Master's Thesis
The Master's thesis workflow guides you from committee formation through defense and final document submission. Everything happens on one page at /graduate/masters-thesis, organized as four sequential steps.
Workflow Overview
| Step | Who completes it | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Schedule Defense | You | Defense date/time/location, thesis title and abstract |
| 2. Submit Thesis | You | Upload your thesis document for committee review |
| 3. Defense | Committee (faculty) | The defense itself; the chair records the outcome |
| 4. Final Submission | You | Final thesis, signed signature page, revision summary |
Steps unlock in order based on your thesis status — a locked step tells you to complete the earlier steps first.
Statuses
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Draft | Thesis record created; committee not yet assigned |
| Committee Formed | Your committee (chair + members) has been assigned by the department |
| Defense Scheduled | You've scheduled your defense |
| Thesis Submitted | Your thesis document is uploaded for committee review |
| Defended | You passed your defense |
| Revisions Required | You passed with revisions; complete them before final submission |
| Final Submitted | Final documents uploaded; awaiting Graduate Committee Chair approval |
| Complete | All done — your Master's thesis is finished |
The current status is shown as a badge at the top of the thesis page.
Getting Started
- Go to
/graduate/masters-thesis(or via your dashboard's thesis progress widget) - If you haven't started, you'll see an overview of the workflow — click Start Thesis Process
- Your thesis record is created in Draft status
Your committee (a chair, usually your primary advisor, plus at least two faculty members) is assigned by the department. Contact the graduate administrator if your committee hasn't been set up.
Step 1: Schedule Your Defense
Available while your thesis is in Draft or Committee Formed status.
The scheduling wizard collects:
- Defense details - date, time, location, and (if online) a meeting link
- Thesis information - your thesis title and an abstract (max 500 words)
Submitting schedules the defense, creates a calendar event, and notifies your committee.
Step 2: Submit Your Thesis
Available once your defense is scheduled.
- Upload your thesis document as a PDF, up to 50MB
- Your thesis must be submitted at least 7 days before your defense so the committee has time to read it
- You can include optional notes for your committee
Step 3: The Defense
After your defense, your committee chair records the outcome in the system:
| Outcome | Resulting status | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Pass | Defended | Proceed straight to final submission |
| Pass with Revisions | Revisions Required | Complete the listed revisions by the deadline the chair sets |
| Fail | Draft | The thesis returns to draft for a re-defense (rare) |
If revisions are required, the chair records the specific revision requirements and a deadline, plus any committee comments — all visible on your thesis page.
Step 4: Final Submission
Available once you are Defended or in Revisions Required.
Upload:
- Final thesis document (PDF) with all revisions complete
- Signed signature page (required)
- A summary of the revisions you made (if any were required)
Your status becomes Final Submitted. The Graduate Committee Chair reviews and approves the final submission; once approved, your thesis is marked Complete.
Tracking Committee Approvals
When approvals are pending, a Committee Approvals section appears on the thesis page showing each approver's role, name, and decision (Pending, Approved, or Rejected), along with any comments.
Coursework Requirements
Completing the Master's also requires the core graduate coursework (PSYC 100, 101, 102, 103, and 700). Coursework is tracked separately from the thesis workflow — check with the graduate administrator about your course record.
Troubleshooting
A step says "Step Not Available"
Steps unlock based on your thesis status (see the table above). Complete the earlier steps first. The "Record Outcome" step is completed by faculty, not by you.
I need to change my defense date
If your defense hasn't happened yet, contact the graduate administrator to update the scheduling details.
Upload fails
Check that your file is a PDF and under the 50MB limit.