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The Thesis Process

The thesis is an opportunity to work independently on a research project of your own design and contribute to the scholarly literature in your field. You emerge from the thesis process with a solid understanding of how original research is executed and how to best communicate research results. Many students have gone on to publish their research in academic or professional journals.

To ensure affordability, the per-credit tuition rate for the 8-credit thesis is the same as our regular course tuition. There are no additional fees (regular per-credit graduate tuition x 8 credits).

Below are the steps that you need to follow to fulfill the thesis requirement. Please know that through each step, you will receive guidance and mentorship.

1. Meet with Your Research Advisor

Upon admission to the program, set up an introductory meeting with your Research Advisor to discuss potential thesis topics as well as course selections that can support your thesis path. 

When you have completed between 24 and 32 credits, you work more intensively with your assigned Research Advisor to determine a specific thesis topic.

Log in to MyDCE , then ALB/ALM Community to schedule an appointment with your assigned Research Advisor via the Degree Candidate Portal.

Failure to work with your Research Advisor initially and then more intensively may result in your Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP) Application not being approved (see below) and/or the selection of a different thesis topic.  

Thesis Topic Selection Guidelines

Every effort is made to support research interests that are grounded in your ALM course work, but faculty guidance is not available for all possible projects. Therefore, revision or a change of thesis topic may be necessary.

• The above point about topic selection is particularly pertinent to scientific research (e.g., biology) that is dependent upon laboratory space, project funding, and access to private databases.
• This point is also critical for our candidates in ALM, liberal arts fields (i.e., anthropology, English, government, history, international relations, psychology, and religion) who are required to have Harvard faculty direct their thesis projects. Review Harvard’s course catalog online ( My.Harvard.edu ) to be sure that there are faculty teaching courses related to your thesis topic. If faculty are not available, you will need to choose an alternative topic.
• Your topic choice must be a new area of research for you. You cannot re-purpose prior research. If you want to draw or expand upon your own previously written scholarship for a small portion of your thesis, you need to obtain the explicit permission of your research advisor and cite the work in both the proposal and thesis. Violations of this policy will be referred to the Administrative Board.

We’ve put together this guide  to help frame your thinking about thesis topic selection.

While it is natural to follow your interests in selecting a thesis topic, it is important to avoid choosing a topic where your own passions might produce insurmountable biases and assumptions. A thesis is not a piece of advocacy work where you are out to prove something that you already believe. Thesis projects must take a fair and balanced stance by bringing in differing points of view from respected scholars in the field. 

2. Prepare Your Crafting the Thesis Proposal Application

Once you and your Research Advisor have confirmed your thesis topic, the next step in the process is to prepare and submit the CTP Application in order to gain registration approval for the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP) tutorial or course.

The CTP Application process confirms that you have done enough prior reading and thinking about your thesis topic to generate a pertinent and answerable research question. Pre-CTP preparation is critical as it helps to ensure that you will benefit from and succeed in the CTP.

Application Approvals and Denials. Your Research Advisor will provide feedback on your CTP Application.  If your application is not approved after 3 submissions, your Research Advisor cannot approve your CTP registration. 

If not approved, you’ll need to take additional time for further revisions and submit a new CTP Application during the next CTP submission cycle (if your five-year degree completion date allows).

Application Eligibility Requirements. To be eligible to submit a CTP Application, you need to (1) be in good standing and (2) have completed a minimum of 32 degree-applicable credits, including the research methods/statistics and Engaging in Scholarly Conversation requirement, if required for your field.

Advising Note for Psychology Candidates View More

Students in psychology sometimes face difficulty securing necessary IRB approvals for certain projects. For this reason, Research Advisors will not approve proposals that raise significant concerns about feasibility. Such concerns include cases where projects would require the researcher to possess a level of expertise or experience exceeding documented capabilities, as well as instances where the researcher is unlikely to be able to obtain appropriate faculty supervision for a proposed topic, question, method, or procedure. You must schedule an appointment with your Research Advisor at least three months in advance of the CTP Application deadlines to discuss potential research projects to ensure adequate time for assistance in developing a viable project idea.

Advising Note for Biology and former Biotechnology and Bioengineering and Nanotechnology Candidates View More

Thesis projects in these fields are designed to support ongoing scientific research happening in Harvard University, other academic institutions, or life science industry labs and usually these are done under the direction of a principal investigator (PI). Hence, you need to have a thesis director approved by your research advisor  prior  to submitting CTP Application. Your CTP Application is then framed by the lab’s research. Schedule an appointment with your research advisor a few months in advance of the CTP Application deadlines in order to discuss potential research projects and thesis director assignment.

The CTP Application is sent to our central email box:  [email protected] by the following firm deadlines:

• June 1 for fall CTP
• November 1 for spring CTP.  
• September 1 for the three-week January session (ALM sustainability candidates only)
• International sustainability students who need a student visa to attend Harvard Summer School must be officially admitted to the degree program before February 1, must submit the CTP Application on February 1, and must register for the CTP course on March 1 in order to submit timely I-20 paperwork. See international students guidelines for more information.

3. Register and Successfully Complete Crafting the Thesis Proposal

Once your CTP Application is approved, you register for the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP) tutorial or course as you would any other degree requirement.

The goal of the CTP is to produce a complete, well-written draft of a proposal containing all of the sections required by your Research Advisor. Creating an academically strong thesis proposal sets the foundation for a high-quality thesis and helps garner the attention of a well-respected thesis director.

Thesis proposals typically include approximately 15 to 20 pages of text, in addition to any required reference sections, such as bibliographies and glossary/definition of terms.

Tutorial experience. The fall and spring CTP  tutorials are not courses in the traditional sense. Although there will be assignments for you to complete during the CTP, with due dates, and there will be times when you and your classmates meet as a group with your Research Advisor, there won’t be a regularly scheduled class meeting time for the CTP. 

The main work for the CTP will consist of your working independently on your proposal with your Research Advisor by submitting multiple drafts and scheduling individual appointments.

Grading. You need to make self-directed progress on the proposal without special prompting from the research advisor. You receive a final grade of SAT or UNSAT (failing grade).

You are expected to incorporate all of your Research Advisor’s feedback and be fully committed to producing an academically strong proposal leading to a thesis worthy of a Harvard degree. If you are unable to take advice from your Research Advisor, follow directions, or produce an acceptable proposal, you will not pass the CTP.

The CTP for sustainability is a three-week course in the traditional sense and you receive a letter grade, and it must be B- or higher to receive degree credit for the course.

Academic Integrity. Successful CTP completion also includes a check on the proper use of sources according to our academic integrity guidelines. Violations of our academic integrity policy will be referred to the Administrative Board.

Maximum of two attempts . If you don’t pass the CTP, you’ll have — if your five-year, degree-completion date allows — just one more attempt to complete the CTP before being required to withdraw from the program. If you fail the CTP just once and have no more time to complete the degree, your candidacy will automatically expire. Please note that a WD grade counts as an attempt.

If by not passing the CTP you fall into poor academic standing, you will need to take additional degree-applicable courses to return to good standing before enrolling in the CTP for your second and final time, but only if your five-year, degree-completion date allows. If you have no more time on your five-year clock, you will be required to withdraw from the program.

Human Subjects

If your thesis, regardless of field, will involve the use of human subjects (e.g., interviews, surveys, observations), you will need to have your research vetted by the  Committee on the Use of Human Subjects  (CUHS) of Harvard University. Please review the IRB Lifecycle Guide located on the CUHS website. Your research advisor will help you prepare a draft copy of the project protocol form that you will then finalize with your thesis director to send to the CUHS. 

Given the amount of time that can be required for IRB review, drafting of the required CUHS project protocol forms need to be started with your Research Advisor during the CTP tutorial, before a thesis director has been assigned.

4. Post-CTP Proposal Approval, Thesis Director Assignment, and Registration

Successfully completion of the CTP means you have completed a well-written full draft proposal. Ordinarily, this full draft is not a final accepted proposal. Most students reach the final accepted proposal stage by submitting additional changes and edits to their RA post-CTP.

Post-CTP Changes and Edits Deadline. We expect you to work diligently and quickly with your RA post-CTP to move from full draft to final proposal stage. Indeed, you should have an approved final proposal and be registered in the thesis soon after CTP completion, within weeks, but no later than 3 months. You cannot delay. If you take longer than 3 months after the CTP to register for the thesis, you may be required to retake the CTP.

