New tools to help grad students prep for theses and dissertations

By LAYNA EDINGTON

Updated: September 23, 2012, 1:41 PM

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Graduate Student Voice »

Layna Edington and Austin Dean from Grand Valley State University’s Graduate Student Associate talk about life on the other side of a bachelor’s degree.

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While there are many new graduate students adjusting to life at GVSU, there are also students who are in the final stages of earning their graduate degree. In many degree programs on campus, the final step is writing and successfully defending a thesis or dissertation.

The Office of Graduate Studies recently reviewed and updated the Guidelines for Preparation of Theses and Dissertations. These new guidelines will create continuity within the university repository for scholarly work and will allow thesis and dissertations to be presented in a searchable format on the GVSU library website.

To students just beginning their thesis or dissertation, the process may seem completely overwhelming. However, they need to be aware of the resources available to help. I have mentioned the writing center in previous posts, which is a great resource, but there is also other information on the Office of Graduate Studies website specifically for thesis and dissertations. Students should start by reviewing the new guidelines. This will help students better understand expectations of their project in addition to the information included regarding the process, the roles and responsibilities of both the student and their committee members, aspects to preparing the project, formatting requirements, and even applicable forms to properly submit information during the various stages of the project.

The PACES Bootcamp, which will be held on Saturday, Sept.29, will also feature a session with Jeffrey Potteiger, Dean of Graduate Studies, on thesis writing. Dean Potteiger will cover selecting a thesis topic, forming a thesis committee, and getting the entire process started. To register for this session, check out the PACES website.

Completing the required forms is also an important facet to properly carrying out a thesis or dissertation. All of the necessary forms are also listed on the Office of Graduate Studies website. This is an easy way to stay current on the information students need to submit to keep their project moving forward in a timely matter. It is important for students to be sure they first get their committee membership for thesis or dissertation approved. This is an important step to continue making progress. When students begin putting the project together, it will be helpful to start with the title pages provided on the website. This will allow proper flow of the project. Once the project is near completion it is also crucial to announce its defense as well as be prepared to submit the work to ScholarWorks.

Good luck on your thesis and dissertation work. Remember if you have questions to visit the Office of Graduate Studies website or stop by the office at DEV 318C. You can also email the thesis coordinator Jennifer Palm at palmj@gvsu.edu. Enjoy week five!

Layna Edington
_Graduate Student Association _

Published September 23, 2012 in Graduate Student Voice