The purpose of the Thesis Proposal is to consolidate a student’s thinking about the thesis problem, to define its limits, and to inform the Committee of research initiatives. In this meeting, the student, advisor, and committee should also agree to a tentative schedule for completion of the degree. The scope of the work in the thesis proposal should be consistent with this schedule.
The thesis proposal has several functions. It should serve to focus a student’s
scientific ideas into a manageable project and should include a plan for
achievement of research goals and scheduling of committee meetings.
In case of a M.S. thesis proposal is the opportunity
to set a timetable for the completion of a M.S. thesis that is different from
the 4-semesters-plus-1-summer plan described above for the M.S. degree.
However, this is not a license for the student, advisor, or committee to
deviate from acceptable norms for a master’s degree. Program durations of
greater than the 4 plus 1 described above should only occur under truly
extraordinary situations.
The expected length of a thesis proposal differs for
M.S. (maximum of 5 pages), Ph.D. (5 to 15 pages) (see M.S.
and Ph.D.
degree requirements).
Part of the purpose of the proposal is to lay out
exactly what the thesis research will involve so that later misunderstandings
between the student, the advisor, and the thesis committee can be avoided. Everyone should leave the thesis proposal
presentation with a clear understanding of the project’s aim and the tasks that
will be required to achieve it.
Information about the preparation of theses, including formatting software , and their
submission can be found in the Graduate School's
Thesis Guide. In addition to theses prepared in the standard format, theses
with separate research chapters, theses which include multiple author papers,
in addition to electronic submissions are accept by the Graduate School.
Theses with Separate
Research Chapters
It is common for theses to contain sections or chapters that represent separate research papers that have been, are being, or will be submitted for publication in journals. This practice stands in contrast to traditional theses that were monograph-like and were subsequently rewritten for publication. The main criterion for deciding whether a published (or about-to-be published) work may appear in the thesis, in part or in its entirety, depends on whether the thesis is considered the primary source for the journal articles, which just happen to be published before completion of the thesis. Thus, the work is a product of the thesis study. Another important criterion is whether the student is the first author of such publications.
There are no circumstances where a series of
unrelated papers could substitute for the thesis. If previously published work
is included in the thesis, it must be consistent with the rest of the document,
so the result is a cohesive document with an introduction that provides a
framework for linking the chapters, related chapters, and a conclusion. Thus,
the thesis provides a source for those who want to study the research in
greater detail than can be found in a short journal article.
Multi-Authored Papers
In addition to the
precautions noted above concerning theses with chapters that represent separate
research papers, more caution must be exercised in the case of multi-authored
papers. The Graduate School permits departments to accept multi-authored
material if the candidate is first author of the material and if the
candidate's contributions are clearly and fully indicated in a preface or
introduction. In particular, the contributions of each author in each chapter
to data acquisition and analysis should be properly attributed.
Committees should
specifically address such contributions and reach a consensus that the
candidate's contributions are clearly delineated and that such contributions
represent independent work in data acquisition, in analysis of data,
and in writing (subject to normal review by advisors, committee, and
colleagues). The student and advisor will be asked to sign a declaratory form
that will be available to the Committee at the thesis defense.
Penn State policy R13 Coauthorship of Scholarly Reports, Papers and Publications is available in the Graduate Program Office, 303 Deike.
The State of the Thesis at the Time of the Final Oral
Examination
The Graduate School Bulletin
specifies that "major revisions to the thesis should be complete before
the oral examination. The thesis should be in its final draft, with
appropriate notes, bibliography, tables, etc., at the time of the oral
examination; both the content and style should be correct and polished by the
time this final draft of the thesis is in the hands of the committee."
Both the thesis advisor and the student are responsible for assuring the
completion of a sufficient number of drafts of the thesis and for adequate
consultation with members of the thesis committee well in advance of the
oral examination. Indeed, if the copy submitted to a Committee member is not in
suitable form, the member should return it to the student, and if necessary the
examination should be rescheduled. If a previous draft was read, and comments
were submitted to the student, then the student should have either incorporated
the comments into the thesis or should have supplied justifications why the
comments were not incorporated.
The Geosciences Department
expects that the scientific ideas in a thesis are clearly stated in correct
grammar. It expects the grammar to be so correct that, unless unanticipated
problems arise during the defense, the defense copy and the final submitted
copy should be substantially the same.