Thesis Director Assignment. Once your RA has determined that your draft has reached the final proposal stage, you move to the thesis director assignment stage. The Research Advisor places you with a thesis director by sending out your final proposal to prospective Thesis Directors.

Do not approach faculty to ask about directing your thesis.  You may suggest names of any potential Thesis Directors to your Research Advisor, but it must be the Research Advisor who makes contact with them. (If they are eligible/available to direct your thesis, after you have an approved thesis proposal.) You are not permitted to approach faculty to ask them about directing your thesis.

Registration. When a Thesis Director has been identified or the thesis proposal has been fully vetted by the preassigned life science Thesis Director, you will receive a letter of authorization from the Assistant Dean of Academic Programs officially approving your thesis work and providing you with instructions on how to register for the eight-credit master’s thesis. The letter will also have a tentative graduation date as well as four mandatory thesis submission dates (see Thesis Timetable below).

When registering for the thesis, you will have two weeks to pay in full.  This is an eight-credit course, so be sure to have the necessary funds available when you register.

You must be good academic standing to register for the thesis. If not, you’ll need to complete additional courses to bring your GPA up to the 3.0 minimum prior to registration.

Thesis Submission Deadlines and Graduation Timetable

The thesis is a 9-to-12-month project that begins after the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP); when your Research Advisor has approved your proposal and identified a Thesis Director.

The date for the appointment of your Thesis Director determines the graduation cycle that will be automatically assigned to you:

As you can see above, you do not submit your thesis all at once at the end, but in four phases: (1) complete draft to TD, (2) final draft to RA for format review and academic integrity check, (3) format approved draft submitted to TD for grading, and (4) upload your 100% complete graded thesis to ETDs.

Due dates for all phases for your assigned graduation cycle cannot be missed.  You must submit materials by the date indicated by 5 PM EST (even if the date falls on a weekend). If you are late, you will not be able to graduate during your assigned cycle.

If you need additional time to complete your thesis, you need to formally request an extension by emailing that petition to:  [email protected] .  Regardless of when you started, the maximum allotted time to complete your thesis, including any granted extensions of time is 12 months.

Advising Tip to Meet Your Five-Year Deadline: The last possible time you can register for the CTP to meet your five-year deadline date is the fall term two years prior or, if a sustainability student, in the January session one year prior. It is not, however, recommended to wait this long. Indeed, it is vigorously discouraged.

For example, if your five-year deadline is May 2026:

• Complete the CTP in fall 2024 (or in January 2025, if a sustainability student)
• Be assigned a Thesis Director (TD) in March/April 2025
• Begin the 9–12-month thesis project with TD
• Submit a complete draft of your thesis to your TD by February 1, 2026
• Follow through with all other submission deadlines (April 1, April 15 and May 1 — see table above)
• Graduate in May 2026

5. Working with Your Thesis Director

You must work diligently and independently, following the advice of your Thesis Director in a consistent, regular manner equivalent to full-time academic work to complete both the research and the writing phases of your thesis by your required timeline.

You are expected to incorporate all of your Thesis Director’s feedback and be fully committed to producing an academically strong thesis worthy of a Harvard degree. If you are unable to take advice from your Thesis Director, follow directions, or produce an acceptable scholarly thesis product, you will not receive a passing grade.

You are required to produce at least 50 pages of text (not including front matter and appendices). Chapter topics (e.g., introduction, background, methods, findings, conclusion) vary by field.

Once registered in the thesis, we will do a 3-month check-in with you and your Thesis Director to ensure progress is being made. If your Thesis Director reports little to no progress, the Dean of Academic Programs reserves the right to issue a thesis not complete (TNC) grade (see Thesis Grading below).

6. Thesis Template, Format Review, and Academic Integrity Check

All ALM thesis projects must written in Microsoft Word and follow a specific Harvard Extension School format. A properly formatted thesis is an explicit degree requirement; you cannot graduate without it.

You are required to use the Extension School  ALM Thesis Template  or the Extension School ALM Thesis Template for Creative Writing  (specifically designed for creative writing degree candidates). The template has all the mandatory thesis formatting built in.

Besides saving you a considerable amount of time as you write your thesis, the template ensures that your submitted thesis meets the mandatory style guidelines for margins, font, title page, table of contents, and chapter headings. If you use the template, format review should go smoothly, if not, a delayed graduation is highly likely.

Your Research Advisor will complete the format review  prior  to submitting your thesis to your Thesis Director for final grading according to the Thesis Timetable (see above).

Academic Integrity. Format review also includes a check on the proper use of sources according to our  academic integrity  guidelines. Violations of our academic integrity policy will be referred to the Administrative Board.

7. Mandatory Thesis Archiving

Once your thesis is finalized, meaning that the required grade has been earned and all edits have been completed, you must upload your thesis to Harvard University’s electronic thesis and dissertation submission system (ETDs).

Uploading your thesis ETDs is an explicit degree requirement; you cannot graduate without completing this step. Furthermore, no changes to the thesis are allowed once it has been graded and archived in ETDs.

The thesis project will be sent to several downstream systems:

• Your work will be preserved using Harvard’s digital repository DASH (Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard).
• Metadata about your work will be sent to HOLLIS (the Harvard Library catalog).
• Your work will be preserved in Harvard Library’s DRS2 (digital preservation repository).

By submitting work through ETDs @ Harvard you will be signing the Harvard Author Agreement. This license does not constrain your rights to publish your work subsequently. You retain all intellectual property rights.

For more information on Harvard’s open access initiatives, we recommend you view the Director of the Office of Scholarly Communication (OSC), Peter Suber’s brief introduction .

Thesis Grading

You need to earn a grade of B- or higher in the thesis. If you fail to complete substantial work on the thesis, you will earn a grade of TNC (thesis not complete). If you have already earned two withdrawal grades, the TNC grade will count as a zero in your cumulative GPA.

If you earn a grade below B-, you will need to petition the Administrative Board for permission to attempt the thesis for a second and final time. The petition process is only available if you are in good academic standing and your five-year, degree-completion date allows for more time. Your candidacy will automatically expire if you do not successfully complete the thesis by your required date.

If approved for a second attempt, you may be required to develop a new proposal on a different topic by re-enrolling in the CTP and being assigned a different thesis director. Tuition for the second attempt is calculated at the current year’s rate.

If by not passing the thesis you fall into poor academic standing, you’ll need to take additional degree-applicable courses to return to good standing before re-engaging with the thesis process for the second and final time. This is only an option if your five-year, degree-completion date allows for more time.

The Board only reviews cases in which extenuating circumstances prevented the successful completion of the thesis.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

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Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements

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Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

1. Determine what kind of paper you are writing:

• An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.
• An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.
• An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

If you are writing a text that does not fall under these three categories (e.g., a narrative), a thesis statement somewhere in the first paragraph could still be helpful to your reader.

2. Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.

3. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.

4. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

Thesis Statement Examples

Example of an analytical thesis statement:

The paper that follows should:

• Explain the analysis of the college admission process
• Explain the challenge facing admissions counselors

Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement:

• Explain how students spend their time studying, attending class, and socializing with peers

Example of an argumentative thesis statement:

• Present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college

Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to  be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

• Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

• Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Do I answer the question? Yes!
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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What is a thesis?

What is a dissertation, getting started, staying on track.

A thesis is a long-term project that you work on over the course of a semester or a year. Theses have a very wide variety of styles and content, so we encourage you to look at prior examples and work closely with faculty to develop yours. 

Before you begin, make sure that you are familiar with the dissertation genre—what it is for and what it looks like.

Generally speaking, a dissertation’s purpose is to prove that you have the expertise necessary to fulfill your doctoral-degree requirements by showing depth of knowledge and independent thinking.

The form of a dissertation may vary by discipline. Be sure to follow the specific guidelines of your department.

• PhD This site directs candidates to the GSAS website about dissertations , with links to checklists,  planning, formatting, acknowledgments, submission, and publishing options. There is also a link to guidelines for the prospectus . Consult with your committee chair about specific requirements and standards for your dissertation.
• DDES This document covers planning, patent filing, submission guidelines, publishing options, formatting guidelines, sample pages, citation guidelines, and a list of common errors to avoid. There is also a link to guidelines for the prospectus .
• Scholarly Pursuits (GSAS) This searchable booklet from Harvard GSAS is a comprehensive guide to writing dissertations, dissertation-fellowship applications, academic journal articles, and academic job documents.

Finding an original topic can be a daunting and overwhelming task. These key concepts can help you focus and save time.

