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Masters Thesis
The thesis is a major requirement or an option in many master's programs and when completed it marks the culmination of your program. Successfully defending your thesis can be one of your proudest achievements.
The master's thesis:
- must demonstrate your capacity for independent work and must be single-authored,
- should demonstrate a scholarly approach to the subject matter and a clear understanding of how the work fits with the relevant practice and/or literature of your discipline.
Procedures and Requirements
Refer to the Graduate Academic Calendar for the regulations and procedures governing a master’s thesis, which includes the requirements concerning the structure of the advisory committee, the examining committee, and the guidelines for conducting the oral defence.
Role of Advisors
It is important to note that your advisor, with the members of the advisory committee, play a very important role in the final stages of completing the thesis.
To ensure that you are in a strong position to succeed in the oral defence, your advisor and advisory committee will:
- read through several drafts of your work and provided feedback on it.
- consult as a committee and with you in determining that you are ready to proceed to the oral defence.
Apply to Graduate
Apply to graduate at your earliest opportunity! Do not wait until after you defend or submit the final requirements to do this, because you may miss your preferred graduation ceremony if you do not apply by the final date to be included.
Fall graduation applications typically open at the end of June and spring graduation applications typically open at the beginning of November.
The online application form can be found on LORIS, under the Student Services tab. Refer also to Convocation and graduation information for details on how and when to apply to graduate.
Defence Process
The guidelines below will ensure that the coordination of your master’s thesis oral defence goes smoothly. Your thesis advisor and graduate coordinator are responsible for ensuring that the necessary forms are completed throughout this process.
Contact your department for details on how the oral examination is scheduled.
Review the regulations and procedures governing the master's thesis, as well as the thesis style guide, in the Graduate Academic Calendar.
Congratulations! Take a moment to celebrate and decompress.
Your Oral Examination Report will be returned to the FGPS noting the decision of the committee. Make sure you are aware of the deadline for making the revisions and submitting the final version to your advisor.
What You Need to Know
- You must remain fully registered until all degree requirements have been completed; do not drop your thesis course on LORIS (FGPS will do that for you and make any account adjustments available to you when your advisor has signed off on the changes on the Graduate Candidate Record).
- Ensure you receive a list of the required edits, if applicable. These should be sought from your advisor.
- Once the edits have been completed, send the revised version to your advisor(s) for review. Be sure to give your advisor(s) enough time to complete the review within the deadline as stipulated on your Oral Examination Report. The advisor will sign the Oral Examination Report to confirm that revisions have been completed, and submit the Report to fgps@wlu.ca.
- Ensure your title page meets the formatting guideline found in the Calendar, specifically ensuring to include the copyright symbol (©).
Forms to Complete
Complete and submit the following forms (to be provided at your defence by the examining committee chair):
- Thesis Non-Exclusive Licence
- Embargo Request Form (this form requires signatures from your advisor/co-advisors and program graduate coordinator)
- Scholars Commons Submission Agreement
- Oral Examination Report (consult your department)
Upload Your Thesis
Do not upload your thesis until the final document has been approved by your supervisor and until all paperwork (see above) has been sent to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
Review the instructions on how to complete the upload. Ensure the embargo period field matches the same period indicated on the embargo form.
Upload the final approved version of your thesis to Scholars Commons @ Laurier. You must create an account to upload your thesis.
Final Requirements
Make sure you are aware of upcoming deadlines for final requirements, to be eligible for tuition adjustments through the term. Check the Graduate Academic Calendar under Academic and Related Dates.
FGPS will:
- Make adjustments to registration and arrange for any applicable adjustments to tuition and fees. After this has been done, students may submit a refund request when they have a credit balance. Note that these adjustments will also impact any funding or OSAP you received for the term.
- Forward notice of your completion to the Convocation team to confirm your eligibility to graduate.