Communication Studies
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Please go to this web address for current Thesis and Major Research Paper format and guidelines:

http://www.uwindsor.ca/grad

THE THESIS PROCESS

The Thesis Committee

Upon entering the program, students will be assigned an temporary advisor based on their stated research interests. During the first term, students will be expected to move towards a thesis research area. Based on the student’s declared intention, and after full consultation with the Graduate Chair, students electing the thesis option will be required to form a thesis committee, consisting of:

1. the thesis advisor
2. an additional faculty member from the department (normally Graduate Faculty)
3. a member of the faculty from outside the department

Additional members may be added to the thesis committee with the approval of the Graduate Committee. A form listing the thesis committee members must be completed by the end of the term in which students are first enrolled in 40-797 and be submitted to the Secretary of the Graduate Committee for approval by the Graduate Committee and the Executive Committee of the Faculty Council of Graduate Studies and Research. Students are encouraged to form a committee as early as possible in order to facilitate completion of the thesis process.

Establishing a Thesis Committee

The best way to establish a thesis committee is to:
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Thesis Proposal

The thesis proposal is an outline of the thesis project prepared under the supervision of the thesis advisor and committee. The thesis proposal should be a concise document that discusses: the central research topic of the thesis, the significance of the research, the theoretical framework guiding the research, proposed research methods, a literature review of pertinent material, a plan and schedule for the completion of the thesis, the feasibility of the research project, how the thesis project relates to the theme of Communication and Social Justice, and ethical issues arising from the research.

The thesis proposal must be approved at a public meeting with the thesis committee before the research proceeds. The purpose of the meeting is to reach an agreement that the research is well-designed, feasible, and appropriately grounded in the relevant literature. Proposals for thesis research involving human subjects must be approved by the University of Windsor Ethics Review Board before thesis research begins.

When a date and time has been set for the proposal meeting, students must notify the Departmental Graduate Secretary by submitting two (2) copies of the completed thesis proposal at least eight business days prior to the proposed date. Copies of the proposal must also be provided to the Thesis Committee members at the same time. The Secretary then distributes a notice concerning the date, time, place of proposal, and title of the thesis to members of the department and the Graduate Studies Office.

Registration in the course 40-797 should occur in the semester of the thesis proposal meeting. Credit is received for 40-797 upon successful completion of the thesis. Normally, the thesis proposal must be presented at least three months in advance of the thesis defence date.

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Choice of Formats

Thesis

There are two formats for a Master’s thesis in the Department of Communication Studies. The first option reflects a traditional thesis structure in which the scope of the thesis is comparable to the substance of a full-length article in a scholarly journal. The thesis should be approximately 70-120 (double-spaced) pages, though individual theses may vary from this guideline depending on the topic, theoretical and/or methodological orientation. The thesis should generally consist of: (i) a sufficient review of the relevant literature; (ii) a clearly delineated theoretical approach; (iii) an explanation of research methodology; (iv) an analysis of findings; and (v) a conclusion. Individual theses may vary in terms of their organization given the nature of the project. However, the thesis should exhibit awareness about the theoretical, methodological and practical choices made during the research process and the implications of the research.

The second option is that of a thesis production (film, video, audio, multimedia, etc.). This option utilizes a non-print medium as the central device for the study and/or presentation of the student’s investigation. Traditional print-based scholarly documentation and argumentation will be required in the development and approval of the proposal for such an option. The proposal should also include a script, scene outline, production schedule, and other information pertaining to production needs, equipment, crew, location, etc. In addition, students choosing the thesis production format must provide an accompanying written component--approximately 25-40 (double-spaced) pages in length. The written component should generally provide the following: (i) a contextual explanation of the production; (ii) the theoretical or research orientation that informs the project; (iii) the procedures/techniques utilized to create the production; and (iv) any other relevant information which is not supplied by or cannot be incorporated into the production itself. Permission to pursue this option will be based on the student’s possession of an adequate skills base and background in a non-print medium. In addition to the requisite media skills, students must propose a thesis topic that is amenable to or appropriate for a media production.


Major Research Paper/Project

Students may also choose to pursue the major research paper/project in order to fulfill the requirements for the Masters Degree. Generally, the major research paper should be approximately 30-40 (double-spaced) pages in length. This option is akin to the thesis in the following ways:

(i) the project shall comprise scholarly research which provides evidence of intellectual rigor and which augments or enhances the reader's knowledge of the topic investigated;
(ii) the student may undertake the major project as part of a course but must be prepared to publicly present the work;
(iii) it requires two intra-departmental committee members but not an outside member.

The major research paper option does not require a proposal defense.

Preparation/Oral Presentation of Thesis, Major Research Papers, Etc.

Theses and major research papers must be prepared according to the Procedures to Follow in Preparing a Thesis or Dissertation distributed by the Graduate Studies Office (http://www.uwindsor.ca/grad). The thesis/major research paper must follow the style of an established, standardized format (i.e. APA, MLA, Chicago Style etc.) approved by the thesis advisor and should use gender neutral language.

A copy of the completed thesis/major research paper must be submitted to each thesis committee member and to the Graduate Secretary at least eight business days before the oral defence. Students must provide a copy of the thesis/major research paper to the Graduate Studies Secretary so that it can be checked for grammar and format well in advance of the deadline for graduation. Three bound copies of the completed thesis, one of which must have the original signature page, must be deposited in the Graduate Studies Office in order to graduate. One of the copies will become the property of the Department. M.A. theses in Communication Studies are graded on a Pass/Fail basis.

Post-Defence Procedures

Once a major paper or thesis has been successfully defended (and revised if necessary and approved by the supervisor), the preparation of the final document must follow the procedures and format determined by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Students should refer to the Faculty of Graduate Studies web-site for information click here.

"Procedures to Follow in preparing A Major Paper, Thesis or Dissertation" click here.

It is the student’s responsibility to revise and prepare the final document for submission. Failure to complete this part of the process within the Faculty of Graduate Studies’ deadlines can result in a student having to pay extra fees even if the defence was held before the deadline.

One copy of the final paper/thesis must be submitted to Graduate Studies complete with multiple copies of the signed approval page. Graduate Studies arranges for the copying and binding of the final paper/thesis (billed to the student). At a minimum, students must ask for a bound copy for the department and one for the Leddy Library. It is also usually expected that students will provide their supervisor with a bound copy of the final paper/thesis. Students may also want to budget for additional personal copies. There is an electronic deposit in place now please check Graduate Studies website www.uwindsor.ca/grad

Students wishing to graduate must complete the Application for Graduation on-line. This can be found on the web on the student information system (SIS) by clicking on the ‘Application to Graduate’ link. A student must apply to graduate even if they do not intend on going to a graduation ceremony.

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