Thesis Defense and Final Submission

The Graduate Studies Office publishes a Graduation Timeline for the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters. The timeline provides a guide to processes students and faculty must complete leading up to the final thesis submission and defense, including the thesis formatting guidelines. Graduate students are required to follow this timeline and meet the specified deadlines during their final semester of study in order to graduate on time. A student should normally be in good academic standing and registered for thesis credits during the semester he/she intends to defend.

The Main Advisor serves as both an examiner and the coordinator of the Master’s Thesis Defense. In addition to participating in the examination as a member of the RSC, the Main Advisor, in their coordinating role, shall:

•   Schedule the final thesis defense in consultation with all RSC members, make the necessary logistical arrangements, and inform the student of the date and time.

•   Chair the final thesis defense and the private RSC  meeting and ensure that the examination is conducted in accordance with all relevant KU academic policies and procedures.

•   Report the examination results to the Graduate Studies Office and confirm that the examination process was conducted in accordance with the relevant policies and procedures.

The student must submit an initial thesis draft to the Main Advisor and Co-Advisor(s), who will work with the student on the necessary revisions. Upon receiving the approval of the advisors, the revised thesis is submitted to all RSC members and the Defense Coordinator for examination. The student must submit his/her thesis to the RSC by the deadline published in the Graduation Timeline for the relevant semester.

The final thesis defense consists of two parts: a public presentation and a private examination. In the first part, the student delivers a thesis presentation open to the public (normally 30 minutes), followed by questions (normally 10-15 minutes). The second part is a private examination with a nominal duration of 60 minutes, attended by the RSC members, the Defense Coordinator and any relevant ex-officio members. During the private examination, the committee will interview the student, ask more detailed questions and, if applicable, examine a demonstration of the completed work. The committee will also convey to the student any changes that he/she is required to make before the final submission of the thesis.

During the final thesis presentation and defense, the student is required to:

• Demonstrate a high level of understanding and specialization in the thesis area;
• Show evidence that he/she has conducted an independent investigation with rigor and discrimination;
• Demonstrate the acquisition and collation of information through the effective use of appropriate sources and equipment;
• Appreciate the relationship of the area of his/her thesis to a wider field of knowledge;
• Demonstrate a critical appreciation of the literature in his/her thesis area;
• Demonstrate an ability to appraise critically his/her contribution in the context of his/her overall investigation;
• Constructively defend his/her thesis outcomes;
• Make reference to the thesis that has been written clearly, accurately, cogently, and in a style appropriate to purpose; and
• Construct coherent arguments and articulate ideas clearly.

Following the examination, the RSC members and the Defense Coordinator will meet privately to decide on whether the student has successfully defended the thesis. The advisor/advisors’ decision is divided equally among the Main Advisor and Co-Advisor(s) such that each may decide independently, but the total advisor(s) decision equals one. The other RSC members each make one decision, with the exception of any external members who do not have a role in the final decision. However, feedback from external members on the thesis, along with  any suggested improvements, should be recorded in the examination report.

The following RSC recommendations are possible:

• A candidate shall not be awarded a “Pass” or “Pass with Minor Corrections” if one or more examiners record an “Adjourned & Re-examination” or “Fail” decision.
• An outcome of Adjourned & Re-examination shall result in the graduate student being placed on Academic Probation. The Thesis shall be revised and resubmitted for re-examination in the semester immediately following the semester in which the initial examination was conducted.
• An outcome of "Adjourned and Re-examination" shall be awarded only once. Following Thesis resubmission and the required re-examination, a graduate student who does not achieve a "Pass" or "Pass with Minor Corrections" outcome shall receive a "Fail" outcome.
• A Fail outcome results in termination from the master’s program.

The final corrected copy of the thesis, incorporating all required revisions following the examination, together with the endorsements of the student's Main Advisor, Co-Advisor(s), where applicable, and RSC Members, must be submitted to the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies of the relevant College and subsequently to the Associate Provost for Academic Operations for final approval.