Candidates for the M.A. and M.A.T. degrees are required to complete a thesis (2 course credits) or a special project (1 course credit). Both options require solid research activities. Their distinctive characteristics are described below. The thesis or special project is the culmination of a master's degree program. In this work, students are expected to demonstrate mastery of a field. Students wishing to conduct any type of research with human beings for their thesis, special project, or for any other purpose, must first complete a Human Subjects Research Form; only after successful review of this form may a student conduct his or her research on humans.

A. Procedures for Registration of the Special Project or Thesis

To register for the special project or thesis, candidates submit a completed Registration Form for the Thesis or Special Project to their program advisors before the end of the Fall or Spring Drop/Add period. The advisor then sends the registration form to the Registrar.

Prior to obtaining the required signatures, candidates are expected to consult with their program advisors to discuss a topic and a potential supervisor. The student is expected to undertake preliminary reading in the library prior to this meeting.

When the topic has been selected and approved by the program advisor, the candidate should approach several faculty members to find a supervisor (and reader for the thesis).

Once the student has selected a supervisor, and prior to obtaining the supervisor's signature on the Registration Form for the Thesis or Special Project, the candidate must submit a proposal to the supervisor describing the nature of the thesis or special project, the research methods which will be used, and a bibliography. The format and extensiveness of the proposal is at the discretion of the thesis or special project supervisor.

B. The Special Project

The special project will involve an investigative or research phase and a final product. Examples of special projects are: independent reading followed by an in-depth or integrative paper; research study with a written paper; a written curriculum project; a comprehensive literature review; an audio-visual production. The precise nature of a special project will vary from field to field. In the case of candidates for the M.A.T. degree, it should be relevant to teaching. The topic may be selected from the area of specialization or from the field of education. In all cases, the substance and procedures for a special project will be developed by the student in consultation with the special project supervisor. No oral exam is required for the special project.

Special projects must be completed by the last day of classes of the term in which the student is registered for the course. Appeals for a grade of Incomplete for the special project must be made to the Associate Dean of the Faculty. Students who fail to complete their special project in the designated term will receive a grade of "I" or "F" (see Section VIII. Course Withdrawals and Incompletes) and must re-register at a later date and pay the per course tuition that is in effect at that time.

C. The Thesis and its Review

In contrast to the special project, the thesis is intended to be a more comprehensive and intensive research effort, more ambitious in reviewing relevant literature, in gathering and interpreting data or facts, or in applying principles or evidence to the analysis of a special problem.

The thesis will be reviewed by a thesis committee composed of members of the Colgate faculty. Members of the committee will serve as readers of the thesis and will participate in the oral examination. The size of the committee, its composition, and the manner of selection of members will be determined by individual departments. For the M.A.T., one reader should be from the Department of Education.

The final thesis should be developed in close consultation with the thesis committee, especially the supervisor, who should receive chapters as they are written for modification and/or approval. Two copies of the thesis must be submitted and a final oral examination on it scheduled. Theses must be presented in standard form as shown in Proper Form of the Thesis. For proper form of the title pages, see Proper Forms of the M.A.T. and M.A. Thesis Title Pages.

Following successful completion of the oral exam, and the completion of any required revisions, two copies of the thesis are to be filed with the program advisor. These must be high quality bond copies. The copies will be bound and stored in the University Library.

D. Responsibilities of the Thesis Supervisor and Reader

It is the responsibility of the thesis supervisor to provide active instructional guidance to the thesis candidate, including assistance with the organization of the thesis, research procedures, treatment of data, and the quality of writing.

The thesis supervisor and reader(s) have joint responsibility for approving the final draft of the thesis (to be submitted prior to the oral exam), for conducting the oral exam, and for approving the final copy of the thesis.

It is the responsibility of the thesis supervisor and reader(s) to establish procedures with the candidate for keeping informed regarding the candidate's progress on the thesis.

E. Responsibilities of the Special Project Supervisor

The responsibilities of the special project supervisor are the same as those of the thesis supervisor described above except that there is no responsibility for arranging and conducting an oral exam.