Finding a topic for your thesis or dissertation should start with a research question that excites or at least interests you. A rigorous, engaging, and original project will require continuous curiosity about your topic, about your own thoughts on the topic, and about what other scholars have said on your topic. Avoid getting boxed in by thinking you know what you want to say from the beginning; let your research and your writing evolve as you explore and fine-tune your focus through constant questioning and exploration.

Get a sense of the broader picture before you narrow your focus and attempt to frame an argument. Read, skim, and otherwise familiarize yourself with what other scholars have done in areas related to your proposed topic. Briefly explore topics tangentially related to yours to broaden your perspective and increase your chance of finding a unique angle to pursue.

Critical Reading

Critical reading is the opposite of passive reading. Instead of merely reading for information to absorb, critical reading also involves careful, sustained thinking about what you are reading. This process may include analyzing the author’s motives and assumptions, asking what might be left out of the discussion, considering what you agree with or disagree with in the author’s statements and why you agree or disagree, and exploring connections or contradictions between scholarly arguments. Here is a resource to help hone your critical-reading skills:

http://writing.umn.edu/sws/assets/pdf/quicktips/criticalread.pdf

Conversation

Your thesis or dissertation will incorporate some ideas from other scholars whose work you researched. By reading critically and following your curiosity, you will develop your own ideas and claims, and these contributions are the core of your project. You will also acknowledge the work of scholars who came before you, and you must accurately and fairly attribute this work and define your place within the larger discussion. Make sure that you know how to quote, summarize, paraphrase ,  integrate , and cite secondary sources to avoid plagiarism and to show the depth and breadth of your knowledge.

A thesis is a long-term, large project that involves both research and writing; it is easy to lose focus, motivation, and momentum. Here are suggestions for achieving the result you want in the time you have.

The dissertation is probably the largest project you have undertaken, and a lot of the work is self-directed. The project can feel daunting or even overwhelming unless you break it down into manageable pieces and create a timeline for completing each smaller task. Be realistic but also challenge yourself, and be forgiving of yourself if you miss a self-imposed deadline here and there.

Your program will also have specific deadlines for different requirements, including establishing a committee, submitting a prospectus, completing the dissertation, defending the dissertation, and submitting your work. Consult your department’s website for these dates and incorporate them into the timeline for your work.

Accountability

Sometimes self-imposed deadlines do not feel urgent unless there is accountability to someone beyond yourself. To increase your motivation to complete tasks on schedule, set dates with your committee chair to submit pre-determined pieces of a chapter. You can also arrange with a fellow doctoral student to check on each other’s progress. Research and writing can be lonely, so it is also nice to share that journey with someone and support each other through the process.

Common Pitfalls

The most common challenges for students writing a dissertation are writer’s block, information-overload, and the compulsion to keep researching forever.

There are many strategies for avoiding writer’s block, such as freewriting, outlining, taking a walk, starting in the middle, and creating an ideal work environment for your particular learning style. Pay attention to what helps you and try different things until you find what works.

Efficient researching techniques are essential to avoiding information-overload. Here are a couple of resources about strategies for finding sources and quickly obtaining essential information from them.

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/writing_in_literature_detailed_discussion/reading_criticism.html

https://students.dartmouth.edu/academic-skills/learning-resources/learning-strategies/reading-techniques

Finally, remember that there is always more to learn and your dissertation cannot incorporate everything. Follow your curiosity but also set limits on the scope of your work. It helps to create a folder entitled “future projects” for topics and sources that interest you but that do not fit neatly into the dissertation. Also remember that future scholars will build off of your work, so leave something for them to do.

Browsing through theses and dissertations of the past can help to get a sense of your options and gain inspiration but be careful to use current guidelines and refer to your committee instead of relying on these examples for form or formatting.

DASH Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard.

HOLLIS Harvard Library’s catalog provides access to ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global .

MIT Architecture has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

Rhode Island School of Design has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

University of South Florida has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

Harvard GSD has a list of projects, including theses and professors’ research.

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• Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates

Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates

Published on June 7, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on November 21, 2023.

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical early steps in your writing process . It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding the specifics of your dissertation topic and showcasing its relevance to your field.

Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation , such as:

• Your anticipated title
• Your abstract
• Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review, research methods, avenues for future research, etc.)

In the final product, you can also provide a chapter outline for your readers. This is a short paragraph at the end of your introduction to inform readers about the organizational structure of your thesis or dissertation. This chapter outline is also known as a reading guide or summary outline.

Table of contents

How to outline your thesis or dissertation, dissertation and thesis outline templates, chapter outline example, sample sentences for your chapter outline, sample verbs for variation in your chapter outline, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis and dissertation outlines.

While there are some inter-institutional differences, many outlines proceed in a fairly similar fashion.

• Working Title
• “Elevator pitch” of your work (often written last).
• Introduce your area of study, sharing details about your research question, problem statement , and hypotheses . Situate your research within an existing paradigm or conceptual or theoretical framework .
• Subdivide as you see fit into main topics and sub-topics.
• Describe your research methods (e.g., your scope , population , and data collection ).
• Present your research findings and share about your data analysis methods.
• Answer the research question in a concise way.
• Interpret your findings, discuss potential limitations of your own research and speculate about future implications or related opportunities.

For a more detailed overview of chapters and other elements, be sure to check out our article on the structure of a dissertation or download our template .

To help you get started, we’ve created a full thesis or dissertation template in Word or Google Docs format. It’s easy adapt it to your own requirements.

 Download Word template    Download Google Docs template

It can be easy to fall into a pattern of overusing the same words or sentence constructions, which can make your work monotonous and repetitive for your readers. Consider utilizing some of the alternative constructions presented below.

Example 1: Passive construction

The passive voice is a common choice for outlines and overviews because the context makes it clear who is carrying out the action (e.g., you are conducting the research ). However, overuse of the passive voice can make your text vague and imprecise.

Example 2: IS-AV construction

You can also present your information using the “IS-AV” (inanimate subject with an active verb ) construction.

A chapter is an inanimate object, so it is not capable of taking an action itself (e.g., presenting or discussing). However, the meaning of the sentence is still easily understandable, so the IS-AV construction can be a good way to add variety to your text.

Example 3: The “I” construction

Another option is to use the “I” construction, which is often recommended by style manuals (e.g., APA Style and Chicago style ). However, depending on your field of study, this construction is not always considered professional or academic. Ask your supervisor if you’re not sure.

Example 4: Mix-and-match

To truly make the most of these options, consider mixing and matching the passive voice , IS-AV construction , and “I” construction .This can help the flow of your argument and improve the readability of your text.

As you draft the chapter outline, you may also find yourself frequently repeating the same words, such as “discuss,” “present,” “prove,” or “show.” Consider branching out to add richness and nuance to your writing. Here are some examples of synonyms you can use.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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When you mention different chapters within your text, it’s considered best to use Roman numerals for most citation styles. However, the most important thing here is to remain consistent whenever using numbers in your dissertation .

The title page of your thesis or dissertation goes first, before all other content or lists that you may choose to include.

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

• Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review , research methods , avenues for future research, etc.)

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

George, T. (2023, November 21). Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved August 6, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/dissertation-thesis-outline/

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Home > Student Work > Honors Theses

Honors Theses

Theses are the culmination of honor students independent research under the guidance of faculty members and are representative of Union College's commitment to giving students the tools necessary for life-long learning.

