Thesis-Track Guidelines

Texas State University policy expects master’s students to sign up for thesis credit each semester that they are engaged in thesis research (PA 5399A the first semester, and PA 5199B, 5299B, 5399B, 5599B or 5999B) in all subsequent semesters). Students pursuing a thesis-based degree must be enrolled in at least one hour of thesis credit during the term in which they graduate. Each semester that a student is in progress toward her/his degree, a grade of “PR” (progress) is awarded. The student will normally receive a grade of “CR” (credit) for the final semester. The Graduate College office will then award a total of six hours of thesis credit.

Thesis students must file a thesis proposal with the Graduate College by the end of the semester in which they are enrolled in PA 5399A. The thesis proposal is a detailed plan for carrying out the proposed research project and it should be prepared meticulously with frequent consultation with the thesis advisor.  The Thesis Proposal Form can be accessed on The Graduate College's website. Once approved by the student’s thesis advisor and committee members, the thesis proposal is reviewed and signed by the Chair of the Thesis Committee, members of the thesis committee, the Chair of the Department, Graduate Program Advisor and the Graduate College Dean. Thesis Proposal should be on file with the Graduate College at the end of a student’s first long semester; before thesis research begins. Submission of an approved thesis proposal to The Graduate College must be completed before the end of the student’s second term of enrollment in PA 5399B.

When the thesis research is nearing completion, the student should begin writing a draft of the thesis to be submitted to the thesis advisor and thesis committee members. It is often very helpful if the student can obtain a copy of a thesis written by another student supervised by the same major professor to serve as a reference for formatting and other content matters. During the process of writing the thesis, the student should consult with the thesis advisor frequently to avoid extensive rewrites. Students should plan on this process taking at least twice as long as expected. Most major professors want a draft they have approved ready to submit to the thesis committee at least one month before the final thesis deadline published by the Graduate College. This is necessary to allow committee members sufficient time to thoughtfully critique the thesis. After the advisor has approved the first draft of the thesis, the student submits the draft to each committee member, allowing at least two weeks for review. After reading, committee members should go over the draft with the student, indicating major and minor problems and the necessary revisions required to make the thesis acceptable. The student should then meet with his/her advisor to reconcile the various comments. If there is disagreement among the committee members, they must reach a consensus as to what is acceptable before the student can write the final draft. Creating this consensus is the advisor’s responsibility, not the student’s. Once a consensus has been reached, the student should prepare a penultimate draft of the thesis. The student should make one copy of the thesis for each committee member and deliver it to them in time (at least 48 hours prior) for use at the final oral exam. All students completing a thesis are required to present the results of their research in an open seminar attended by the thesis committee members and other interested individuals. Following the public presentation of the thesis, the student must pass an oral comprehensive examination administered by the thesis committee