Thesis Process for Master’s Students
On this page:
- Forming a Thesis Committee
- Preparing the Thesis
See also: Academic Deadlines for Master's Students and the Graduate School's Thesis & Dissertation Guidelines
Forming a Thesis Committee
When a thesis is required for completion of a master's degree, the student is required to submit a Request for Thesis Committee (M2) form - pdf (or a dual-masters Request for Thesis Committee (DM2) form) for approval by the academic program's director of graduate studies and the Graduate School by the end of the student's second semester.
A thesis committee is composed of three members of the MU faculty: a major adviser from the academic program, a second reader from the academic program and an outside reader who is a member of the graduate faculty from a different MU graduate program.
Changes to the Committee
After the Request for Thesis Committee form has been filed, any changes should be submitted through the Change of Committee form (pdf).
Approval of a Non-MU Faculty Member
Upon approval of the academic program's director of graduate studies, the student may petition the Graduate School to allow a person who is not a member of the MU graduate faculty to serve as the third reader.
The petition should include a written justification for such a request and a copy of the person's curriculum vitae. The Graduate School maintains copies of curricula vitae previously received and approved, and if such a request is anticipated, the student should contact the Graduate School to see if the curriculum vitae of a particular person is already on file.
Graduate Committee Membership for Jointly Appointed Faculty
Chapter 320 of the Collected Rules and Regulations for the University of Missouri requires that all jointly appointed faculty members will have a designated Primary Appointment and Primary Department as well as affiliation with one or more involved academic programs. These affiliations affect membership status of jointly appointed faculty on graduate student committees as follows:
Committee Chair or Adviser
Faculty members may serve as adviser/committee chair when their Primary Appointment is in the graduate student's home academic program. When the graduate student's home academic program is the involved academic program for a jointly appointed faculty member, this person may serve as chair/adviser with the approval of the director of graduate studies from the student's home academic program.
Committee Member
A faculty member can serve as an Internal Member only when their Primary Appointment is in the graduate student's home academic program. When a graduate student's home academic program is the involved academic program for a jointly appointed faculty member, he or she may serve as either an Internal or External Member of the committee.
Graduate Committee Membership for Adjunct Faculty
Adjunct Faculty may serve as a Committee Chair or Committee Member only in academic programs in which they are appointed and approved for Graduate or Doctoral Faculty membership as appropriate for the student's degree (Master's or Doctoral).
Service on graduate committees outside the academic program in which they are appointed requires a recommendation by the director of graduate studies from the student's home academic program and approval by the vice provost for advanced studies and dean of the Graduate School.
Enrollment
The candidate must be enrolled at the University during the semester or session in which a thesis is defended, a master's project is presented, or the completion of a master's comprehensive exam is certified. See enrollment requirements for more information.
Preparing the Thesis
If a thesis is required, it must be the student's own work and must demonstrate a capacity for research and independent thought.
A student writing a thesis should refer to the Graduate School's Guidelines for Preparing Theses and Dissertations and a copy of academic program requirements from the director of graduate studies.
Consult Academic Deadlines for Master's Students to see the thesis deadline for the current year.
Thesis Acceptance
The following instructions outline the procedure for thesis acceptance:
- The thesis is approved by the major adviser, a second reader from the academic program and an outside reader who is a member of the graduate faculty from a different MU graduate program. Students need to supply committee members with copies for review/evaluation.
- After successfully defending the thesis, the student will make any needed adjustments in format and corrections/clarifications based on input from the committee.
- The thesis is submitted as PDF file on a CDROM to the Graduate School by the established deadline.