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Stable water isotopes provide insight into the spatial variability of As and U in drinking water across the Northern Plains , Jacob Abbott

The Development and Testing of a Clean Cookstove Testbed , Emily Lazarine Abruzzese

Chronic Neck Pain in Surgeons , Alex Adams, Eliza Munns, Hannah Tokarski, and Charlie Withey

How Much Did the Rise of Energy Prices Contribute to the EUR/USD Exchange Rate Reaching Parity in 2022? , Trisha D. Agrawal

Comparing Newtonian Mechanics, Special Relativity and General Relativity for Motion Near a Mass , Aqeel Ahmed

Effective Features of Algorithm Visualization for Education , Nang Quoc An

Aerogel Window , Tingwei Ao

Retrieval Practice and Context Reinstatement , Jason M. Ayala

The Relationship Between Hospital Affiliation and Patient Welfare , Nikhil Azhagiri

Schenectady's Voices: Stories from Four BIPOC Locals Changing Their Community , Natalie Berg-Pappert

¿Cómo se define la maternidad? La diferencia entre madres biológicas y adoptivas en Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo: Madres argentinas luchan por la justicia y La historia oficial , Mollie Boone

Revolutionizing Cleft Palate Repair: A Novel Approach to Head Stabilization , Nathaniel Boule, Paige Kent, Brynne Rush, and Rebecca Laventure

The Role of Nutrition in Breast and Colorectal Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy , Jillian Bove

The Impact of Weight and Race on Perceptions of Anorexia Nervosa , Olivia R. Brand and Catherine Walker

John F. Kennedy: Words Louder Than Actions in Newly-Independent Africa , Aidan Briney

Reducing the Cost of the Turtlebot3 Autonomous Mapping Rover , James Brouder

Interrogating Historical Trauma Through the Lens of Black and Indigenous Artists , Sophie Anne Brown

Fetal Movement Visualization to Empower Pregnant People , Jing Chen

UC SAE Baja Steering Rack Design and Analysis , Daniel Robert Choate

Fighting for a Level Playing Field: The Reality of Elite Women's Sports in Today's Modern Era , Rebecca Clayman

Seasonal Landscapes , Talia Coker

Design of a Solar Tracking System with Independent Sensing Unit , Nathan T. Constable

Temperature and Direction-changing Effects on the Agonistic Headbob Display of Anolis sagrei , Ronan Coughlin

A Blessing or a Curse: Utilization and Inclusivity in Faith-Based Organizations Servicing the Homeless , Maeve Daby

Cambiando la narrativa: análisis de la narración en organizaciones sin fines de lucro en España , Maeve Daby

Text, Taboo, and Pleasure in the Resolution of the Chaotic Narrative , Augustus D'Amore

Automated Urine Management System , Bailey DeCocco, Benjamin Weiss, and Caroline Werner

An Examination of the Effects of Family Stability on Intimate Relationships , Jacob DiIorio

Mapping Hemlock Stand Distribution and Structure in Otsego County, NY to Develop Site-specific Mitigation of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid , Emma Drake

Fast Matrix Multiplication and the Wedderburn-Artin Theorem , Zachary Dubinsky

Investigation of the G-Quadruplex Structure in Precursor MicroRNA , Morgan Duffany

The Portrayal of Mexican (Im)migration in Children's Literature , Kimberlyn Falcon

Optimizing an assistive Brain Computer Interface that uses Auditory Attention as Input , Leonardo M. Ferrisi

'Accepted, But Not Welcome': Why Are BIPOC Students Not Part of Greek Life at Union College? , Zoe Flessas-Finocche

Canopy Shear Layer Perturbation by Localized Height Heterogeneity , Leonardo Gagliardi

Constant Velocity Joints for the 2023 Union College Baja Racing Team Car , Ryan Gardner

Reversal of Apoptosis as a Homeostatic Mechanism in Mammalian T-lymphocytes , Maya Gempler

To Buy or Not to Buy? Investing the Impact of Verification Status on Gen Z Purchasing Decisions , Justen George

Should Sex Education Be Taught in Schools? Sex Education Within the United States: Analyzing Social and Political Factors of Sex Education Within The United States , Elena Gerrato

The Effect of Religiosity, Partisanship, and Identity-Seeking Behavior on Political Engagement , Jackson Giammattei

Dame sexo o vete: Cómo la adición de mujeres crean una narración heteronormativa y sexista en Fresa y Chocolate , Natalie Giordano

The Association Between Parenting Style and Birth Order in Relation to Functioning in College , Natalie Giordano

Non-Invasive, Acute Treatment of Supraventricular Tachycardia for Pediatric Patients , Abigail Goyette, Alicia Slavit, Melissa Murphy, and Sarah Zukowski

Wage Dispersion and Individual Performance: MLB Pitchers , Amanda Granato

The Effect of State Level Policies on Telehealth Usage During the COVID-19 Pandemic , Cole Hartman

Quantifying the Effects of Aerogels for Their Use in Catalytic Converters , Anna Hoffman

Prediction of Future Workload in Cloud Datacenter , Son Hong

Vouvant , Graham Kaplan

Intimate Partner Violence Among College Students: Service Utilization and Quality of College Campus Mental Health Services , Hallie Rose Katzman

Tissue Retractor for Open Ventral Hernia Surgery , Joshua Kent, Hung Pham, Conor McVey, and Melanie Baker

Evaluating the Impacts of Accent and Semantic Context on Listening Effort , Avanti Khare

The Effects of Robot Eye Gaze on Task Performance , Haley Rose Kresch

Using stable isotope analysis to explore the exploitation of anthropogenic foods by Sciurus carolinensis and Tamias striatus at varying levels of availability , Megan Lee

A Neural Network Approach to Inflation Nowcasting Using Google Trends , Shizhe Li

Bipartite Intrinsically Knotted Graphs with 21 Edges , Shizhe Li

Getting What You Deserve: A Philosophical and Sociological Analysis of Punishment in America , Haley Martuscello

Improving Human-Robot Interaction: Modifications of a Social Robot on Dimensions of Gender and Personality , Daniella Massa

Autism, the Least Restrictive Environment, and Special Education Faculty Stress and Burnout , Carly Elisabeth Mattice

Childhood Perceptions of Interparental Conflict Predicts College Students' Friendship Quality and Social Support , Lindsey Clare McDonald

The Russian Migration Following the Aggression in Ukraine: an analysis of the implications concerned with increasing cost of living , Armen Paul Michaelian

"Association Between Previous Mental Health Disorders and Post- COVID-19 Conditions " , Mariyam Moqbil

Strategic Management Surrounding Firm Specialization and Competitiveness in the Mobile Phone Industry: Impact of Firms' Software Contributions on Time to Market , Muhammad Talha Mushtaq

A Novel Design of the Endotracheal Tube Bite Guard and Fixation System: The Bite Hero , Luke Musselman, Jia Wei, Zoe Watson, and Kate Fein

The Effect of Payment Method on Consumer Behavior During Economic Crises , Abira Naeem

Designing and Manufacturing a Human Powered Vehicle , Andrew Nordell

The relationship between helicopter parenting and risky sexual behavior in emerging adults , Emily F. Olenik

Development of an Affordable Hybrid Golf Shaft Using Sustainable Materials , Kenyon Pelletier

Asking For It: An Examination of Victim Blaming Reasons and Correlates , Jillian S. Ramey

Where did the time go? Using time judgment tasks as a predictor for adult ADHD , Travis Joseph Rathwell

The effect of weight gain on the neuromechanics of locust jumps (Schistocerca americana) , Christopher Ringer

Design of SAE Baja Portal Gearboxes with an Integrated AWD System , Devin William Rochelle

From 'cookie-pushers' to the Cold War: U.S. Foreign Service professionalization and a new foreign policy , Michael Rosenbaum

Liberty through the looking-glass: Comparative democratic backsliding in response to the French Revolution (1789-1806) , Michael Rosenbaum

The Dream Thief , Isabella Russell

The Neoliberal Attack on Education: Burnout for Teachers and Increased Exposure to Student Food Insecurity Amid COVID-19 in Low-Income School Districts , Julia Callan Rybicki

Assessing the Potential Influence of Anti-Transgender Bias on Memory and Judgements , Dante Sasso

Addressing the Limitations of the Medical Model: An Examination of Stigma, Challenges and Social Support for College-Age Women Living with Type One Diabetes , Karson Saunders

Uniform Justice? Examining the Role of the Judge Advocate General's Corps and the Military Justice System , Anna Segall

Liebau Pumping in Embryonic Hearts: A RIM-PIV Study of Liebau Impedance Pumping in an Embryonic Heart Model , Natalie Shearing

Guillermo del Toro y lo fantástico: Los monstruos y la inocencia en El espinazo del diablo y El laberinto del fauno , Natalie Jane Shearing

Families with Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Society Response , Nova Kim Shek

Automatic Play-testing of Dungeons and Dragons Combat Encounters , Fiona Shyne

Peruvian Stalagmites as Indicators of Past Climate: an investigation of MIS 8 and 9 , Hailey Anne Stoltenberg

Senatorial Partisanship Affects Racial Disparity in Federal Criminal Sentencing Outcomes: How the Federal Judicial Appointment Process Predicts Levels of Racial Bias , Abigail Olivia Strauzer

Characterization of Stream Turbidity in the Catskills, New York: Insights into Environmental Controls , Christine Marie Swanson

"Effect of interest rates on firms' performance in developing European countries" , Natalia Szumilo

The Effects of Alzheimer's Disease Progression on Caregivers' Mental Health , Rebecca Faith Tegiacchi

