Thesis Guidelines
Introduction
It is best to begin planning your thesis project early in your graduate career because you have several important decisions to make before you can successfully write a thesis. You have to identify faculty members who would be appropriate thesis advisers and you have to think about potential thesis topics. These tasks are clearly related to one another and require careful thought.
Before we begin, there are some differences among the disciplines that must be understood. In the arts, humanities, and social sciences, a thesis topic can sometimes be developed as a result of your interest in specific courses you have taken. You might begin by talking with some of your professors about potential topics and present to them your ideas for a thesis topic. Then you should develop a full proposal for a thesis topic when you take English 7800, before you register for English 7810: Thesis. In this way, your research assignments in that course can contribute to your thesis.
For the purposes of the handbook we will present the process of writing and researching a thesis in four parts:
