A master's thesis is the product of the candidate's research endeavor. It should be original in the field and must be original for the student. A student writing a thesis should choose a topic and a thesis committee consistent with procedures established by the sponsoring program. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that approval, if appropriate, has been granted from all regulatory offices, i.e., Institutional Review Board for use of human subjects, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee for use of animals, etc.
The committee must consist of a major professor and at least two other OUHSC or OU Norman graduate faculty members as approved by the Graduate Dean.
If a Proposed Committee Member is a student in an OUHSC graduate program, the following conditions must be met:
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The Proposed Committee Member must disclose to the Graduate College that they are a current student.
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The Proposed Committee Member must have a terminal degree relevant to the thesis.
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The Proposed Committee Member must be sufficiently qualified to serve on the committee without considering coursework, research experience, etc. for the degree that is in progress.
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It is strongly preferred that the Proposed Committee Member have a faculty appointment at OUHC, but others may be considered with sufficient justification.
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The thesis student’s graduate program must provide a justification for why the Proposed Committee Member should serve on the committee.
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If enrolled in a PhD program, the Proposed Committee Member must be admitted to candidacy before serving on the thesis committee.
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Special approval from the Graduate Dean is required.
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If the Graduate Dean approves the Proposed Committee Member, a COI plan must be submitted to the Graduate College. The COI plan must address who else is on the proposed thesis committee, as well as the committee of the Proposed Committee Member who is a student.
