S-CAR proudly supports CAR scholarship. This section provides an overview of the requirements and resources available to those writing a thesis or a dissertation.
For Masters Thesis
The Master's thesis is one of three options available to MS students. Committees are comprised of three S-CAR committee members. The thesis defense is optional. Master's theses are usually between 100- 200 pages long. Check with your committee for more details. Make sure to submit your three copies to the John Burton Library in addition to UDTS's requirement. Please see below for more information and or click here.
Anticipate submitting a final draft of your dissertation to your committee at least two months before the end of a semester.
For Ph.D Dissertations
It is recommended that students develop a working dissertation topic and committee as early as possible in the Ph.D program. Students are required to have three committee members: A committee chair ( must be S-CAR faculty), a committee member (must be S-CAR faculty), and a third external reader (must be from within GMU). At times, an additional committee 'expert' member that is external to GMU may be allowed as a 'fourth' member.
Your comprehensive exam question is developed by your S-CAR committee members and is generally based upon some aspect of your dissertation topic.
After the comprehensive exam, students must develop, defend and have a signed dissertation proposal in order to register for CONF 999. In total, students are required to complete 12 combined units of CONF 998 (Dissertation Proposal- up to 6 credits) and CONF 999 (Dissertation Research- up to 12 credits). For registration purposes, the student's dissertation chair is the instructor of record for CONF 998 and CONF 999. You will receive an email from an S-CAR administrator for the proper codes to register for 998 and 999 classes.
The John Burton Library requests a copy of your proposal for students to reference in the future.
Both the proposal and final defenses are open to the public and should be arranged with your committee and the S-CAR staff for time and place arrangements. Send your name, date, title and abstract to S-CAR events ([email protected]) to book the rooms.
Dissertations are normally a minimum of 250-300 pages. Please discuss with your commitee for further details concerning the length and approach of your paper. S-CAR's John Burton Library require one (1) unbounded copy of the dissertation and one (1) pdf. copy to be provided for S-CAR's archives.
Anticipate submitting a final draft of your dissertation to your committee at least two months before the end of a semester.
Printable S-CAR Dissertation Process Handbook
All thesis and dissertations:
All thesis and dissertations must submit their papers to University Dissertation and Thesis Services (UDTS). Consider the UDTS staff as an additional committee member who you must include in your process.
Watch for UDTS deadlines as YOU CANNOT GRADUATE until you have fulfilled their requirements.
University Dissertation and Thesis Services (UDTS) is George Mason's official dissertation and thesis office. All dissertations and theses must be submited to this office in order to graduate.
You will not be able to graduate until you have followed all of these steps.
Before the dissertation or thesis defense:
1) Download the forms from university dissertation and theses services (udts- thesis.gmu.edu )
2) Format your thesis or dissertation according to udts guidelines.
3) Set up a format review with Ms. Sally Evans at UDTS ([email protected]) within 6 months of your ideal defense date.
After the dissertation or thesis defense:
1) Download and complete all forms, including forms the committee will need to sign at the time of the defense.
2) Compile all the documents as per UDTS requirements, especially the embargo information.
3) Submit all the forms and documents well before the UDTS deadlines.
Mason Archival Repository Services (MARS) and Open Access Information:
All theses and dissertations submitted to UDTS on or after Tuesday, January 22, 2013 will be submitted under the Mandatory Electronic Submission Policy. Starting on that date, all theses and dissertations will be placed in our Institutional Repository, MARS. We will no longer be requiring students to turn in cotton copies of their theses and dissertations, and we will no longer place bound copies of theses and dissertations in Fenwick Library.
You will still need to submit to S-CAR's John Burton Library a copy of your original proposal; one (1) paper copy (unbounded is acceptable) of your final dissertation two weeks before your defense; and a pdf. copy of your final dissertation with all corrections after your defense (to be email to [email protected]).
With this change to Mandatory Electronic Submission, Mason will be introducing an embargo policy, which will enable students to make their work available in MARS immediately, or to delay availability of their work for 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years. All students must complete the embargo paperwork even if they choose not to delay the work.
Full details of the dissertation submission process can be found on the UDTS web site.Please see the dissertation checklist link here for more important information about s-car and gmu submission requirements for both thesis and dissertations.
Book your UDTS review appointment early and watch for GMU deadlines in order to graduate on time. All thesis and dissertations must be reviewed by UDTS at least 3-6 months before graduation.
University dissertation & thesis services (udts) coordinator Sally Evans will be on the Arlington campus the second Tuesday of the month, from 12 noon to 8pm in the Arlington campus library, Founders 349.
She's available to meet with you for information sessions, submission consultations, formatting issues, and final submission appointments.
To make an appointment with Ms. Evans, please visit this site: http://gmu.libcal.com/profile/udts and click on the maroon button that reads "schedule an appointment with me
Questions? Please email Ms. Evans at [email protected].
In recognition of the interdisciplinary nature of the program and the field, the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution has not established a singular format for thesis and dissertations. Students work closely with their committees to decide which methodological approach is best for the individuals' research.
Please see the PhD handbook (above) for more information.
Proposal Writing and Literarture Reviews:
Prof. Sara Cobb kindly prepared a training workshop on developing an argument and conducting literature reivews. For your information,here are the materials from the training:
Scholarly Argumentation- Presentation
Literature Reviews- Presentation
How to Write a an Argument and Literature Review- Handout
Feel free to explore these links for other useful information and examples. Many more are available on the web:
Professional writing guides and kits
NOVA South East University Dissertation Proposal Checklist
Penn State Thesis and Dissertation Process Guide
Arizona University Developing a Thesis or Dissertation Guide
University of Milwakee Sample MA Thesis Proposals
GMU Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing and Rhetoric
Free Bibliographical software- Zotero.org