What's a thesis?
A masters thesis is a written piece of work consisting of research related to the field. It is highly recommend for those interested in careers in academia and research and/or those who are interested in continuing their education to the Ph.D. level. As the thesis is generally a selective study with a specific focus, it affords the student the opportunity to concentrate on an academic area of interest and to conduct meaningful research and inquiry into that area.
When should I start my thesis?
It is recommended that students take CONF 501, CONF 601 and CONF 610 before beginning the thesis process.
Generally, students should begin the thesis process one year prior to graduation.
How do I begin?
We strongly recommend the following steps and sample deadlines listed here.
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Please note that it takes at least a year to fully complete a thesis. Determine your intended graduation date and use this timeline to schedule deadlines for each step in the process.
DUE: ONE YEAR PRIOR TO THESIS SUBMISSION
What's a thesis committee?
A thesis committee consists of at least three people (including the chair). The student is responsible for keeping all committee members informed of the scope, plan, and progress of the thesis.
Review faculty profiles to identify faculty that . . .
- conduct research in area of interest
- use methodological approaches of interest
- you are comfortable working with
Students should identify their chair first and then secure the other two committee members. The thesis committee chair is primarily responsible for directing and guiding the candidate’s research and writing activities.
Who can be on my thesis committee?
All full-time faculty are qualified to supervise theses. At times a particular faculty member may be unavailable, however, students can request a recommendation from that faculty for another name.
It is not required for a thesis committee to have an outside reader but if requested, the S-CAR MS Program Director may approve this.
DUE: TEN MONTHS PRIOR TO THESIS SUBMISSION 
The Thesis CRN form is used to register for your FIRST semester of thesis. This form includes a descriptive paragraph or abstract of your thesis topic, a thesis completion schedule with dates, and the signature of your thesis chair. Please note, that the signatures of your other committee members are not needed at this time.
All students must submit the thesis CRN request form to [email protected]. Download the form here.
DUE: TEN MONTHS PRIOR TO THESIS SUBMISSION
What's a thesis proposal?
A thesis proposal outlines the research question, methodology and literature on the area of interest.
How can I get started?
For a sample proposal see this template.
Click here for a copy of the proposal cover page/signature sheet.
Sign up for the 1 credit thesis proposal class!
CONF 797- Thesis Proposal Class
Student can register for CONF 797 the semester before they plan to begin their thesis. This class will assist in beginning the process of researching potential thesis topics, all while receiving feedback from the instructor and fellow students. If you choose not to complete a thesis after registering and completing CONF 797, the 1 credit course will then count towards your elective credits. This course is offered both fall and spring terms.
The John Burton Library requests copies of proposals for examples for future students to reference. Please email your proposal to [email protected].
Students will need to have their thesis proposal approved by their chair and committee. Once approved, please submit the signed thesis proposal signature sheet and a copy of the proposal to [email protected].
DUE: EIGHT MONTHS PRIOR TO THESIS SUBMISSION
An Institutional Review Board (IRB) application/IRB approval is only required if the student is conducting human subjects research. If the thesis does not involve human subjects, then the student is not required to submit an application to the IRB or obtain IRB approval. If a student is working with person-identifiable data collected from human subjects (such as analyzing existing human subjects data/medical records, etc.), then IRB approval may be required, even if the student isn't communicating/interacting with human subjects at all for the research. It is best that the student works closely with their chair and contact IRB with questions about seeking IRB approval.
DUE DATE: 7 MONTHS PRIOR TO THESIS SUBMISSION DATE
DUE DATE: 3 MONTHS PRIOR TO THESIS SUBMISSION
The thesis committee needs considerable time to evaluate, advise, and suggest changes to the draft.
DUE: 4 WEEKS PRIOR TO THESIS SUBMISSION
Students completing a masters thesis should consult the University Thesis and Dissertation Services (UDTS) Web Site http://thesis.gmu.edu regularly to ensure they are meeting the appropriate George Mason University (GMU) requirements. Templates are also available there to ensure proper formatting.
GMU requires strict adherence to the formats described in the online thesis guide. All theses must be reviewed by the UDTS Coordinator prior to final submission. Please make an appointment with the UDTS Coordinator, [email protected], to review formatting guidelines as soon as you have a workable draft.
UDTS assists with formatting tables and images in your document and are considered a "fourth committee member". Your document does not need to be finished but should be reviewed by UDTS before your final version is submitted to your committee. The file should be emailed (no hard copies), and you do not have to be present for the review process. We strongly advise you to turn in a copy for review well before the end of the semester deadlines as UDTS reviews all GMU papers. (See UDTS main page for deadlines).
Attend a UDTS workshop. These are held every semester on the Arlington and Fairfax campuses.
DUE: 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THESIS SUBMISSION
Once your committee has approved your thesis, you must retrieve their signatures as well as the signature of the director of the master's program, and the Dean of the school. To request the Dean's signature please contact the front desk at 703-993-1300 or [email protected].
DUE: Check here for final submission dates!
S-CAR
Lisa Shaw, Director of Graduate Student Services
703-993-8079
Sarah Kincaid, Graduate Student Services Coordinator
703-993-9716
Agnieszka Paczynska, MS Program Director
703-993-1364
S-CAR John Burton Library
http://scar.gmu.edu/library
703-993-1301
GMU Fenwick Library
Sally Evans, University Dissertation and Thesis Coordinator
703-993-2222