Theses and Problems in Lieu of Thesis

Theses and Problems in Lieu of Thesis

The Graduate School at Northwestern State University requires a thesis or a problem in lieu of thesis for a master's degree, and a thesis or field study for a specialist's degree. The requirements and procedures for these papers are prescribed by the Graduate Council, and the individual academic department or college. Research options vary among the individual degree programs. It is the responsibility of the student, working with the advisory committee, to meet fully the research requirements for the specific degree pursued.

Human subjects.

All research having to do with the collection of data from human subjects requires prior approval from the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research.

Enrollment.

After the first enrollment for the thesis, the student is required to maintain continuous enrollment until the final paper is approved. Maximum credit to be granted is six semester hours for the thesis. Problems in lieu of thesis should be completed during the semester of enrollment for the particular course.

Number of copies.

The Graduate School requires two copies of a thesis, or one copy of a problem in lieu of thesis. The student's major department or college may require additional copies.

Paper.

Copies should be on white bond paper of 20 pound substance and at least 50 per cent cotton fiber content. All pages of each copy must be prepared on the same brand of paper.

Typing format.

A type face no smaller than twelve characters per inch should be used. Script type is not acceptable except for italics. Word processor type must be of "letter quality," with a regular right margin, and with no irregular spacing of words or letters within the text. All pages of each copy must be prepared on the same typing or printer device.

Ribbon or toner cartridge.

Black ribbon or black laser printer toner must be used.

Page format.

The text must be double spaced, and on one side of the paper only. Margins must be one and one-half inches on the left edge, and one inch on the remaining three edges. Headings, pagination, citations, etc., should conform to the style manual selected by the students' major department or college.

Reproduction.

Copies may be printed offset or litho-print, or electronically reproduced by xerography, laser printer, or other process of equal quality. Proof of quality of reproduction of all pages of each copy is the responsibility of the student.

Style manual.

An authoritative style manual is to be followed with consistency in the preparation of the paper. The manual selected must be acceptable to the student's advisory committee, the academic department or college, and the Graduate Council. In no instance should another thesis or problem in lieu of thesis be used as an authority for style.

Appendices, Illustrations, and Attachments.

Appendices which cannot be bound with the text (e.g., magnetic tapes, art works, films, or materials to be put in cover board pockets) must be included in the table of contents. Maps or plates to be bound with the text must be submitted rolled, not folded, and in mailing tubes marked with the student's name. Graphs, tables, and illustrations should be in a form as permanent and suitable for reproduction as the typed portion of the text.

Abstracts.

An abstract for the thesis must be prepared, approved by the major professor, and filed with the paper in the office of the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. Abstracts are not required for problems in lieu of thesis.

The thesis abstract must be double spaced and must contain no more than 350 words in the body, excluding the general heading. The general heading for the abstract should conform to the following examples:

Submittal.

Each copy of the completed and approved thesis is to be submitted to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research in a separate filing envelope and arranged in exact page order for binding. Each envelope shall have attached to it a copy of the title page, and the indication of original copy or of the copy number. After the Graduate Dean approves the thesis and signs the signature page, the original will be copied and inserted. The student is solely responsible for the correctness of the manuscript. The student must present the finished work to the Graduate Dean's office in person. The student should also complete exit survey forms at this time.

Deadlines.

Two approved copies of the thesis and one additional copy of the abstract must be submitted to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research no later than two weeks prior to the expected date of graduation.

The student should check the current calendar of the Graduate School for the exact dates of deadlines for submittal of theses and problems in lieu of thesis.

Binding fees.

When final copies are filed, the student should pay to the cashier an amount sufficient to cover binding expense. The receipt for the fees should be filed with the Graduate Dean's office along with the completed copies. Binding fees include the cost of each copy bound as well as additional fees for special treatment, if any. Theses of more than 400 pages will be bound in more than one volume, and multiple binding fees will be charged. In such cases, the writer must provide a title page for each volume, display the volume number directly under the title, and indicate the volume division in the table of contents which must be placed in the beginning of the first volume.

 

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