Committees enjoy some
latitude on the issue of scientific content of a thesis, as opposed to clear
statement of scientific ideas. Some Committees will want to settle major
questions or disagreements about scientific approaches and conclusions before
the thesis defense. Others may prefer to defer some or all such questions to
the defense. The Advisor, Committee, and student should agree on the proper
venue for discussion of such questions, but if possible they should adhere to
the standard above that the defense copy and the final submitted copy should be
substantially the same.
When the candidate has
prepared the thesis, a date and time for the Final Oral Examination shall be
selected. A date, time, and room for a thesis defense shall be arranged by the
candidate in consultation with his/her advisor It is the responsibility of the
candidate to ascertain that the examination date and time are acceptable to all
members of his or her Thesis Committee. In the case of Ph.D. thesis defense,
the Associate Head will then request that the Dean of the Graduate School
officially schedule the examination. This request to the Dean of the Graduate
School must be made no later than three weeks before the time of
the examination.
The candidate shall make
available a copy of the final draft (not the first draft) of the
thesis to each member of the Doctoral Committee at least 10 days before the
scheduled defense. It is inappropriate for the candidate to request any
reduction in this schedule. This copy must be complete in every detail and in
suitable form for presentation to the Graduate School. In most cases, very few
changes should have to be made in style or content of the thesis after the
defense. To ensure this goal, the advisor may have read several versions of the
work prior to submission to the Committee, and the Committee may have to read
more than one version as well. The thesis must be complete in every detail and
include, in the case of a Ph.D. thesis, the required vita and abstract, and in
a form suitable for presentation to the Graduate School. The title page should
follow the format given in the Appendix (insert link). If the thesis is not in
a form suitable for defense, the committee should return it to the student, and
the examination should be rescheduled.
The student will be asked to
sign a Defense Authorization form 30 days before the scheduled defense,
acknowledging that he/she is familiar with the standard expected for thesis in
this Department (that standard is summarized on the form). The advisor will be
asked to sign the same form 3 days before the defense, signifying that she/he
has polled the Committee and that at least 2/3 of the Committee agrees that the
thesis is in defensible form. If the form is not signed, then the defense will
be canceled. Faculty should read the final draft quickly to ensure that the
poll can be complete 3 days before the exam.
The Final Oral Examination
will be conducted by the Doctoral Committee. The Ph.D. thesis defense presents
a needed opportunity for intellectual exchange among the wider geosciences
community, as well as an opportunity to learn about graduate student research.
Accordingly approximately 30-45 minutes of the defense, to include an oral
presentation and questions from the audience, should be scheduled as a public
seminar. The ensuing examination will also be open to the public -- that is, an
audience may remain in the room until the time of an executive session, for
discussion and a vote, that is closed to the public and to the candidate. The
audience may not ask questions, however, after discussion of the presentation
by the audience and candidate at the close of the public seminar portion of the
exam.
Normally the Ph.D. Thesis
Defense is devoted largely to the defense of the thesis, but in case of the
M.S. defense, questions not related to the thesis are also appropriate,
inasmuch as the defense is the only examination en route to the M.S. degree.
At least two members of the
committee must be physically present at the thesis defense, including the
thesis advisor or chair. A favorable vote of at least two-thirds of the members
of the committee is required for passing.
If the student fails the examination, the Committee will advise the
Associate Head whether the student should be reexamined, or whether he/she
should be dropped from the. Program. Unsuccessful students will oftentimes be
given a second chance. The Associate Head will inform the Dean of the Graduate
School about the outcome of the exam.
The thesis in its final form
must be submitted to the Associate Head for approval no later than 10 days
before the completed thesis is due in the Graduate School. No exceptions to
this schedule will be approved.
The Department of Geosciences does not
require a copy of M.S. or Ph.D. theses for its files. The EMS Library receives the copy submitted to the Graduate
School after the thesis has been bound. Doctoral candidates submitting a thesis
electronically do not provide a hard copy to either the Department or the
Graduate School.
The student will bear the
cost of word processing and illustrations and of preparing the required number
of copies of the thesis or research paper. Additional copies, if required by
the sponsor of the research project, will be paid for by the sponsor. The
sponsor of the research may also defray expenses of drafting and processing
illustrations in the thesis or research paper if they will be used in reports
and publications. Other illustrations and typing will be the responsibility of
the student.