As you prepare to either head home for the holidays or have a glorious staycation in Montreal, you’re hopefully looking forward to some solid rest and relaxation. If you’re on the thesis track of the MA, though, something you may have on your mind over the holidays is your thesis proposal.
Due in May, this proposal will also be part of the assignments for Methods next semester, and so, if you haven’t already started thinking about it, you might to give it some thought/work while enjoying a healthy sampling of egg nog or whatever other holiday delicacy you enjoy.
If you’re concerned about what the thesis proposal consists of, look no further than Grad/Aperture’s Resources page! There, you’ll find some Guidelines for MA Thesis Proposals, which can help you as you write.
The guidelines include a helpful guide of what to include in your proposal. As an example, some points you should cover in your proposal include:
- Title: Indicate the title or working title for your thesis. The title should be as precise as possible
- Topic: Define and delimit the topic of the research: the field and the objectives. This section should be fairly brief, giving a brief outline of the idea for the project.
- Lit Review: Pose the question of the thesis according to a brief literature review. You should somehow demonstrate what you’re doing is new and relevant.
- Originality: Demonstrate the interest in the subject What new knowledge is your thesis presenting?
- Methodology: Indicate the primary theoretical approach you will use.
- Bibliography: This should include titles that you have consulted as well as those that you will consult during your research. It should consist of at least 10 titles of books and articles.
- Structure: Give a preliminary table of contents.
- Calendar: Attach a schedule for the work you’ll be doing. This is an important way for you and your advisor to assess your progress.
- Supervisor: You are required to provide a provisional agreement from a full-time faculty member of Mel Hop to supervise the thesis.
Interested in learning more? Check out the “Master’s Thesis Proposal Guidelines” document in our MA Resources section.
If you have any questions, email us at gradaperture@gmail.com.