Remerciez-le!

Remerciez @Admin pour avoir partagé cet document gratuitement, de la manière la plus simple, en partageant sur les réseaux sociaux.

Graduate Programs office www.edu.uwo.ca 519-661-2099 Updated Fe Master of Arts

Graduate Programs office www.edu.uwo.ca 519-661-2099 Updated Fe Master of Arts Thesis Guide Version Date: October, 2015 Graduate Programs office i Contents Introduction 1 Thesis Advisory Committee 1-2 Getting Started 2-3 Proposal 3-4 Ethics 5 Thesis Preparation & Format 6 Thesis Examination 6-8 Timelines 8 Thesis Defence Only Status 9 Sample Certificate of Examination 10 Graduate Programs office 1 INTRODUCTION The information provided below aims to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the process of writing a thesis for the Master of Arts in Education Studies and Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology program. What are the benefits of pursuing the thesis option? • Writing a thesis provides you with a stimulating intellectual challenge. • Writing a thesis offers you an opportunity to advance the state of knowledge in your chosen area. • Writing a thesis provides an excellent foundation for doctoral studies and advanced research. Some doctoral programs require incoming students to have completed a thesis. WHAT IS A THESIS? A thesis (or dissertation) is a formal statement of the theory, source materials, methodology, and findings of a student’s major research project. It must be a complete and sufficient document that does not require subsidiary information to substantiate its findings. The examination of the thesis exposes the student’s work to scholarly criticism. (School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies’ Graduate Regulations Section 8.1) A thesis is an extended research paper that addresses one or more researchable questions draws on published research and theoretical literature seeks to address a gap in the knowledge about a topic or examines a topic in a new way is theoretically grounded is couched in proper English usage THESIS ADVISORY COMMITTEE In accordance with regulations, every student writing a thesis must have a Thesis Advisory Committee. The Thesis Advisory Committee must have at least two members: the Supervisor and another member selected by the Supervisor. A student’s Supervisor must be from the Faculty of Education but the committee member(s) may or may not be. Committee members must have membership in the School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS). Contact the Graduate Office in regards to SGPS membership. The functions of the committee are: to review, make recommendations and approve the proposal; to advise and supervise the development of the study; to receive progress reports; to require modifications deemed necessary; to evaluate the final draft of the thesis; to determine when the final draft is ready for the oral examination. Students must familiarize themselves and adhere to the regulations set out in Section 8 of the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies’ Graduate Regulation: http:/ /grad.uwo.ca/current_students/regulations/8.html. This section outlines the university wide thesis regulations and procedures. Graduate Programs office 2 How often should I meet with my Supervisor? A students should maintain close contact with their Supervisor and keep all members of their Thesis Advisory Committee informed of the progress on his/her thesis. A Supervisor and a student might decide to set up a series of regularly scheduled appointments, this is particularly crucial during the final stages of preparation. How often should I meet with my Committee? There is no rule, students should talk to their Supervisor about scheduling a full committee meeting. At the very least, students are required to keep the Supervisor and other members of the Thesis Advisory Committee informed of the progress of the work. May I change my Supervisor? Only under extenuating circumstances, may the student or the Supervisor opt out of their supervisory arrangement prior to the completion of the student’s program. In the unusual event that either the student or faculty member may need to have the supervisory arrangement changed, a meeting with the Associate Dean, Graduate Programs, should be arranged in the first instance by whomever (i.e. the student or faculty member) is requesting the change. Following that meeting, the Associate Dean will make further inquiries into the matter and/or determine whether the requested change is to be approved. The Associate Dean will ensure that both the student and Faculty member are notified of the decision within one month of the initial meeting. What if I disagree with my Committee? Should there be a difference of opinion between the student and the committee concerning the readiness of the final draft for examination, the student has the right to appeal this decision. If the student is not successful in their appeal they do still have the right to proceed to defence. However, it must be recognized that if the committee believes the thesis is not ready the student will likely have a very difficult time defending the thesis before an examining committee. In the final analysis, the thesis is wholly the student’s responsibility. The committee is there to offer advice and guidance. Are other faculty members allowed to advise me? While working on his/her thesis, a student should feel free to consult any member of the Faculty of Education who may be able to offer advice. Getting Started Identify a topic or topics of interest and an issue you would like to explore. What if I have no ideas? An important part of the proposal writing process is turning questions and ideas into researchable questions • Review your course texts and assignments. What was most engaging? • Talk to faculty members and other graduate students about their research and your interests. • Look at the theses in the Education Library. • The theses in the Education Library were all completed by former graduate students in the Education faculty. As you browse select a few that pique your interest. Take a look at the Abstracts. Available online at www.lib.uwo.ca. Read the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies’ Graduate Supervision Handbook, for further information on the rights and responsibilities of students and Supervisors. http:/ /grad.uwo.ca/faculty_staff/viceprovost/supervision.html Please inform the Associate Dean, Graduate Programs in a timely fashion of any serious difficulties such as major professional academic disagreements, interpersonal conflicts, or potential conflict of interest situations. Graduate Programs office 3 What are some advantages of deciding on a topic early in the program? • You can choose courses that allow you to develop background knowledge to support your research. • A Thesis Supervisor may recommend that certain additional graduate courses be taken before work on the thesis be- gins. You may save yourself additional work if you identify the general nature of your planned research before you have completed all of your course work. What are some advantages of waiting to make a decision about your thesis topic? • You can develop a broad-based understanding of the field. This is especially important for Masters level students who intend to pursue Doctoral Studies. • You can be open to new questions and new ways to configure your research. How late in the program can I make the decision? • You should decide on a topic no later than the end of the semester in which you complete your last required course. PROPOSAL 9683 INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL PREPARATION (IPP) The IPP is a required element of the Master of Arts in Educational Studies program. The IPP process is the academic mechanism that facilitates the student’s proposal and ethical review (where required) for the thesis. Students register in 9683 IPP when they have completed all of their course requirements. Students must submit the IPP Supervisor Ap- proval Form (located on the Forms & Guidelines web page) to the Graduate Programs Office before commencing their IPP. The IPP is completed when the proposal and ethical review (where required) have been submitted for approval. The IPP should be completed in one term. Under exceptional circumstances a student may seek permission to register in the IPP for a second term. A student may be withdrawn from his/her program if the IPP is not completed by the end of the second term of registration. What is the purpose of a proposal? The proposal should leave the reader in no doubt as to what the student intends to accomplish in his/her thesis and how he/she will accomplish it. The proposal is a crucial piece of work which must be completed before time is invested in detailed research. A well designed and tightly written proposal can save much time and effort in composing the final product. Students typically write and revise several drafts of a proposal before the final submission. What are the components of a proposal? There is no set length for a proposal, but 20 pages (double-spaced) is usually sufficient. A proposal must meet the following criteria: • The issues are clearly defined • Manageable limits for the study have been set • The research questions or problem to be addressed are clearly stated • The research techniques and methods of analyzing and/or interpreting the findings are described • The applicability of the study to educational scholarship and/or practice is demonstrated • Potential implications for education are noted • Ethical issues are identified and discussed • The adequacy uploads/s3/ master-thesis-guide.pdf