Thesis Option (Plan 1)
Students selecting the thesis option complete 32 units of course work (usually 8 courses) and prepare a thesis, which is a written report of original scholarship that makes an important contribution to knowledge about communication.
The thesis is a written, bounded report of an empirical research project that addresses an important issue in communication. Theses within the program are generally expected to be data-based and theory driven. Data may be generated by the student using one or more of the traditional methods of the social sciences (survey research, experimental methods, content analysis, and so forth). Alternatively, students may opt with the permission of their Advisor and M.A. Committee to take advantage of an existing data source (“secondary data analysis”).
The thesis is often based on collaborative research between the student's Advisor and the student, with the student being primarily responsible for executing the study and writing the thesis report.
Thesis research begins with a thesis proposal, which is submitted to the M.A. Committee for approval before data collection is initiated. For most projects, the thesis proposal will include the following parts:
-
Review of relevant research, including a
theoretical rational for the proposed study. -
Hypotheses or research questions.
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A description of the methods and instruments
to be employed. -
A description of the statistical methods to
be used to test the hypotheses.
Plan 1 students are encouraged to think about the
scope and topic of their thesis early in their program. Keep in mind as
well that thesis research involving human subjects will require the
submission of a human subjects
review application. Approval by the campus human subjects review committee can take several weeks to obtain.
There is no required length for a thesis, but it will generally be 50 or more pages long, exclusive of tables, figures and references. It must also conform to the University's formating requirements, a copy of which is available from the Graduate Coordinator.
The thesis will be defended by the student before the M.A. Committee in a thesis defense meeting. The best way to ensure a successful outcome is to interact often and in detail with all members of the committee throughout the thesis research endeavor. The committee has the option of accepting the thesis, accepting it with revision, or rejecting it.