Thesis Proposal
Thesis Proposal Preparation
Students need to select a thesis committee chairperson (typically a faculty mentor), committee members, and develop a thesis proposal. The proposal will be written in the current APA approved style and will be reviewed by the thesis committee. Notice of approval will come from the committee chairperson. The proposal is expected to contain the following:
- Outlines the planned research project
- Hypothesis
- Objectives
- Design
- Methods for data collection
- Planned statistical analysis
- Implications of potential outcomes
Students must apply for approval from the university’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) and then submit amendments (if needed). Collection of the thesis data cannot begin until IRB approval has been obtained. Students who are using data from a research project that has already been approved by IRB still must submit a modification to the IRB describing how the data will be used for their current thesis project.
Thesis Proposal Meeting
The student must present the thesis proposal at a meeting with their thesis committee. It is the student’s responsibility to schedule the proposal meeting (in person or virtually) at a time when the entire thesis committee can attend. A copy of the proposal should be distributed to the thesis committee members two (2) weeks in advance of their proposal meeting. Upon approval of the thesis proposal, the research project may proceed.