Season of Life , Jacob Titus

Effects of Gravidity on Maximal Jump Performance in the American Locust (Schistocerca americana) , Dana Truini

The Design and Manufacturing of a Sustainable Composite I-Beam , Shannon Tucker

Evolving Difficulty Targeted Bouldering Routes , Daniel Tyebkhan

Assistive Robot for People with Disabilities , Bao Vo

Exploring Intimate Partner Violence Among 18-24-year-olds During COVID-19: A Clinical Perspective , Lily Walker Money

Psychological Ownership and Insecure Adult Attachment , Alina Whiteside

Hiking Tracker to Give Directions Along a Trail , Jennifer Williamson

A firm-level Analysis of Political Donations and their Impact on Firms' ESG Ratings , Andrew James Wurts

No fue la fiesta de todos: unidad y género bajo la dictadura argentina en La fiesta de todos (1979), Basta de mujeres (1977) y Pelota de trapo (1948) , Anna Zdunczyk

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

A Middle Way in Psychology , Katherine Arnold

Determining Optimal Frequency for Brain-Computer Interface (BCI)-Based Color Vision Assessment , Ally Atkins

Experimental and Theoretical Analysis of Large Amplitude Motion in a Series of Aromatic Heterocycles , Lukas Baker

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Home > City College > Dissertations and Theses

Dissertations and Theses

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

Re-Envisioning Electric Railway Power Systems in Dense Urban Regions , Rohama Ahmad

The Menstrual Cycle in Psychotherapy: Interventions, Therapist Engagement, and Blind Spots , Rozita Alaluf

Motherhood in Crisis: A Qualitative Study of First-Time Mothers Diagnosed with Breast Cancer , Tamzin M. Baker

Parasympathethic Nervous Activity and Social Exclusion in Borderline Personality Disorder , Rebecca E. Barnes

Depression In African American Males And The Mental Health Stigma , Deanna Carrington

Mechanisms for regenerative intervertebral disc healing during early growth in mice , Danielle N. D'Erminio

Divorce as a Growth Process: Marital Separation and Separation-Individuation in Adulthood , Anna Egleson

Teach them how to say goodbye: student therapist termination at a psychodynamic training clinic , Michael Ferrara

Enforcement Through Voluntary Participation: The Impact of Non-Binding Informal Groups on the International Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime , Claudia M. V. Hampton

Atm-/-Ung-/- Mice Present Reduced Levels of Switched Immunoglobulin Isotypes IgG1 and IgG3 , Lyric M. Haughton

Is the European Union (EU) a normative power?: an in-depth look at its actions and policies on refugees, asylum seekers and forced migrants , Rumaisa N. Jumana

Understand The Structure-Water-Responsive Relationship by Engineering Silk Materials , Yeojin Jung

Reporting on UN Security Council: Decoding Media Bias , Alessandra Loiero

Identity-Focused Therapist Self-Disclosure in Matched Sexual/Gender Minority Dyads: A Longitudinal Therapy Process-Outcome Study , Brian Thomas Neff

Molecular Origins of Phase Stability in Phase-Change Nano-Emulsions for Thermal Energy Storage by NMR Spectroscopy , Jungeun Park

Explaining the U.S Failure in Afghanistan , Edwar Ramirez

Understanding Virulence Mechanisms of Parasitoid Wasps of Drosophila: A Comparative Approach Across Clades , Christina Ramsarran

A Study of Gender Apartheid: Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran , Golazin Safaeimojarad

Social Determinants of Psychosis: An examination of loneliness, stress, discrimination, and neighborhood cohesion in psychotic disorders , Alexandria Selloni

Exploring Spatial Operations of Distractor Suppression in the Sense of Touch , Nicole A. Serino

Investigating the Roles of DAPK, p53/CEP-1, and Mitochondrial Damage in Necrotic Neurodegeneration in C. elegans , Anil Singh

The Shadow of Grief: Understanding Grief Among Ethnoracially Diverse Young Adults , Rona R. Tarazi

BRICS Currency and Dollar Hegemony: Passing of the Torch? , Sami Tomaihi

The Development of a Computerized Text Analysis Measure of Differentiation Relatedness: A Pilot Study , Liang Yi Wong

Actuator Optimization and Control of Pediatric Knee Exoskeleton for Community-based Mobility Assistance: More Lightweight, More Affordable, and More Stable , Sainan Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

An Experimental Study of the Impinging and Freezing Dynamics of a Colloidal Droplet on Solid Surfaces , Andro Fayek Abdelmalek

Blockchain Framework for Secured On-Demand Patient Health Records Sharing , Meryem Abouali

Information, Communication, and Technology in Developing Countries: The Impediment to Nigeria Economic Growth , Fatima Ali Muhammed

The Seasonality and Climate Predictability of the Frequency of Extreme Flood Events Across the Contiguous United States , Ololade S. Alonge

Ultra-high Field MRI Methods for Precise Anatomical and Spectroscopic Measurements in the Brain and Application to Neurological and Neuropsychiatric Diseases , Judy Alper

Microfluidic Dual-Gel Cell Culture Model For Studying Cell Migration Under Controlled Interstitial Flow , Alimohamamd Anbari

Measurement of Fluid Movement Throughout the Brain via Multiple Magnetic Resonance Imaging Techniques During High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation , Jack W. Beaty Mr

Fine Characterization of Leafing Phenology in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest by Optical and Microwave Remote Sensing , James B. Bell

Sanitary Government: AICP, Public Baths, and the Battle To Clean New York City , Micah Blaichman

Virginia Woolf: The Bookbinder and the Bibliophile , Geoffrey Bridgman

Paradoxical Insomnia, a Chronic Insomnia Subtype in Patients with Temporomandibular Disorder , Christy Chan

Shallow water coral distribution and its response to climate change , Amaury De Jesus

Assessment of material properties in bone surrounding microdamage , Niovi Dollas

The Impact of Perceived Social Support on Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder , Elizabeth Eng

Robotic Inspection and Data Analytics to Localize and Visualize the Structural Defects of Civil Infrastructure , Jinglun Feng

Situating the Corrido in Diego Rivera’s Murals at the Ministry of Public Education , Calla Flood Tardino

Inequality and Violence: The Case of Brazil , Kimberly Forsyth

The Makings of Creativity and Empathy: Maps of Maternal Representations , Anielle M. Fredman

Examining Indigenous Engagement in the Formulation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): A Comparative Study of Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia , Viviana K. Gonzalez

Molecular Elucidation of Reaction Mechanisms in Aluminum & Lithium Metal Batteries by Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy and Electrochemical Methods , Leo W. Gordon

Understanding Failure Mechanisms using Multi-Scale Analyses to Improve the Performance of Zinc Metal and Lithium-ion Batteries , Brendan E. Hawkins

Exploring Information Leakage in Historical Stock Market Data , Edison Hua

Anomaly based Intrusion Detection System through Remote Virtual Machine Introspection , Huseyn Huseynov

Pakistan, India and the Indus River Basin , Muquadas Ilyas

Interaction of ADHD severity and neighborhood-level SES on Preschoolers’ Risk for Obesity at School-Age , Ramya V. Jayanthi

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Home > The Graduate School > Master's Theses and Projects > Master's Theses

Master's Theses

Welcome to the Masters Theses section of Digital Commons at Buffalo State!

The Graduate School and E.H. Butler Library post electronic copies of master’s theses written by students at Buffalo State. Theses submitted before fall 2011 are generally available only in print unless digitized by departments.

To view approved master’s theses you can Browse by Year or Search by Author.

To browse theses by academic department, please go to the department’s page .

To submit an electronic thesis, you will need to create an account. This process is easy and free, simply click on the “My Account” link at the top right.

