The overall process with related responsibilities for initiating and completing the requirements for the MSEM Thesis are summarized in the following table. Generally, the Student is responsible for organizing, researching, writing, and completing the thesis within MSOE guidelines and requirements. The Advisor is responsible for overseeing the process and ensuring that the Student and the thesis satisfy MSOE requirements and enhance the reputation of the Student and MSOE. The faculty, Librarian, Program Director, and Department Chairperson provide support and guidance as required.
| Step | Responsibility |
Activity |
|
1 |
Student |
Starts the thesis process when
approximately 30 or more graduate credits have been accumulated |
|
2 |
Student |
Develops a list of potential
topics; assesses research potential; may outline a proposal; may
discuss with faculty, potential advisors, librarians - see Thesis
Structure and Selecting
a Topic |
|
3 |
Student | Outlines one or two ideas and reviews with potential faculty advisors; requests a faculty member to be the primary advisor for the thesis – see Selecting an Advisor |
|
4 |
Advisor |
Agrees to be primary advisor; reviews the thesis process with the student; reviews student’s ideas and advises student in the process of selecting the topic and related objectives; provides guidance and advice as needed in developing the formal proposal |
|
5 |
Student | Develops a preliminary proposal that provides a brief statement of the thesis topic and the research approach that will be undertaken. |
|
6 |
Advisor | Reviews preliminary proposal and provides suggestions and guidance. |
|
7 |
Student | Contacts Librarian and reviews preliminary proposal so the Librarian can provide guidance and advice in doing and documenting secondary and tertiary research – see Conducting Research |
|
8 |
Librarian | Provides guidance as required in developing research plan for secondary research and documenting the research |
|
9 |
Student |
Prepares
the formal proposal which includes a statement of the problem or
hypothesis, an outline of the thesis, a research plan, a timeline, and
the completed form titled Thesis
Proposal – see Preparing
the Proposal and Conducting
Research |
|
10 |
Student | If primary research is part of the thesis, the student submits the research plan to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) when the research involves human subjects (e.g., surveys, testing people, formal interviews, experiments using people, etc.) - see Protocol Packet for the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the Protection of Human Subjects Milwaukee School of Engineering. Note: This step may be taken at a later date if student has not developed a comprehensive plan and research instrument. |
|
11 |
Advisor |
Reviews the proposal for completeness, technical and practical feasibility, and likelihood of producing an acceptable thesis; provides suggestions as required; approves proposal and forwards it to the Program Director. |
|
12 |
Program Director |
Signs the proposal form, returns
the original to the student, and sends copies to the Advisor and to the
Office of the School of Business for filing |
|
13 |
Student |
Registers for the thesis and
pay tuition. Note: A student must register prior to the start of
a quarter during designated registration periods for fall, winter,
spring or summer quarters. See MSOE's
Registrar's Office for more
information. |
|
14 |
Student |
Does research and drafts one or
two chapters in accordance with MSOE’s Documentation
and Style Guide, (Located on the MSOE Intranet) Reviews
with Advisor, also may review with Librarian – see Conducting
Research and Writing
Style and Format |
|
15 |
Advisor |
Reviews initial draft for
compliance to MSOE writing and research standards; provides feedback to
student; may suggest review with Librarian |
|
16 |
Student |
Completes first draft of thesis
and reviews with Advisor |
|
17 |
Advisor |
Reviews initial drafts to assess agreement with the proposal, quality of content, and expectations of the thesis program; provides guidance as required |
|
18 |
Advisor | Provides for continuing oversight, guidance, check points on status and progress |
|
19 |
Student | Completes first draft of thesis and reviews with Advisor |
|
20 |
Advisor | Reviews first draft against evaluation criteria especially content, quality of research, and presentation of material – see Evaluation Criteria; provides guidance as required |
|
21 |
Student |
Submits draft to Librarian for a general review of the quality of the secondary and tertiary research, and compliance to MSOE’s Documentation and Style Guide |
|
22 |
Librarian |
Reviews draft for the quality of secondary and tertiary research, and compliance with MSOE’s Documentation and Style Guide; provides suggestions to student and Advisor as required |
|
23 |
Student & Advisor |
Decide on two faculty members in
addition to the Advisor to recommend to serve on the Thesis Examination
Committee – see Oral
Presentation |
|
24 |
Student |
Refines draft and completes
thesis |
|
25 |
Advisor |
Reviews completed thesis for
compliance to MSOE requirements; decides if the thesis and student are
ready for the oral examination – see Evaluation
Criteria |
|
26 |
Advisor |
Requests the Office of the
School of Business via a memo or email to schedule the
examination; informs the office who was recommended to serve on
the Thesis Examination Committee –approximately four weeks are
required to schedule and make arrangements for the examination |
|
27 |
Student |
Submits three unbound copies of the thesis (one for each member of the Thesis Examination Committee) to the Office of the School of Business. Informs office of audio-visual equipment requirements. |
|
28 |
Office of Business School |
Schedules the examination;
contacts recommended Thesis Examination Committee members; makes the
necessary arrangements including reserving the facility and equipment;
sends copies of the thesis to members of the committee |
|
29 |
Advisor |
Coaches the Student in the
conduct and the agenda for the examination; the examination includes a
formal oral presentation – see Oral
Presentation |
|
30 |
Advisor |
Leads the
examination; provides for completion of the form, Evaluation for
MSEM Project; acquires the student and examiners’ signatures on the
Thesis Examination Report; informs the student of the decision of the
Thesis Examination Committee – see Oral
Presentation and Evaluation
Criteria |
|
31 |
Student |
Makes required revisions and provides three finished copies of the thesis to the Office of the School of Business. One copy is bound in a red three-ring binder. This copy is retained by the School of Business. Two copies are not bound. These copies are sent to the MSOE Library, which binds one copy for circulation, and one copy is retained in the library archives. If students do not wish their thesis to be available for circulation in the library, please contact the Director of the Library in order to fill out a "Noncirculation Status" form. |
|
32 |
Advisor |
Follows up on required
revisions, signs the Thesis Examination Report, completes the form,
Notice of Completion of Thesis Requirement, (for notifying
the Office of the Registrar that the Student has successfully completed
all the requirements), and submits the completed evaluation forms, the
report, and the notice of completion to the Office of the School of
Business |
|
33 |
Program Director |
Signs the Thesis Examination
Report |
|
34 |
Chairperson, School of Business |
Signs the Thesis Examination
Report |
|
35 |
Office of School of Business |
Files the Thesis Examination
Report, completed forms for Evaluation for MSEM Projects, and one copy
of the bound thesis; sends the Notice of Completion of Thesis
Requirement to the Office of the Registrar; and sends one copy of the
bound thesis to the MSOE Library |
|
36 |
Office of School of Business |
Prepares a letter of
congratulations and notification that student has completed the thesis
requirement, and sends it to the student |