CURRENT STUDENTS

   

Office of Graduate Studies

 

Student’s Thesis Completion Checklist

____ Register for six required hours of thesis credit.  Registration must be continuous until the thesis is completed.  Registration must be over a minimum of 2 consecutive semesters.

____Thesis courses are graded on a Pass/Fail basis. 

____ Apply for Thesis at the Office of Graduate Studies.

____ Obtain a Thesis Guide and Checklist from the Office of Graduate Studies or its web site.

 ____ Submit the Thesis Proposal Approval form and Prospectus, signed and dated by the

Thesis Committee, to the Office of Graduate Studies by no later than the end of the          

first thesis course.

____ If applicable, obtain approval from the Human Subjects Research Review Committee (HSRRC) and/or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

____ In cooperation with the Thesis Committee Chair and the Graduate Office, set a date and time for the Thesis Defense.

 ____ Submit two (2) copies of the final draft of the thesis at least one week prior to the Thesis Defense to the Office of Graduate Studies. 

____Thesis Defense (At least two weeks prior to the deadline to submit completed thesis.)

____ Following published time lines, the successful candidate provides five (5) copies of the thesis for binding on the type of paper specified by the Graduate Office.  Two copies are retained by the library, one by the Office of Graduate Studies, one for the thesis committee chair, and one for the author of the thesis.

 ____ Student pays the required binding fee ($16 per copy) to the library.

GRADUATE STUDIES OFFICE

THESIS GUIDE

Prepared by C. R. Comeaux, Ed.D.

Table of Contents

I.	INTRODUCTION	1
II.	SUPPORT AND PROCEDURE
	Thesis Committee	1
	Thesis Topic and Prospectus	1
	Thesis Defense	2
III.	THESIS PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION	1
	Format	2
	Copies	3
	Typing Guides	3
	Approval Sheets	3
	Preliminary Pages	4
	Thesis Abstract	4
IV.	FORMS AND EXAMPLE PAGES
	Thesis Proposal Approval Form	5
	Thesis Approval Form	6
	Example Copyright Page	7
	Example Title Page	8
	Example Abstract	9
	Example Table of Contents	11
	Example List of Tables	13
	Example Table	14
	Example of a Table Integrated in the Text	15

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I. INTRODUCTION

The Graduate Studies Office of The University of Texas at Brownsville has adopted this guide to assist students in the mechanical detail of writing a thesis for the Masters degree. A thesis is an accurate report of research conducted by the student and as such should reflect credit upon the student, the major department and The University of Texas at Brownsville. Important and worthwhile research can be written in such a manner that it loses much of its significance. Therefore, it is important that students present their work in a manner that is grammatically correct, attractive, and academically rewarding.

The University of Texas at Brownsville service area provides excellent opportunity for research in all fields of graduate study. Graduate students are encouraged to pursue research activities as the opportunity for making a significant contribution in their field is great due to the lack of previous research in the geographic are. However, the decision to write a thesis should be a deliberative one. It is a major research activity and as such requires time, planning and the attention to detail necessary for all scientific endeavors. The masters thesis must be able to stand the scrutiny of professional colleagues.
 

II. SUPPORT AND PROCEDURE

Thesis Committee

A thesis committee of three or more graduate faculty members shall be appointed by the chair of the thesis committee. The thesis must be acceptable to the student's major professor, the thesis committee and the Graduate Studies Office. The research and the manner in which it is presented in the thesis are the responsibility of the student, the major professor, and the committee. The concerns of the Graduate Studies Office are with the format used in the presentation of the thesis, adherence to stated procedures and deadlines.