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Big Dataset on PM2.5 Air Pollution in Beijing, China, 2014 to 2018 , Hutong Fan

Does Macroalgae Invasion Alter Macroinvertebrate or Macrophyte Communities in Wetland Habitats? , Alexander Krest

Regional-scale climate-induced variation in ant physiology and morphology , Daniel E. Murphy

The Significance of Abolitionism and the Underground Railroad, in the Buffalo area, 1840-1860 , Timothy J. Nixon

Native and non-native ant impacts on soil microbes , Hannah A. Stewart

Textual Persuasion: Trauma Representation in Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves , Elizabeth A. Wall

Theses from 2021 2021

Economic Growth In Haiti , Marc Arthur L. Barthelemy

Implementation of Project-based Learning to Entrepreneurship at International Preparatory in Buffalo: Its Effect on Learners’ Desire to Become Entrepreneurs and Impact on the Practice of 21st Century Skills , Susana M. Bernhardt

Developmental and Behavioral Responses of Early Life Stages of Fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) to Urban Effluents Treated with Advanced-Oxidation Processes , Amy Cavanaugh

Heavy Metals in ENDS Liquids: A Comparative Analysis of Products from the United States, England, Canada, and Australia , Ashleigh Coggins-Block

A Select Examination Of the Historiography Of The Causes of the War of 1812 , Shiva Czuba

The Challenge of E. Pluribus Unum: Waterfront Workers During the Civil War in Buffalo, New York , Anthony E. Gil

Common Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) distribution, diet and seasonality in western New York and morphological condition in lake and stream habitats. , Adam M. Haines

The Cost of Crime: A Study on Human Trafficking , Kirsten Krug

An Analysis of the Impact of RMB Exchange Rate on China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment , Yuchao Li

The Great Transition: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Transitioning from Diesel Fuel Buses to Zero Emission Electric Buses for the NFTA in The Buffalo-Niagara Falls MSA , Jonathan C. Meyers

Native and non-native ant impacts on native fungi , Chloe Mokadam

A Transatlantic Conversation on Medicine and Literature , Brittani Mroz

Failoure On All Fronts: The United States Army in the First Year of the War of 1812 , Gary H. Nobbs Jr.

Using Scrum to Teach Standards-Based K-12 Computer Science: A Prosepectus for a Master’s Level Methods Class at Buffalo State , Noah M. Pierce

Distinctly American: The Roots of Secessionism and Nullification in the United States , Patrick F. Ryan

Creativity, Design, and Brand in a Complex Reality: Towards an Emergent Model for Harnessing Organizational Innovation , Matei Schwartz

Shell Calcification and Growth of the Aquatic Snail Planorbella trivolvis Under Low Calcium Conditions Typical of Decalcified Northern Lakes , Shawn A. Witte

Theses from 2020 2020

Electrophysiological Analysis of Homotypic and Heterotypic Channels Formed by Human Connexin30.3, a Gap Junctional Protein Associated with Erythrokeratodermia variabilis (EKV) , Jesse K. Asiedu

Functional Analysis of a Critical Glycine (Glycine 12) in Beta-type Connexins of Human Skin , Rasheed Bailey

Dreissena in the Great Lakes: Benthic Community Impacts and Facilitation , Sonya C. Bayba

The Gap Between Family Income and Graduation Rates , Kaylee M. Gatto

Quick Freezing-Induced AuNP Aggregates as Near-Infrared (NIR) Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Substrates , Kristopher W. Hoyt

A Brief History of the Irish and Social Mobility in Buffalo, New York from the 1830s to the 1860s , Evan B. Kennedy

Ecofeminism in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings , Stephanie Kroneiss

The Psychological Effects of Patriarchy and Courtship: Eighteenth Century Women’s Mentalities in Pamela and Clarissa , Peter J. LaPorta

The Estrangement of George Orwell’s Modern Man , Christopher Nightengale

Cloning and Expression of Hydra Innexin 2, a Gap Junction Protein Required for Coordinated Contraction of the Body Column , Ashley O'Brien

Crossing Borders, Crossing Genres: Utilizing Genres to Explore Literary Themes Through Genre Fiction , Michael W. Rickard II

Life History and Metabolic Responses of Daphnia magna Exposed to Effluents of Urban Origin Treated by Advanced Oxidation , Benjamin Z. Szczygiel

Incidence of antibiotic resistance and plasmid content in freshwater beach sand and water and clinical urinary tract infection Escherichia coli isolates , Robert F. White

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Constructing and Operating a Streetcar System in Buffalo, NY , Daniel Kevin Zielinski

Theses from 2019 2019

16S rRNA analysis and toxin gene presence in Escherichia coli isolated from beach water and sand at a public beach (Erie County, NY) , Jennifer D. Jackson

Economic and Demographic Determinants of the Consumption, Saving and Borrowing Behaviors of Households , Micaela Joseph

Toward a More Universal Currency: The Impact of the Clearing Mechanism on Developing Economies , Evan Ross Kaderbeck

A biotelemetric study comparing diving behavior and brumation sites of translocated and resident northern map turtles (Graptemys geographica) and their response to replica model turtles on artificial basking/nesting platforms in the Upper Niagara River , Jesse M. Karcher

Release of captive-raised Eastern hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) to test the success of a chytrid vaccine and new cage design , Megan C. Kocher

Missed Moments: Kodak’s Failure to Define the Consumer Market for Digital Photography , Paul T. Moon Jr

Movements and Behaviors of Resident and Translocated Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica) in the Upper Niagara River with Artificial Basking/Nesting Platforms as a Management Strategy , Chelsea L. Moore

EDUCATION POLICIES AND THE EFFECT ON THE SKILLED TRADES WORK FORCE , Aaron K. Nadrowski

"Witness to the Witness": Slavery and the Writing of Disaster , Danelle Peterson

Extraction and Quantification of Cannabinoids from Chocolate-Based Products , Matthew Pothier

Does Family Income Determine A Children Future Educational Attainment Level? , Diaisha T. Richards

CORRELATING CENSUS DATA WITH BOCES ENROLLMENT DEMOGRAPHICS: A STUDY ON THE NEED FOR DEMOGRAPHIC COHESION , Dana N. Roman

Optimizing Methods for Separation of Adhesive Tape from Fabrics and Obtaining Latent Prints from Adhesive and Non-Adhesive Sides , Elizabeth Vosburgh

Theses from 2018 2018

The Lacanian Real as Absent Cause: The Name(s)-of-the-Father, or Les Non-Dupes Errent , Garrett Busshart

The Effects of Dynamic Versus Static Depictions of Actions Using a Modified Verb Naming Therapy in Persons with Aphasia. , Heather Clark

Effects of Spending on New York Counties Six Year Graduation Rate , Maxwell B. Costello

Cultural Consumption: Ideologies, Aesthetics and Economies in Marguerite Duras’s Work , Melissa Ferreira

Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance: An Examination of the Dow Jones Sustainability North American Index , Elizabeth A. Fides

Cryptocurrencies as an Alternative to Fiat Monetary Systems , David A. Georgeson

Experimental evidence that the non-native European fire ant alters invertebrate communities , Madeson C. Goodman

Full Employment, or a New Reserve Army? A Marxian Critique of the Employer of Last Resort , Michael Heubusch

The Seventeenth Amendment: The United States Senate and the Transformation from Legislative Selection to Direct Popular Election , John Joseph Janora

Whose Monster? A Study in the Rise to Power of al Qaeda and the Taliban , Nicholas Kotarski

Does Debt Matter? , Luhan Li

An Analysis of Chinese Trade and FTA using Gravity Model , MINYU LIU

Beyond Christ in Concrete: Exploring Assimilation, Identity and Manual Labor in Pietro di Donato's This Woman and Three Circles of Light , Giannina A. Lucantoni

The Bully Pulpit and The Pulpit Bully: A Comparison of How Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Donald Trump Used the Media To Propel Their Careers and Political Agendas. , Scott E. Miller

Evaluation of the Biocompatibility and Micromechanical Properties of Experimental Dental Adhesives , Hoda Moussa

Genetic Analysis of the Role of GRP170B (T14G8.3) During Toxin Induced Protein Folding Stress in Caenorhabditis elegans , Nancy T. Nsengiyumva

Reproductive Effort and Lipid Dynamics of the Emerald Shiner (Notropis atherinoides) in the Upper Niagara River, New York , Christopher A. Osborne

Comparative Study on Urban and Suburban Art Education , Estevan Jose Puerto Jr

Use of Interactive Notebooks in the Parenting Classroom , Kimberly A. Schildwaster

A Forensic Investigation into the Possible Origins of Three Human Skeletons , Jefferson P. Sinnott

The Impact of Macroeconomic Factors on the Price of Gold , Yunhao Sun

pH Sensitivity of Connexin 50 Hemichannels: H95 and Beyond , Leah Volk

The Stamp Act: Revolutionary Resistance in New York , Ryan L. Wagner

Impact of Online Shopping on Shopping Malls , Xaioxing Yan

Spatial Analysis of Air Particulate Pollution Distributions and Its Relation to Real Property Value in Beijing, China , Yingyu Zhang

Impact of Falling Oil Prices on US Economic Conditions in Both the Short Run and the Medium Run , Aye Mya Thant Zin

