Master of Science Degree completion requires GEOS 6983 Thesis I and GEOS 6993 Thesis II– Students register for GEOS 6983 as soon as their thesis proposals have been approved by the Graduate Advisory Committee and department chair. The following semester they will register for GEOS 6993; they will continue to register for that course until completion of their degrees. A combined total of 6 hours “graduate thesis” credit will be awarded towards the degree. For each semester until the work is complete, students receive an "X" on their transcript for all thesis hours. These revert to a letter grade once the document has been accepted by the Dean of the Dr. Billie Doris McAda Graduate School.
A thesis is a formal report of original research. Theses in the The Robert L. Bolin Graduate School of Geology need to fulfill university requirements and Kimbell School of Geosciences guidelines (see below).
The university's Thesis Information page
Step 1: Select a Thesis Committee Chair (Primary Advisor) and Topic
The first step is to to narrow your interests and find an advisor who will direct your research and remaining academic endeavors. Graduate students need to investigate and discuss interests with faculty members by the end of their first semester. It wise to start early, as narrowing the topic may take additional exchanges to find a project that is interesting to the student, manageable by the advisor, and of reasonable scope for a M.S. thesis. Once a student and advisor agree on a general topic, they should also outline the remaining course of study for the degree.
Each faculty member specializes in a range of geologic interests. Although many students choose a topic closely aligned with the future career aspirations, the actual topic of thesis does not necessarily need to conform to a specific area of employment. Employers are most interested in graduates who excelled at a sustained independent research effort, as many geosciences jobs require these skills. Above all, you should select a topic that provides sufficient stimulation to propel your efforts (the thesis is a long haul, so work on something you will enjoy exploring).
Research areas covered by our faculty
Step 2: Form a Graduate Advisory Committee
Your primary advisor will direct you to find at least two other graduate-faculty members to serve as your Graduate Advisory Committee. This committee will be chaired by your primary research advisor, who will serve as your guide through the process. The other committee members will be involved to a level matching your needs. They will ultimately need to read and approve your thesis proposal, your thesis document, and evaluate your defense.
Graduate Advisory Committee Form
Step 3: Propose a thesis
Once you have a direction in which to work, you and your research advisor will work together to craft a proposal document to be reviewed by your research advisor and then by your entire committee. The proposal outlines the significance and scope of your thesis. They will in turn sign the Proposal Acceptance Form. A signed form makes you a candidate for the degree.
For timely progress, you need to complete the proposal before your third semester. You cannot enroll in thesis hours before your proposal has been approved by your Graduate Advisory Committee and the department chair, indicating by signature on the form linked below.
Good proposals provide a background information, an introduction to a testable hypothesis (research question), methods to acquire necessary data, likely outcomes, the impact of the work, a budget and justification, and a timeline for completion. Most committees are composed of faculty with differing backgrounds, so the proposal should be written such that each member fully understands the work to be done. The proposal is also an opportunity to start the thesis process, so writers are urged to follow the thesis guidelines listed below.
There are rules for the timeline. A thesis is not complete until the Dean of the Dr. Billie Doris McAda Graduate School reads and signs off on it. The deadline for this is two weeks before the end of the semester. It is advisable to defend two weeks prior to that in order to permit time to edit the thesis. A defendable copy should be in the hands of your committed two weeks before your defense date. Lastly, the defendable copy needs to be approved by your advisor, which is at least a two-week process. In other words, you need to complete the document eight weeks prior to the end of the semester. For example, a May graduation requires a March thesis submission to your research chair.
Step 4: Research and Write the Thesis
Research is a time-consuming endeavor. At its simplest, it requires a degree of data acquisition and evaluation. In pursuing this, you may encounter a number of setbacks and wrong turns, not to mention non-thesis (life) issues. For timely completion, you must fully engage your topic in the proposal phase and continue a sustained effort throughout the final year. A smart approach involves a daily effort, carefully documenting all work (notes, photos, videos, instrument readings), while simultaneously condensing findings into a readable discourse. In other words, you should construct the thesis text during the research process. It is equally important for you to meet frequently with your primary advisor to discuss specific progress.
The end product will be a robust, well-organized manuscript that presents a carefully documented study that provide new insight on a geologic problem of interest. The text must follow prescribed style guidelines and be free of grammatical and spelling errors. For completion, this document will be reviewed and approved by the primary advisor, then the Graduate Advisory Committee, and finally the Dr. Billie Doris McAda Graduate School.
Keep in mind that your advisor and committee are there to make your research scientifically robust; you want to avoid using them to correct writing errors. Therefore, the draft submitted to your research chair must be complete, well-organized, and free of grammatical and spelling errors. Authors should seek resources to improve their writing before submitting a draft to their advisor.
The Kimbell School of Geosciences permits M.S. candidates to use one of two format guideline options. Those not seeking publication of the thesis content will use a "standard" format, Master's Thesis Guidelines. Those preparing a manuscript for potential publication may alternatively use Master’s Thesis Guidelines for Publishable Manuscripts. Prior to writing, students should confer with their Graduate Advisory Committee Chair and agree on the format.
Master’s Thesis Guidelines (ST2023.01)
Approved Table Format - Tables should be text NOT images
Outline your work before you write. Start writing early and observe formatting constraints as you go. Permit a couple of days between drafts. Read and revise your work at least three times before letting others read it. Have someone else read it before it goes to your advisor.
Word can be a difficult environment to properly configure a thesis. Permit abundant time for formatting. Consider employing these tricks:
Use Styles for headings
Use Section Breaks to organize formatting and make page numbering easier
Use the Table of Contents tool
Use Text Boxes for figure and captions or tables
Use a reference database manager, like Zotero, for inserting references and works cited
Electronic Thesis Publication and Distribution Release Form
Step 5: Defend the thesis
Following completion of a thesis document that complies with the above policy and guidelines and is satisfactory to the Graduate Advisory Committee, the candidate then defends the thesis in a public forum, following the university and Kimbell School of Geosciences guidelines. Approval of the thesis by the Graduate Advisory Committee is required prior to submission to the Dr. Billie Doris McAda Graduate School.
Master’s Thesis Defense Guidelines (TD2017.01)
The End
In geology, the M.S. remains a wise investment for future reward. The thesis serves as a critical parcel in that investment. It also provides a lasting monument to your accomplishment and an important milestone in one's academic career. Fittingly, your completed thesis will reside digitally in the Moffett Library Collection and as a bound volume in the Kimbell School of Geosciences and the Dean's Library in the McCoy College of Science, Mathematics, & Engineering. As a completed thesis, the work is likely to be cited in future endeavors, particularly if the results are published as a journal article. It will influence future researchers for years to come.