Thesis Topic and Prospectus

The thesis topic and prospectus must be approved by the major professor, the thesis committee and the Graduate Office prior to the

student undertaking the research problem. All proposed research must be approved by the UTB Human Subjects Research Review Committee prior to the collection of any data. The thesis prospectus normally covers the first three chapters in a five chapter thesis format. A thesis proposal approval sheet is included in this document and serves as a cover sheet for the prospectus

Thesis Defense

Students must successfully defend their research before their thesis committee and a representative appointed by the Graduate Studies Office from outside of the discipline represented by the student. Thesis defense meetings are scheduled by the Graduate Office, announced in advance and open to the university community. Students are responsible for meeting all deadline dates with regards to the thesis and should consult the academic calendar found in the university class schedule published each semester for deadline dates related to completion and submission of the thesis. A copy of the completed thesis must be delivered to the Graduate Program Representative. Questions not answered by this guide our the current Graduate Bulletin should be referred to the major advisor or the Graduate Office.

The origin of the oral thesis and dissertation defense is in the European tradition in which students "read" in a discipline and then write a thesis paper about some aspect of the discipline. In this country, students usually have highly structured programs of study with frequent examinations and little interaction with faculty on their research...thus the nature of the oral defense is different. In Europe, the thesis defense is the major evaluation of the student's entire education. In this country, the purpose of the oral thesis defense is a little different.

The purpose of the thesis defense at UTB is to:

• provide an opportunity for the committee and others to discuss and interact together and with the student on the research,
• provide an opportunity to share with the educational community new research,
• provide an opportunity to assess the student's ability to express his or herself orally in an academic forum,
• provide evidence through the written document of the student's research skills and writing ability,
• provide an opportunity for scholarly debate when appropriate.

During the defense proceedings the degree candidate is given an opportunity to debate as a peer and in this aspect moves from the role student to that of colleague in the examination of thesis ideas.

Thesis Defense


Guidelines for Committee Members
The graduate faculty presumes that its members will exercise sound academic judgment in the conduct of all graduate
examinations. The following instructions are guidelines to the conduct of an examination and specify the consequences of the
balloting at the end of the examination. 

1. ATTENDANCE OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Each member is expected to attend the entire examination.   Those who cannot do so should ask the Thesis Committee Chair and the Dean of the Graduate School to appoint some one else. In no event shall the examination be held without a full complement of committee members. If at the time of the
examination a committee member is absent, the student’s major advisor must notify the Graduate Dean and find a suitable replacement or cancel the examination. To verify that the replacement is a member of the Graduate Faculty, the advisor should call the Graduate Office, ext. 6552. If the absent member is the Graduate School representative, the advisor shall call the Graduate Office to request the immediate appointment of another representative. 
2. LENGTH OF THE EXAMINATION: There is no time limit set by the Graduate School. However, at least two hours, but probably not more than three hours, should be scheduled for an examination. If questioning is not completed in a reasonable length of time, the examination may be adjourned until a later time, which is not to exceed three weeks duration
from the scheduled examination date. 
3. THESIS: If a thesis is presented, each committee member shall have a copy to read at least seven working days prior to the examination. The oral examination is not to be held until the thesis is in final draft (except for minor points brought out during the examination) as described in Guidelines For Preparing A Thesis. A vote to fail the candidate or adjourn the examination may be cast if the thesis is incomplete or requires substantial rewriting. 
4. VOTING: Committee members may discuss any topics concerning the candidate’s performance and qualification.  However, committee members must cast their votes independently. A vote to pass, fail, or adjourn the examination to a later
date may be cast. A candidate will pass the examination if all votes but one are to pass. A candidate will fail if there are two or more votes to fail, and the examination will be adjourned if there are two or more votes to adjourn. Two votes of fail override two votes to adjourn. One vote to fail and one vote to adjourn are not acceptable and an additional ballot or ballots must be cast. If the vote is to adjourn, the examination must reconvene within 3 weeks. 
5. GRADUATE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE: ·The Graduate Dean’s Representative will call the oral examination to order. If a thesis is presented, the dean’s representative shall determine that the thesis is in final draft form as required. In the event that the thesis or dissertation is found not to be in such form, the examination shall be adjourned and the Dean of the Graduate School notified immediately. It shall be the responsibility of the student and the advisor to bring the thesis into a final presentable form according to the provision of the Guidelines for Preparing a thesis. 
·It will be the responsibility of the Dean’s Representative to see that the ground rules are discussed and understood by all present for the examination. 
·Following this the major advisor assumes the chair and has the responsibility of presiding over the questioning of the candidate. Each member of the committee shall be given sufficient time and opportunity to question the candidate. 
·After questioning of the candidate is complete, the Dean’s Representative shall resume the chair. The candidate is asked to leave the room. General discussion of the examination and the candidate’s performance should be allowed and encouraged before balloting. 
·The Dean’s Representative will take the attached ballots and vote forms to the examination. At the conclusion of the exam, the Dean’s Representative is to distribute a ballot to each member of the committee, who will vote, sign the ballot, fold it and hand it to the Dean’s Representative. The Dean’s Representative tallies the vote, announces the result, and executes the form titled Report of the Examination Committee and Dean’s Certificate. 
·The candidate is informed of the results by the Committee Chair. 
·The Dean’s Representative is responsible for delivery of the Dean’s Certificate and each ballot form to the Office of the Graduate School. Under no circumstances shall the vote form and ballots be given to the student. 
6. VISITORS: Thesis defense meetings are open to the University community. Questions from visitors should be restricted to the thesis or the clarification of prior answers and should not introduce new topics. Visitors’ questions should be addressed to the chair, who may use discretion in addressing them to the candidate. The length of time devoted to questioning of the candidate by visitors is at the discretion of the major advisor. Visitors should arrive before the examination begins and will be excused when the questioning of the candidate is complete. 

