

Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) Training 

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) 

Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

After making all changes suggested by your committee, the department head, and college dean, and after your advisor has received approval from the applicable research compliance committee, as necessary, provide a copy of the revised proposal to your advisor for review. If your advisor agrees that all necessary changes have been made, you and your advisor will sign the Advisor’s Approval to Submit Thesis Proposal form (located in the Thesis Proposal Packet).  The Advisor’s Approval to Submit Thesis Proposal form has a list of items that must be included with your submission email. All items must be submitted electronically to TDS@tamuc.edu. Hard copies of the submission materials will not be accepted. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to ensure all materials are received by the appropriate deadline. Proposals submitted past the deadline will be processed for the following semester. Keep in mind that students are required to receive proposal approval from TDS at least one semester prior to the semester in which they plan to graduate. You cannot defend your final thesis in the same semester in which you receive proposal approval from TDS.

The TDS Review:

During the review, TDS will check your paper for conformity to the Graduate School's thesis template and to the Thesis Formatting Guide. You, with the help of your advisor, will be responsible for adherence to your chosen style guide (APA, MLA, Turabian, etc.). Once the format review is complete, you and your advisor will receive an approval email from TDS containing a Reviewer's Checklist with formatting corrections to make to your document before final submission.  Please keep a copy of all emails concerning your submission and the approval for your records. 

RELEVANT LINKS:

Thesis Template 

Thesis Formatting Guide

Thesis Proposal Packet 

iThenticate 

Deadlines for Submission

TDS@tamuc.edu 

Register for your final three hours of 518. Following thesis proposal approval, continue to collect data, analyze data, and write your final thesis chapters. Make sure you remain in contact with your advisor regarding your progress on your thesis. Also, be aware of the deadlines that are relevant to you.

Once you and your advisor feel you are ready, work with your committee to schedule a date, time, and location to hold the final defense. Once a date is set, fill out the Notification Form for the Thesis Defense and submit it to TDS at least one week prior to the defense date. Submitting the form lets us know you intend to graduate and tells us to watch for your final submission. Make sure to bring the Thesis Final Defense Report (located in the Final Thesis Submission Packet) to your final defense so you can acquire the signatures of your committee members if they approve your thesis. After receiving approval from your committee, submit the form and thesis to the department head and college dean for their review and approval. After both the department head and college dean have read and signed the form indicating their approval, keep the form for use in Step 5. Make all changes suggested by your committee, department head, and college dean.

RELEVANT LINKS:

Notification Form for the Thesis Defense

Final Thesis Submission Packet 

Deadlines for Submission

TDS@tamuc.edu 

After making all changes suggested by your committee, department head, and college dean, provide a copy of your final thesis to your advisor for review. If your advisor agrees that all necessary changes have been made, you and your advisor need to sign the Advisor’s Approval to Submit Thesis form (located in the Final Thesis Submission Packet). After the form is signed, prepare your final thesis submission packet. The Advisor’s Approval to Submit Thesis form has a list of items that must be included with your submission email. All items must be submitted electronically to TDS. Hard copies of the submission materials will not be accepted. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to ensure all materials are received by the appropriate deadline. Theses submitted past the deadline will be processed for the following semester. Keep in mind that theses that do not follow the thesis template and the Thesis Formatting Guide will require revisions and, therefore, may take longer to receive approval. If the needed revisions are not made in a timely manner, your graduation eligibility may be impacted. If revisions are needed prior to approval, TDS will notify you and your advisor. It is imperative that you review the Reviewer's Checklist provided to you by TDS and make all recommended changes. If your thesis is approved, you and your advisor will be notified via email.  The approval email will include instructions for uploading the approved thesis to ProQuest. Make sure you follow the instructions exactly to ensure your thesis is processed successfully. At this time you will be asked to pay the ProQuest fees and any remaining student fees.

RELEVANT LINKS:

Final Thesis Submission Packet 

iThenticate

Deadlines for Submission

TDS@tamuc.edu 

The graduation application opens in myLeo at the start of the semester. After submitting your application, the Graduate School will be in communication with you throughout the semester regarding your graduation eligibility. Uploading to ProQuest and paying all student fees are requirements for graduation, so make sure those steps are completed prior to the graduation ceremony. After you receive confirmation from TDS that all thesis-related requirements have been met, you are free to prepare for the graduation ceremony (assuming all program-related requirements have also been met). Make sure you are at the Field House at the required time and that you are wearing your graduation regalia.