Theses from 2017 2017

Immunological Strategies to Study GRP170 in Caenorhabditis elegans , Raven P. Baxter-Christian

“I am the Handmaid of the Lord”: The Spiritual Development of Mary Ward Amidst English Catholic Clerical Crisis, 1585 – 1630 , Alyson Borowczyk

Lake Sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens ) Trophic Position and Movement Patterns in the Lower Niagara River, NY , Eric Bruestle

Ecology of the Young-of-the-Year Emerald Shiner (Notropis Atherinoides) in the Upper Niagara River, New York: Growth, Diversity, and Importance as a Forage Species , Jacob L. Cochran

Histories Become Fiction: Variations on the Literary Case Study , Megan C. Cole

Has Social Security Been Effective? , Matthew V. Danwin

Experiences of Soviet Women Combatants During World War II , Michelle De Jesus Reyes

Magical Realism and Film: A Look at Midnight’s Children , Jeff Floss

An Evaluation of the Emerald Shiner (Notropis atherinoides) as a Bioindicator of Urban Water Pollution in the Upper Niagara River , Rebecca J. Johnson

Dietary analysis of the emerald shiner (Notropis atherinoides) in the Upper Niagara River using fatty acids, stomach contents, and stable isotopes , Colleen Kolb

Literature Review of Project Based Learning , Katelyn Kwietniewski

Examining Elementary Teachers’ Attitudes toward the Teacher Ranking System in China , Siyuan Liu

The Introductory Geoscience Experience: A Study of Undergraduate Attitudes and Engagement at SUNY Buffalo State , Heather J. McCarthy

Consequences of Information Asymmetry on Corporate Risk Management , Howard J. Merrill III

Characterizing the Influence of Gap Junction Communication on Cell Volume Dynamics , Bona Mu

Behavioral Economics and the Effects of Psychology on the Stock Market , Justin L. Nagy

The Mediating Impact of Student Self-Efficacy: An Examination of Vocational and Academic Perceptions Among Students in Living-Learning Communities , Michael Palumbo

Scottish Emigration to British North America 1770-1783: The First Phase of Scottish Highland Diaspora , Beth Pryor

The Impact of Money Supply and Electronic Money: Empirical Evidence from Central Bank in China , Rui Qin

Stock Market Wealth impact on Consumption Expenditure , Ramberto Jr. Sosa Cueto

The French Way: Henry James and the British Theater , Jeremy D. Williams

Theses from 2016 2016

Synthesis and Characterization of Pyrazole-Substituted Tetraazamacrocyclic Ligands for Potential Applications as Contrast Enhancement Agents in Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Kayleigh M. Bemisderfer

Pyrazole Pendant Tetraazamacrocyclic Ligands for Possible Medicinal Applications , Anjuli Bhandari

The Skin Disease Mutation Cx31L209F Induces a Calcium- and Cobalt-Sensitive Leak Current Across the Plasma Membrane , Husain A. Bneed

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Masters Thesis

All students in the Data Science, Applied Mathematics, and Computer Science MS programs are required to complete a Masters Thesis.

This Thesis is typically completed in your last semester before graduation.

Requirements (Prior to Fall 2024)

• Prior to registration, students must have an approved proposal for their project. The proposal must have signatures from the thesis advisor and two readers.
• In order for a proposal to be approved prior to registration, the student must have started a dialog between the advisor and readers at least 4 weeks prior to registration. It is recommended that students initially contact (select) their advisor during the early part of the preceding semester to begin the discussion. Students do not need fully elaborated project plans to start the dialog with their advisor – the advisor will assist in solidifying and clarifying the project. Students do need to have an idea, topic, and rough goal to start the discussion.
• Projects that require the collection or evaluation of personal information may require approval from the College’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). The thesis advisor will help determine whether the project requires IRB approval – which must be applied for prior to DATA/MATH/CMPS 750 registration. Students who plan to use data sets that include personally identifiable information or actively collect information from individuals must begin discussing their project towards the beginning of the semester preceding their thesis, as IRB approval can take several weeks.

NEW THESIS REQUIREMENTS FOR FALL 2024

If you are entering the MS program in Summer 2024 or later, you will follow new requirements for completing your thesis. These requirements do not change what your thesis is, they change how you progress to your thesis semester. This pathway is available ALL graduate students, as long as you have at least 2 semesters left before graduation. If you are currently a 4+1 undergraduate student, you must follow the new guidelines/pathway. If you are entering the MS program in Summer 2024 or Fall 2024 or later, you must follow the new guidelines.

New Requirements

• During your second to last semester, you will register for either DATA 745, CMPS 745, or MATH 750 (depending on your program). This course is titles THESIS PROPOSAL . It is a 1 credit course, and can be registered just like any other course. The course provides instruction and support for developing your thesis proposal. At the end of the course, in order to achieve a passing grade, you must have created a thesis proposal, formed a thesis committee, and have had the thesis proposal approved.

Thesis Expectations

A Master’s level thesis project in Data Science can take on many different shapes, and students are encouraged to begin discussing their ideas with potential thesis advisors and readers as soon as possible in order to mold their project ideas into a suitable thesis.

Thesis projects may be characterized as (but are not limited to) any of the following:

• Technique-focused: Improving upon existing, or developing new mathematical and computational techniques for a specific problem.
• Tool-focused: The creation of a computational tool that can be used to solve or describe specific types of generalizable problems.
• Domain-focused: The application or development of a tool or technique to a specific domain, to answer domain-specific questions relevant to the stakeholders within that domain.

The key commonality among all Master’s theses is that students must demonstrate the value of their project’s outcomes. The thesis must contribute useful knowledge to the Data Science, Applied Mathematics, or Computer Science community or a particular domain/industry. While the deliverable of a project may be a technique/tool to solve specific or general categories of problems, projects may also produce visualizations, dashboards, or meta-analyses that expand upon and synthesize existing literature and data to build on knowledge within the field and/or explore ethical implications of data.

The project’s scope must be realistic, to fit within the constraints of a 15-week semester – while also substantial enough to warrant an entire semester of work (DATA/MATH/CMPS 750 are 3-credit courses).

A necessary component of any thesis is some degree of risk. When proposing a project, the student advisor will explore what aspects of the project may prove more difficult than expected.

• When a project involves using data sets to answer new questions using new techniques, the answers to those questions may not be what was expected.
• When developing a new mathematical or computational technique to better solve a problem, it may turn out that it does not!

The evaluation of your thesis centers around the process in which you went about completing your project – not solely on the outcome/deliverable. Your thesis committee will work with you throughout the project to guide you through the expected challenges you encounter – which is why constant communication with your thesis committee is so crucial to your success.

Thesis Proposal

A thesis proposal must clearly articulate the following aspects of your plan:

• What problem are you trying to solve?
• Why is the problem worth solving? What industry, research question, or group would benefit from the outcome of the thesis project?
• Why is the problem hard? What are the key challenges that make the project / solution / deliverable impactful?
• What are the ethical considerations around your project? How might various stakeholders benefit from or be harmed by your work?
• What are the core Data Science skills that you will need to complete your thesis?
• What is the specific deliverable? This might be an “answer” to a set of questions about a particular domain, a framework for solving generalized questions in your field, an application or program to assist common and difficult problems in your field, etc.
• What are the specific milestones you expect to accomplish, and when? Your proposal should have a project plan, outlining specific steps you will take to complete the project.

DMC Thesis Proposal Template

Please consult the Thesis Handbook for your specific discipline (Data Science, Applied Mathematics, or Computer Science) for more information about additional requirements pertaining to your thesis.

Student Thesis Handbook-v2

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Oxford theses

The Bodleian Libraries’ thesis collection holds every DPhil thesis deposited at the University of Oxford since the degree began in its present form in 1917. Our oldest theses date from the early 1920s. We also have substantial holdings of MLitt theses, for which deposit became compulsory in 1953, and MPhil theses.

Since 2007 it has been a mandatory requirement for students to deposit an electronic copy of their DPhil thesis in the Oxford University Research Archive (ORA) , in addition to the deposit of a paper copy – the copy of record. Since the COVID pandemic, the requirement of a paper copy has been removed and the ORA copy has become the copy of record. Hardcopy theses are now only deposited under exceptional circumstances. 

ORA provides full-text PDF copies of most recent DPhil theses, and some earlier BLitt/MLitt theses. Find out more about Oxford Digital Theses, and depositing with ORA .