III. THESIS PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION

Format

The main aim for the format of the thesis is consistency, logical organization, attractiveness, and mechanical correctness. Although this guide covers most of the general areas involved in the preparation of a thesis and includes specific examples, it does not cover all presentation possibilities. No set of examples and regulations can substitute for sound judgment. The general recommendations is that theses, abstracts and proposals follow the format of the latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Date Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations, or the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. For help in selecting the appropriate format for their discipline, students should consult with their major professor

and thesis committee and purchase the appropriate publication or style ma nual.

Copies

Five original copies of the thesis must be submitted to the Graduate Studies Office by the deadline date published in the most recent class schedule. The original copies must be prepared on at least 20 pound, 8-1/2x11 white bond paper with at least 100% rag content. In general, carbon copy, print, electrostatic copy (such as xerox quality duplication), multilith permaprint are acceptable means of duplication for the copies. Ozalid, mimeograph, hectographing, or any other fluid processes are not acceptable.

Typing Guides

The following typing guides are recommended: margins, left, 1-1/2"; right and bottom of the page, 1"; first line of type 1-1/4" from the top of the paper. There are two sets of page numbers in the thesis. The preliminary pages (the title pages up to the body of the paper) should be numbered with small (lower case) Roman numerals centered at the bottom of the page. The second set of number, Arabic numerals, begins with the first page of Chapter I and continues throughout the paper, references and appendices. Every page of the paper (except blank cover page) is assigned a number, although that number may not be typed on the face of every page. The title and approval pages are given numbers but they do not appear on the pages. The first page of each Chapter, in the body of the thesis, is included in the numbering but does not have a number typed on it.

Approval Sheets

Each of the three copies of the thesis submitted to the Graduate Studies Office is required to have an approval sheet (on the same paper and in the same type style as the rest of the thesis). This sheet must be signed by the student's committee and the Graduate Studies Office representative. The signatures must be original and no one may sign another person's name. The approval sheet, which is not numbered, is inserted before the title page. A copy of the approval sheet is included in this document.

