MA Thesis Guidelines and Deadlines
Note: You must have an updated and approved听 Plan of Study 听on file the semester before you plan on graduating (at the latest).
In order to register for thesis hours, your thesis chair will need to email graduate advisor Erin Kiley (ekiley1@fau.edu) permission to enroll you in AML/ENG/ENL/ENC/LIT 6971: Master鈥檚 Thesis.
The MA thesis will develop an original argument of 40-60 pages anchored in research. Strong MA theses often emerge from coursework papers that are significantly expanded and developed. As you begin this final stage in your MA degree, take some time to look through the work you have done in the program as you consider potential thesis topics.听
The thesis is researched and written over six credits taken after or near the completion of all other coursework. We strongly recommend that MA students take no more than three thesis credit hours per semester, completing the proposal in the first half of the first semester and spending the remainder of that first semester and the second researching and writing the thesis.听
As you consider the formation of your thesis committee, a chair and two readers, take some time to look through the faculty in the department. In some cases, faculty may not have taught a graduate course during your time in the program but may be active researchers in your area of study. Your chair is the committee member who will work the most closely with you, establishing deadlines and giving you feedback on your thesis as you work on it. The other two members are your readers 鈥� they'll give you comments, but may be less involved in the actual crafting process. It's a good idea to talk with your chair and committee members about their expectations for your submission of drafts and their plan for offering feedback.听
Recommended Readings
Booth, Colomb, Williams, eds.听 (particularly the chapters 鈥淔rom Topics to Questions,鈥� 鈥淢aking a Claim and Supporting It,鈥� and 鈥淯sing Sources鈥�).
da Sousa Correa, Owens, eds.听 (particularly the chapter 鈥淧lanning, Writing, or Presenting a Dissertation or Thesis鈥�).
Deadlines
Graduate College Deadlines:
- Thesis Deadlines for Fall Graduation
- Thesis Deadlines for Spring Graduation
- Thesis Deadlines for Summer Graduation
NOTE: Thesis manuscripts adhere to specific format requirements set by the Graduate College. You will need to familiarize yourself with the听 Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines. Check out the听 thesis formatting video tutorials 听online.
Department and College Deadlines
- Thesis Committee Final Review鈥�4 weeks prior to Thesis deadline
- Department Chair Review鈥�2 weeks prior to Thesis deadline
- College Dean Review鈥�1 week prior to Thesis deadline
Check out the听 Path Through the MA/MFA Program 听document for more information on these deadlines and the thesis process.
Current Term Graduation, Thesis, & Exam Deadlines
Current students interested in all thesis, exam, and graduation deadlines for the current term should contact the听 . If you're not already enrolled, please contact听 sbalkan@fau.edu 听for enrollment instructions.
Graduation
The Registrar's Office will send you an email with information on how to collect your graduation tickets. You must remember to RSVP as soon as possible - if you wait too long, tickets may run out. You can find more information from the听 Registrar's Office.