Thesis/Project Information
Division of Graduate Education
School of Education
College of Professional Studies
California State University, Dominguez
Hills
Disclaimer for unofficial pages: The statements found
on pages in this web site are for informational and instructional purposes
only. While every effort is made to ensure that this information is
up to date and accurate, official information can be found in the University
publications such as the University Catalog (http://www.csudh.edu/Catalog/200507/06%20graduate.htm
for Graduate Studies). Links to commercial sites are for information
purposes only; no promotion of particular commercial sites is intended.
The Office of Graduate Studies ( http://www.csudh.edu/graduatestudies/thesis/default.shtml)
posts current thesis/project information, including a thesis/project guide
(download from http://www.csudh.edu/graduatestudies/thesis/guide.shtml).
TBE
STUDENTS - See NOTES below for important information.
Procedure
Before you begin your thesis, you should have completed
all courses or be in the last semester of your masters coursework.
You must also have met the GWAR (Graduate
Writing Assessment Requirement) by taking a test (GWE), a class (ENG
350) or having already met the requirement elsewhere. See the GED
office or your advisor for details. DON'T FORGET TO APPLY FOR GRADUATION ON TIME! (semester
before you intend to finish) We have forms in the GED office.
- TBE
students: Check out the thesis
guide for TBE students (http://www.csudh.edu/fisher/tbethesis.htm
). It contains some suggested thesis/projects, including the ever
popular field test of your CAI final project.
- Pick up a Independent
Study/Thesis Approval form in the GED Office. Briefly describe
your proposed project/thesis.
You may be asked to write more than the short description
on the Approval form (especially if you are not in TBE). If so, a
thesis proposal usually contains
the following sections:
- Description of Thesis/Project
- Brief literature/courseware review
- Design for the thesis/project
- Method for obtaining subjects (if applicable)
- Data collection methods
- Evaluation Plan
- Consult with faculty.
You will need three faculty (ideally all from your program) to serve
on your thesis committee. The chair must be from your program; the others
may teach in GED or elsewhere on campus. They should be full-time faculty.
You may download this Word document for the three required signatures (thesiscommittee.doc).
- Don't forget to enroll
in GED 599S. Get the number from your advisor. Once you enroll,
you have about two years to finish.
- Buy a CSUDH Thesis and
Project Guide (available from the CSUDH bookstore or online at
http://www.csudh.edu/graduatestudies/thesisproject.htm).
There have been several editions of this guide. You will need to check
the edition that is appropriate for the semester in which you submit
your thesis.
- Look at
some of the theses in the library. Remember that rules change
from year to year, and that what was previously approved might not be
approved now. They are on the main floor, at the back, to the right of
the elevators (past the checkout counter). Look for several shelves of
black-bound books .
- Obtain human subjects protection (IRB) approval
as necessary BEFORE you begin to contact participants or gather data.
DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. Visit http://www.csudh.edu/RF/r&fpro3.html
for forms and instructions. Note: As part of your human subjects/IRB
review, you may be required to create an information letter and/or consent
form written at the 5th grade reading level or below. If you are unsure
of the readability level of your documents, visit http://www.csudh.edu/fisher/readability.htm
. Samples and instructions are available at http://www.csudh.edu/RF/r&fpro3.html.
- When approved by your committee and the IRB, you may
begin working on the thesis/project.
Typical order of work:
- Work on literature review (begun during the
proposal process, can be done while waiting for IRB approval)
- Gather and analyze data (only after IRB approval)
For statistical calculations,
see http://www.csudh.edu/fisher/onlinestats.html
or http://StatPages.org/
for an extensive list of stat links. If you are completing the software
fieldtest for TBE, see http://www.physics.csbsju.edu/stats/Paired_t-test_NROW_form.html
for a paired t-test. NOTE
TO TBE STUDENTS: Dr. Fisher will no longer do your statistical analysis
for you.
- Write a draft (5 chapters for a thesis, 4
chapters for a project, may complete some chapters--such as introduction,
literature review, and methodology--before gathering data). The draft
does not have to be prefect, but should be as complete as possible.
- Review draft
for spelling, grammar, etc. before submitting to committee
(if there are too many mistakes, the committee will not read the whole
draft) NOTE
TO TBE STUDENTS: If Dr. Desberg and/or Dr. Fisher do not receive a
draft of all chapters at least one month before the Graduate
Studies deadline, you will not make the deadline.
- Submit to committee
members (OR just to thesis chair...check with committee for
preference) NOTE
TO TBE STUDENTS: If Dr. Desberg and/or Dr. Fisher find more than 30
mistakes in the first 5 or 6 pages, the thesis will be returned to
the student without further editing. It is the student's responsibility
to ensure that the spelling, grammar, formatting, etc. are correct.
- Expect two or more
revision cycles
- (Optional, but highly recommended)
Have thesis draft reviewed
by Anne Garrett for format (310 243-2191 or agarrett@csudh.edu).
See the Graduate Studies web page at http://www.csudh.edu/graduatestudies/thesis/default.shtml
for information on page numbers. Anne Garrett has also contributed
the handout from her APA Style workshops (APAStyle.doc or APAStyleTBE.doc showing how to format tables
for APA).
- Submit thesis/project
to Graduate Studies by the published deadline. NOTE: Turn
in a copy of your IRB clearance, the thesis cover sheet and an unofficial
transcript with the thesis.
- Complete revisions
requested by Graduate Studies (if they are extensive, you may have
to wait an additional semester)
- DON'T
FORGET TO APPLY FOR GRADUATION
ON TIME! (semester before you intend to finish) We have forms in the
GED office.
- Thesis/project submitted
to Library
- OBTAIN GRADE CHANGE
FORMS FOR GED 599S AND ANY OTHER CLASSES WITH SP/RP/INC GRADES
Useful Links for Thesis Students
- Graduate Study Thesis
Links
- TBE Thesis Info Links
- Literature Review
Links
- http://www.csudh.edu/fisher/litrevlinks.htm
Links that will assist you in completing the literature
review (part of your thesis)
- http://library.csudh.edu/
Visit the library electronically to begin your literature
search. To find articles, click on ELECTRONIC DATABASES. ERIC (Education)
is usually a good source.
- http://www.eric.ed.gov/
Search the ERIC database for articles (numbers start with
EJ) and other documents (numbers start with ED) for your references.
Note: This ERIC resource primarily provides abstracts, though there
are some links to full text.
- Statistical Analysis
Links
- APA Format Links
Page created by F. Fisher for GED thesis
students at CSUDH. Last updated 6/09. Comments?