Preliminary Pages

The preliminary pages of a thesis include the title page, copyright page (if needed), dedication page (if any), acknowledgements (if any), Abstract, Preface or foreword (if any), Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures, and List of Symbols (if any). A short vita of the Student may be included following the appendices at the end of the thesis. The vita page is not numbered. The pages of the thesis should be placed in the following order:

1. Cover Sheet - front and back
2. Copyright Page - optional
3. Title Page
4. Signature Page - original and two copies must have
5. Acknowledgement - optional
6. Abstract
7. Table of Contents
8. Text
9. References
10. Appendices
11. Vita

Thesis Abstract

Each thesis is required to have an Abstract which may contain the following: (1)a short statement of the problem or area of investigation; (2)a brief discussion of the methods and procedures used in gathering the data; (3)a condensed summary of the findings; and (4)conclusions of the study. The Abstract may not exceed 350 words and is the responsibility of the student and the committee.
Sample pages provided in this guide include:

• Thesis proposal Approval Cover Sheet
• Thesis Approval Sheet
• Copyright Page
• Title Page
• Abstract Page
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables
• List of Figures
• Sample Table
• Sample Vita

The University of Texas At Brownsville

To the Graduate Faculty:
I hereby recommend that this thesis prepared under my direction by
_______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________
entitled _________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________
be accepted as fulfilling the thesis requirement of the degree __________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

Thesis Director                  Date
_______________                  _________________

After inspection and defense of the final copy of the thesis by the candidate, the following members of the Final Examination Committee concur in its approval and recommend its acceptance:
_______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________
Graduate Program Representative

Accepted for the Graduate Faculty:
___________________________________________________

Dean of Graduate Studies        Date

The inclusion of this sheet bound into the library copy of the thesis is evidence of satisfactory performance at the final oral examination

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT BROWNSVILLE

Thesis Proposal Approval

TITLE OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT

Approved by the Thesis Committee:

________________________________________   ___________
________________________________________   ___________
________________________________________   ___________

Approved by the Graduate Office:

________________________________________   ___________
Dean of Graduate Studies

A copy of the thesis proposal must be attached to this approval sheet and filed in the Graduate Studies Office.

SAMPLE COPYRIGHT PAGE

SAMPLE TITLE PAGE

SAMPLE ABSTRACT

Chedester, Cheryl G.M. "Corporal Punishment and Teachers of the Year: A National Survey." Unpublished Master of Education Thesis, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN., 1984.

The primary purpose of the study was to collect and analyze data concerning attitude toward and practice of corporal punishment by educators selected by administrators and peers for Teacher of the Year awards. Regional trends on the issue of corporal punishment were investigated.

The study was descriptive. The data-gathering instrument was a questionnaire designed by the researcher. The population surveyed was the Teacher of the Year Program award recipients from 1980 through 1984 inclusively. Two follow-up requested were conducted; one by mail and another by telephone. The n of the study was one hundred and thirty-five (N=135). This represented a 56.25% rate of return.

The analysis of the data was presented by percentage results of the total sample and, subsequently, for each of eight regions of the United States. The chi-square test was applied to five ex post facto hypotheses.

The major conclusion of the study was that the overwhelming majority of the Teachers of the Year do not use or support corporal punishment. There was no significant difference in the sample with regards to education, school setting, grade level, or gender. The sample also reported, as opinion, that written policies are followed and that parents are well-informed about the issue of corporal punishment.

Various recommendations were made as a result of the study. Including among the recommended actions were replications with these groups: other school systems to compare "typical teacher"

responses to "excellent teacher" responses, recognized "excellent" school systems, and other pertinent professionals. Also recommended was revision the research instrument for better item specificity.
 
 
 
 

SAMPLE TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DESIGN AND PROCEDURES OF THE STUDY

RESULTS OF THE STUDY                                       

Summary

SAMPLE OF TABLES

Pre-Post Summary Percentages of Strategy Preferences

SAMPLE OF A TABLE INTEGRATED IN THE TEXT

The hypothesis that there is no difference in the ability to attract visual attention to appropriate visual stimuli, between the environments with supplementary lighting and classrooms using standard lighting, is rejected by this measure.

An F test was used to determine if there was nonchance variation in any of the means of the intraset scores. Table 3 presents a summary of the analysis of variance for attending behavior during exposure to the experimental lighting.

              *Significant at .05.
              **Significant at .01.

The F of 11.72 is significant at the .01 level of confidence. This means that some of the mean scores deviate by a magnitude greater