Thesis Planning

It is strongly recommended that students planning their thesis meet with the Graduate Program Coordinator at least 4 months prior to the defense date. Students should reserve a room for their oral exam with Fred George as soon as a date is set.

This is a general timeline and outline of thesis planning and procedures, assuming on a two-year/four-semester degree. Coursework is not included in this timeline. Click to see the Graduate School’s official procedures.

Thesis Defense Evaluation Form

Semester 1

  • In consultation with your advisor, formalize a plan for the thesis, including the topic, scope, and methodology to be used.
  • With your advisor, choose two additional Earth & Environment faculty members to join your committee. The thesis committee should include your advisor and at least two additional readers, one of whom must be from the Department of Earth & Environment. The committee may have more members, but there are three readers only. The three “readers” sign the approval page; other “committee members” do not.

Semester 2

  • Draft the prospectus.
  • Schedule a prospectus defense with your committee. This is private and consists of a presentation of your planned research; it is an informal mechanism for the student and committee to review methods, objectives, and outcomes of the thesis and research. The prospectus is not formally submitted to the Graduate School.
  • In consultation with your advisor, finalize timeline/plans for the second year.

Semester 3

  • Continue thesis research and writing.

Semester 4

  • Complete thesis research and writing.
  • The thesis should be sent to the committee at least 10 days prior to the thesis defense.
  • The defense consists of a public, conference-style presentation of the research, methodology, and findings. The presentation is followed by a public question-and-answer session, a private question-and-answer session with the committee only, private committee deliberations absent the student, and the delivery of the outcomes to the student. The entire defense process lasts two hours.
  • Upon passing, submit the thesis to the Graduate School and pay the $25 processing fee.
    • During this process, you may order hard-bound copies of the dissertation ($50 or so depending on length); the Department will reimburse you for the cost of two copies, one for you and one for the archives in CAS 132. E&E does not reimburse the processing fee.
    • After you submit the dissertation, a reviewer at Mugar Library may request formatting changes. You’ll receive notice of approval.

Thesis Prospectus

The prospectus outlines the proposed thesis research. It should be single-spaced, no more than 4 pages long, with type no smaller than 11-point, 1-inch margins. Pages for the title and 250-word abstract, list of references, and figures and tables do not count towards the 4-page limit. Obviously, the faculty advisor will have an influence over the research proposed, but this proposal should represent the student’s own original work. The prospectus should contain everything needed to evaluate the proposed project as a scientific, research-based thesis. It should include a statement of project significance, outline the hypotheses the student will test, describe the methods that will be used, and discuss expected outcomes. Prospectuses are evaluated largely on the ability to pose testable scientific questions that have topical significance and to design a strategy for addressing them. The proposal should be submitted to the thesis committee at least one week prior to the scheduled defense. Upon presentation of the prospectus, committee members may request edits, but there is no formal submission of the prospectus to the Graduate School.

Prior to the Defense

  1. In coordination with the committee chair, set a date for the presentation and defense, bearing in mind the deadlines set by the Graduate School. Work with Fred to reserve CAS 132.
  2. Submit the Intent to Graduate form.
  3. At least three weeks prior to the defense, submit a full draft of the thesis (pdf only) directly to the Graduate School for format review: grsrec@bu.edu.
    • The Graduate School may recommend formatting edits, including to your signature page. Follow their instructions if offered; if no changes are requested, do not change your signature page from what you submitted.

    After the Defense

    1. Your advisor will complete the Thesis Defense Evaluation Form [pdf], submit it to the Department, and share a copy with you.
    2. You will submit the signature page.
      • This is virtual. No longer than 30 days before the defense, sign up for a free DocuSign trial. Enter the names and emails of your committee members, and they’ll receive an email inviting them to sign the page. Once all readers have “signed,” download the PDF and send it to grsrec@bu.edu.
      • Download a sample signature page [pdf].
    3. Taking note of deadlines, submit your thesis to the Electronic Theses & Dissertation (ETD) website.
      1. Do not insert the signed signature page into your final version. Submit your final version with a blank signature page.
      2. All submissions should be made through ETD, and it requires a $25 processing fee. During this process, you may order hard-bound copies of the dissertation ($60 or so depending on length); the Department will reimburse you for the cost of two copies, one for you and one for the archives in CAS 132. After you submit the dissertation, a reviewer at Mugar Library may request formatting changes. You’ll receive notice of approval.
      3. Submit the receipt for two copies to Fred. E&E does not reimburse the processing fee.
    4. Complete the E&E Exit Survey.

    Outcomes

    • Unconditional Pass: The thesis requires no edits or changes; the student passes and may submit the thesis
    • Conditional High Pass: The thesis requires minor edits and/or changes that do not need to be reviewed and approved by the advisor or committee before submission.
    • Conditional Pass: The thesis requires substantive edits and/or changes that do need to be reviewed and approved by the advisor before submission.
    • Conditional Low Pass: The thesis requires substantive edits and/or changes that need to be reviewed and approved by the entire committee before submission.
    • Fail: The student fails to execute the goals of the project successfully; next steps, including additional research and/or editing and second defense, are discussed with the committee on the day of the defense or within 1 week.

    *The Graduate School and the Department do not make distinctions between the “passes” above, and they do not appear on a transcript. They are meant only for the purposes of describing the scope of editing that may be required following the defense.

    Click here for BU’s Guide for Writers of Theses & Dissertations.