M.A. Thesis (optional)
Overview
The Master’s thesis is designed to demonstrate a student’s ability to do an extended piece of research and analysis going considerably beyond the normal graduate seminar term paper. It is intended as an integrative experience that allows the student to bring together substantive knowledge and research skills acquired in courses. It should be a complete piece of research work, representing the approximate equivalent of 5 quarter hours of graduate study, or roughly the time and effort required for course assignments in a seminar. The exact scope is determined by the student and faculty supervisor.
Candidates for the M.A. degree in Conflict Resolution may prepare a thesis, a manuscript usually 80-150 pages. Students planning on completing a thesis are strongly urged to begin such work near the end of their first year of study. For a full-time student, this means deciding on a topic, choosing an advisor, developing a prospectus, and working out a timetable for completing the project about the time you finish your third quarter of coursework. For further information, the M.A. Thesis Instructions Booklet (116 k pdf) lists specific, detailed instructions concerning typing fonts, pagination, margins, title page form, table of contents, reference citation, and bibliography.
If a student decides to use human subjects, an application to the DU Institutional Review Board (IRB) is necessary. Students must complete the IRB Education Instruction for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research prior to applying.
Students may register for thesis credit by enrolling in CRES 4995. You are allowed a maximum of 5 hours of registration for this purpose. You may take the 5 hours during one quarter, or register repeatedly over several quarters for fewer credits each time that add up to the 5 hours permitted. No one is required to take thesis credit. Some students prefer to take additional courses instead of the 5 hours of thesis credit. Registration in CRES 4995 requires a special registration form and the director’s signature. The form is available from the Conflict Resolution office or the Registrar’s office.
Normally, a student submits several drafts of a thesis before the final manuscript is accepted and graded. This process usually takes six months or more. It is important that the student and faculty advisor establish a specific time period that is considered reasonable for comments to be provided on a student’s work, with the understanding that this might need to be changed because of other responsibilities.
Students should not expect professors to examine their work in the summer, unless they have spoken with the faculty member to confirm the individual’s availability.
The thesis is written under the direction of a professor selected by the student and graded by the professor with a letter grade. Grades are assigned whether or not a student registers for thesis credit. The thesis advisor should be chosen from the core faculty of the Conflict Resolution Institute.
An oral defense is held after the thesis has preliminary approval from the advisor. The defense committee consists of at least three members of the faculty: the student’s thesis advisor, one or more thesis readers (drawn from the Conflict Resolution Institute faculty), and a committee chair (a member of the University of Denver faculty outside the Conflict Resolution Institute). All committee members must be tenured or tenure-track professors at the University. Instructors from University college, although they may be asked to help a student in thesis research, do not participate in the oral defense. The composition of the oral defense committee is chosen by the student in consultation with the Graduate Director of the Institute.
Once the oral defense is successfully concluded, a final copy of the thesis is submitted to the thesis advisor for a letter grade, and under proper formatting, the manuscript is delivered by the student to the Office of Graduate Studies at least two weeks before the end of the quarter a student intends to graduate.
Please Note: The Office of Graduate Studies has implemented an electronic final submission process for your dissertation or thesis. More information about electronic submission can be found at the Graduation and Program Resources page.
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