University of Colorado Denver College of Liberal Arts and SciencesUniversity of Colorado Denver

GRADUATE PROGRAMS ::
Thesis Option -- Plan I

If you elect to do a thesis, and we urge most students to do this, there are a number of steps that you must take in addition to completing the required coursework. These steps are part of a venerable university process by which students prepare original work in the discipline, and then undergo an exam of the work before a panel of experts.

YOUR THESIS COMMITTEE

The committee generally consists of your major advisor and two other faculty members with whom you have worked during the course of your program. You may choose committee members from outside the department, particularly if they are experts in an area that you explore in the thesis. However, at least two of your committee members must be from the anthropology department. And, all committee members must belong to the Graduate Faculty. See the rules of the Graduate School.

THESIS PREPARATION

Click here to obtain a copy of “Directions for Preparing Masters’ and Doctoral Theses”.

THE PROCESS OF SUBMITTING A THESIS

In the semester in which a student intends to submit the thesis for examination, he/she must first submit an Application for Admission to Candidacy. This initiates a process of determining if the student has met all of the other requirements for the degree, and is eligible to submit a thesis. The application for candidacy form should be completed in consultation with your major advisor, and the graduate director. A Diploma Card is submitted at the same time, to initiate the process of preparing final records for graduation.

The completed thesis itself is then submitted for a format review. This review ensures that the material is presented in a readable format that is consistent with the standards of the university. The student then submits a Request for Examination, which publicly announces the exam or defense for all interested parties.

At the exam or defense, the student may be asked to revise or add to the thesis before it is approved. The revised thesis is then submitted to the examination committee for final approval, and then copies are handed in to the Graduate School. These copies are permanently kept in the library as a resource for other scholars in the field.

THESIS SUBMISSION

Questions concerning matters not discussed in this document must be directed to the thesis committee chairperson. Theses must be reviewed by the Graduate School for format review before the final examination or defense. Once the thesis is signed by the appropriate faculty committee, submit three reproduced or original copies of the thesis, two on CU bond and one on regular paper. The University keeps all three of these copies. You may also order additional copies at this time. The binding fee is due and payable when the thesis is submitted to the Graduate School. Since fees are subject to change, contact the Graduate School for current fees.

Click here for Thesis Submission Deadlines and other deadlines as you prepare to graduate.

THE THESIS EXAMINATION

The exam consists of a public presentation and defense of the work. The tradition calls for the following steps to be completed:

  • Your thesis committee greets you, and then sends you out of the room while the chair of your committee discusses the thesis, asks if there are any particular concerns, and establishes the particular procedure for the conduct of the examination.
  • After you are invited to reenter the examination room, the chair will invite you to provide a formal presentation of your research, which should generally not exceed 30 minutes in length.
  • After your presentation, the committee will ask you questions about the thesis, work related to it, and perhaps general questions about theory, method, and practical implications of the research.
  • When questioning is completed, you will be asked to leave the room again so that your committee may discuss the defense, and decide on whether to give you a pass or fail.
  • A "pass" may take many forms, including a request for revision that must be approved by the full committee, or simply a request that revisions be reviewed by the chair.

REGISTRATION ISSUES

Students must be registered during the semester of their final examinations/defenses (this also applies to students working on IP’s or IW’s). Registration for submitting only the thesis is not required if the defense was held in a previous semester. A student who wishes to schedule an examination/defense between semesters may use the previous or the following semester’s registration to meet this requirement (NOTE: Summer session is considered a separate semester.) For the purpose of this registration requirement, a new semester begins on the first day of instruction for that semester.