Final Product
Every research project is unique, but all successful projects have one thing in common: polish. Polish means that every sentence is succinct and is written in Standard English and that every paragraph is unified and clearly relates to its immediate context and to the main point of the essay. Edit your final essay until it looks and reads like a publishable article. It should represent you at your very best. Adhere to the guidelines in the style manual used in the field of literature, the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. (You may wish to consult the Brooklyn College Library for excellent research resources on this topic and others.) In addition, follow the "Instructions for Preparing and Filing the Master's Thesis" (available from your graduate deputy or the Office of Graduate Studies and Research) for specifics about margins, binders, labels, etc. Print your thesis on a high-quality printer. Use your computer's spell check and then proofread carefully yourself. Ask someone else to proofread your thesis as well.
When you are finished, place two copies in a large envelope or something similar, label them, and take them to your adviser. Your adviser should then complete and sign the "Approval of Thesis/Master's Recital/M.F.A. Project" form. Bring the two copies and the approval form to your graduate deputy by the final due date for the semester in which you are planning to graduate. If everything is in order the graduate deputy will sign the form. Take the form and one copy of the thesis to the Office of Graduate Studies and Research. After approval, that copy will be placed in the Brooklyn College Library; the second copy will remain in your department.
