The master’s candidate is responsible for preparing a complete draft of the thesis in compliance with the Graduate College Guidelines for Preparation of the Masters Thesis and Doctoral Dissertation, as well as guidelines within their graduate program. The Reading Copy must be in an acceptable format and must include all figures, tables, numbered pages, and a complete bibliography.
With the approval of the major professor, the student distributes the Reading Copy to each committee member. The student must submit the Report of Reading Copy Submission to inform the Graduate College that the Reading Copy was sent to the committee. The committee reviews the Reading Copy in detail and requests revisions. The student is responsible for making major revisions and seeking the committee’s approval for major revisions before submitting the thesis to the Graduate College. When the following criteria are satisfied, the primary mentor and committee members sign the defense request to demonstrate their initial approval of the thesis reading copy:
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The thesis is complete.
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The thesis demonstrates the candidate’s ability to conduct original research and contribute to the discipline, at a level appropriate to the MS.
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No further research is required.
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Major revisions have been addressed; only minor revisions are required.
The student must provide enough time for committee members to review the Reading Copy in detail, request major revisions, and review major revisions if needed, before the thesis reading copy is submitted to the Graduate College. The student must submit the defense request and approved reading copy to the Graduate College at least 10 business days before the defense.