Finding Oxford theses

The following theses are catalogued on SOLO (the University libraries’ resource discovery tool) :

• DPhil and BLitt and MLitt theses
• BPhil and MPhil theses 
• Science theses

SOLO collates search results from several sources.

How to search for Oxford theses on SOLO

To search for theses in the Oxford collections on SOLO :

• navigate to the SOLO homepage
• click on the 'Advanced Search' button
• click the 'Material Type' menu and choose the 'Dissertations' option
• type in the title or author of the thesis you are looking for and click the 'Search' button.

Also try an “Any field” search for “Thesis Oxford” along with the author’s name under “creator” and any further “Any field” keywords such as department or subject. 

Searching by shelfmarks

If you are searching using the shelfmark, please make sure you include the dots in your search (e.g. D.Phil.). Records will not be returned if they are left out.

Oxford University Research Archive (ORA)

ORA was established in 2007 as a permanent and secure online archive of research produced by members of the University of Oxford. It is now mandatory for students completing a research degree at the University to deposit an electronic copy of their thesis in this archive. 

Authors can select immediate release on ORA, or apply a 1-year or 3-year embargo period. The embargo period would enable them to publish all or part of their research elsewhere if they wish. 

Theses held in ORA are searchable via  SOLO , as well as external services such as EThOS and Google Scholar. For more information, visit the Oxford digital theses guide , and see below for guidance on searching in ORA.

Search for Oxford theses on ORA

Type your keywords (title, name) into the main search box, and use quotes (“) to search for an exact phrase.

Refine your search results using the drop-downs on the left-hand side. These include:

• item type (thesis, journal article, book section, etc.)
• thesis type (DPhil, MSc, MLitt, etc.)
• subject area (History, Economics, Biochemistry, etc.)
• item date (as a range)
• file availability (whether a full text is available to download or not)

You can also increase the number of search results shown per page, and sort by relevance, date and file availability. You can select and export records to csv or email. 

Select hyperlinked text within the record details, such as “More by this author”, to run a secondary search on an author’s name. You can also select a hyperlinked keyword or subject. 

Other catalogues

Card catalogue  .

The Rare Books department of the Weston Library keeps an author card index of Oxford theses. This includes all non-scientific theses deposited between 1922 and 2016. Please ask Weston Library staff for assistance.

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses

You can use ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global  to find bibliographic details of Oxford theses not listed on SOLO. Ask staff in the Weston Library’s Charles Wendall David Reading Room for help finding these theses. 

Search for Oxford theses on ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global

Basic search.

The default Basic search page allows for general keyword searches across all indexes using "and", "and not", "and or" to link the keywords as appropriate. Click on the More Search Options tab for specific title, author, subject and institution (school) searches, and to browse indexes of authors, institutions and subjects. These indexes allow you to add the word or phrase recognised by the database to your search (ie University of Oxford (United Kingdom), not Oxford University).

Advanced search

The Advanced search tab (at the top of the page) enables keyword searching in specific indexes, including author, title, institution, department, adviser and language. If you are unsure of the exact details of thesis, you can use the search boxes on this page to find it by combining the key information you do have.

Search tools

In both the Basic and Advanced search pages you can also limit the search by date by using the boxes at the bottom. Use the Search Tools advice in both the Basic and Advanced pages to undertake more complex and specific searches. Within the list of results, once you have found the record that you are interested in, you can click on the link to obtain a full citation and abstract. You can use the back button on your browser to return to your list of citations.

The Browse search tab allows you to search by subject or by location (ie institution). These are given in an alphabetical list. You can click on a top-level subject to show subdivisions of the subject. You can click on a country location to show lists of institutions in that country. At each level, you can click on View Documents to show lists of individual theses for that subject division or from that location.

In Browse search, locations and subject divisions are automatically added to a basic search at the bottom of the page. You can search within a subject or location by title, author, institution, subject, date etc, by clicking on Refine Search at the top of the page or More Search Options at the bottom of the page.

Where are physical Oxford theses held?

The Bodleian Libraries hold all doctoral theses and most postgraduate (non-doctoral) theses for which a deposit requirement is stipulated by the University:

• DPhil (doctoral) theses (1922 – 2021)
• Bachelor of Divinity (BD) theses
• BLitt/MLitt theses (Michaelmas Term 1953 – 2021)
• BPhil and MPhil theses (Michaelmas Term 1977 – 2021)

Most Oxford theses are held in Bodleian Offsite Storage. Some theses are available in the libraries; these are listed below.

Law Library

Theses submitted to the Faculty of Law are held at the Bodleian Law Library .

Vere Harmsworth Library

Theses on the United States are held at the Vere Harmsworth Library .

Social Science Library

The Social Science Library holds dissertations and theses selected by the departments it supports. 

The list of departments and further information are available in the Dissertations and Theses section of the SSL webpages. 

Locations for Anthropology and Archaeology theses

The Balfour Library holds theses for the MPhil in Material and Visual Anthropology and some older theses in Prehistoric Archaeology.

The Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library holds theses for MPhil in Classical Archaeology and MPhil in European Archaeology.

Ordering Oxford theses

Theses held in Bodleian Offsite Storage are consulted in the Weston Library. The preferred location is the Charles Wendell David Reading Room ; they can also be ordered to the Sir Charles Mackerras Reading Room .

Find out more about requesting a digitised copy, copyright restrictions and copying from Oxford theses .

Published August 01, 2024

Announcing the 2024-2025 Common Application for NYU

Billy Sichel

Assistant Vice President of Undergraduate Admissions

It’s August 1st and that means the application at NYU has officially opened. This year, we’ve made some pretty big changes to NYU’s Common Application to simplify the process for our applicants, and to help us learn a little more about you!

When you start NYU’s member questions on the Common App, you’ll see 6 sections that you’ll need to complete. We give you a little bit of a head start by checking off the “Writing” section. This section is optional – but also new and exciting! More on that later.

The General Information Section

In the “General” section, you’ll be asked a few questions about how you want us to handle your application – Early Decision I, Early Decision II, or Regular Decision? – and which campus you want to apply to. As you (hopefully!) already know, NYU has three degree-granting campuses: in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai. Our Common App will let you apply to any combination of our campuses.

Once you make your campus selections, an additional set of questions will show up that are specific to your campus(es) of interest. Nothing too tricky here! You’ll be able to tell us about your academic area of interest for each campus, and a few other quick-and-easy questions about program eligibility, housing preferences, etc. so that we’re ready for you if you are ultimately admitted.

The Academics Section

Once you have those sections squared away, you’ll move on to the Academics section. This section will walk you through the information we’ll need you to submit outside of the Common App itself. Nothing to do here, except confirm that you’re clear on the next steps and additional requirements.

The Optional Supplemental Question

Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for: The optional, pre-checked-off Writing section. Last year, we made the decision to update our supplemental question. However, what we heard from our applicants was that people really wanted to tell us more! But the thing is…we already know why NYU is a great place to spend your 4 years, so we thought: if you want to tell us more about your passion for NYU, let’s make the question about you .

The new writing question says:

“In a world where disconnection seems to often prevail, we are looking for students who embody the qualities of bridge builders—students who can connect people, groups, and ideas to span divides, foster understanding, and promote collaboration within a dynamic, interconnected, and vibrant global academic community. We are eager to understand how your experiences have prepared you to build the bridges of the future. Please consider one or more of the following questions  in your  essay :

What personal experiences or challenges have shaped you as a bridge builder?

How have you been a bridge builder in your school, community, or personal life?

What specific actions have you taken to build bridges between diverse groups, ideas, or cultures?

How do you envision being a bridge builder during your time at our university and beyond?”

So, if it feels right for you to tell us a little more about yourself in the application, we want to know where you will turn to for inspiration, and what experiences have shaped you and resonate with you. Four years at NYU will propel you into a future you might not even be able to imagine yet, but take a minute (if you want – it really is optional!) to tell us about the ideas that have gotten you to this point, and those that might shape you into the person you’re about to become.

These are just a few of the changes we have made this year, so make sure to carefully read each question carefully before you answer them. If you ever have any questions for us about our questions, we are always here to help . We wish you the best of luck this application season, and can’t wait to learn more about you!

More from Billy:

How to Approach the Common Application

There’s no wrong way to approach the Common Application, but here’s two different strategies you might want to choose from when you apply to NYU.

Submitting a Transfer Application to NYU

Everything you need and everything you need to know about the transfer process.

Why You Should Start Your Common Application Early

There are many benefits to getting an early start on your Common Application to NYU.