CAS
THESIS
guidelines

Graduate Liberal Studies Program
284 High Street
Middletown, CT  06457
Phone (860) 685-2900
Fax (860) 685-2901

Overview

The CAS thesis provides evidence of the student's ability to independently produce, organize, and complete a graduate-level scholarly or creative work for academic credit.  In the thesis the student is expected to synthesize the research literature, methods, and knowledge gained from courses and research undertaken in the certificate program. 

Timeline

Students have a maximum limit of two years (six terms) in which to complete the final essay  following the completion of 27 units of credit (nine courses), subject to the limits of the six year completion requirement (eight years by petition).

Ideal Timeline for the CAS Thesis

Registration

Students register for the thesis and pay the tuition at the time the proposal is officially approved.  During the terms in which the student is working on the proposal or the thesis, the student does not need to register; student privileges will be maintained automatically.

The Proposal: Choosing a Topic

Students will work with their chosen topic for approximately three or four terms and it is therefore most important that students choose topics of compelling, sustainable interest.

• The topic must be within the student's area of concentration,
• The topic must be compatible with the program's liberal arts curriculum,
• There must be an appropriate advisor for the topic (a Wesleyan faculty member or visiting lecturer who taught a GLSP course within the past two years) who is available and willing to be an advisor,
• There must be two readers (a Wesleyan faculty member or visiting lecturer who taught a GLSP course within the past two years) who are available and willing to be a reader, and
• The topic must be approved by the GLSP director.

Where to begin
The best place to begin searching for topic ideas is in the student's former coursework.  Students should think back through their GLSP courses for ideas and topics that can be developed into a graduate level thesis.  The most successful theses usually arise from ideas developed in previous coursework.  Choosing a topic in which you have already done some research will make the thesis much more manageable because you already have a base of knowledge and research from which to draw.  Students are encouraged to schedule a meeting with Sheryl Culotta, Associate Director for Academic Services to discuss possible topics, advisors, and readers.  Sheryl can be reached by email or by phone at 860-685-3008.

The topic for the thesis can be on just about anything that would fit within the GLSP curriculum as long as we have an advisor with the appropriate expertise available to advise the student.  However, professional projects such as lesson plans, instruction manuals, or purely technical descriptions are not consistent with the GLSP curriculum and will not be approved for the thesis.  Areas of inquiry not taught at Wesleyan may not be approved.  The topic may be interdisciplinary, as long as the work is clearly related to the student's area of concentration. 

The Proposal: Choosing a Committee

Requirements

• The advisor and readers must be either
  • members of the Wesleyan faculty, or
  • GLSP visiting lecturers who have offered a course in the program within the last two years,

• The advisor's area of expertise must be within the student's area of concentration,
• The readers' areas of expertise must overlap with the student's topic,
• The advisor and readers must be available to serve as advisors throughout the entire process, and
• The advisor and readers must be approved by the GLSP director.

If it is not possible to work with a previous GLSP instructor, you will need to find a faculty member or recent GLSP instructor who has expertise in the area of your final essay .  If you have potential advisors in mind, you may contact the potential advisors to arrange a meeting to discuss your ideas and whether the instructor would be able to serve in that capacity.  At this stage, you should be prepared to discuss the proposed topic(s) in some depth.  The preliminary research will assist you in developing an outline and goals for the essay that will facilitate the discussion with the faculty advisor. You should also be prepared to discuss a tentative schedule for completing the final essay with the advisor.  At this initial meeting it is advisable to confirm that the faculty member will be able to serve as advisor throughout the entire process from development of the proposal through submission of the final approved essay.  This timeframe is typically three to four terms (12 - 16 months), and both the student and faculty member should be prepared for this commitment.  Faculty readers may be chosen from among qualified Wesleyan and GLSP instructors, and may be recommended by the Associate Director for Academic Services or the GLSP director.

Students are encouraged to schedule a meeting with Sheryl Culotta, Associate Director for Academic Services, to discuss possible topic(s) and develop a list of potential advisors and readers.  Sheryl can be reached at 860-685-3008 or by email.

The Proposal: Writing the Proposal

Requirements  

Title page (1 page)

The title page must include a working title, formatted exactly as the sample in the essay guidelines.

Proposal (5 - 7 pages)

 1.        Abstract (1 paragraph)

In one paragraph, state the central question, theme, or problem your essay  will address. Do not use generalizations; you should state your issue in the form of a developed thesis statement.

2.        Development of topic

Provide a detailed description of the topic and the academic context (i.e., the problems or issues in the field that the thesis will address). This discussion may include a description of a hypothesis, anticipated results, process, product, artistic direction planned, or expected findings.  If pursuing a project, describe the genre in which you will be working.

 3.       Methodology 

Address the academic disciplines from which you will draw and explain which of these disciplines will inform the methodology you use. Provide a detailed description of the methods of inquiry and analysis.  If pursuing a project, explain the techniques and media to be used.

4.        Literature review: analysis of scholarly context

Review the available literature on the topic: what is already known about the topic? What is not known? How does this information relate to the proposed work?

5.        Anticipated conclusion

Provide a description of what you expect to find as the result of your research.

Appendices

1.        Timetable 

Document the key milestones required to complete the master's essay in the specified timeframe and provide description of how the student will interact with the faculty advisor: schedule of meetings, timeframe for response and feedback, key dates to deliver information for review, review for publication style compliance, etc.

2.        Wesleyan resources

Describe the faculty and library resources available at Wesleyan that will support your project.

3.        Bibliography  (4 - 7 pages)

Preliminary list of the source materials to be used (libraries, readings, references, labs, field area, etc.), documented using one of the publication styles (i.e., APA, MLA, Chicago, or Turabian.

4.        Thesis Approval Form signed by advisor, readers, and student, submitted for approval by GLSP director.

5.                 All documents required for IRB approval (required only if student plans to use human subjects as data).

Revisions and Approval
Once the GLSP director has reviewed your proposal, you will receive a letter in the mail stating (1) that the proposal has been approved as is, (2) that it will be approved with the following revisions, or (3) that the director would like you to make the following revisions and re-submit the proposal.  In the letter, the GLSP director will comment on the concept, content/clarity, and formatting of the proposal.  In many cases, the GLSP director will ask for revisions to the proposal prior to approval.  Students should factor this possibility into their timeline.

Use of Human Research Subjects

Most proposals will be granted an expedited IRB review.  However, if the proposed research presents particular concerns, it will be subject to a full board review.  The full process for submitting all projects to the IRB can be found here.  Your proposal to the GLSP should include all of the information you intend to submit to the IRB.  After your proposal has been approved by the GLSP, you will submit the proposal to the IRB.

Student-Advisor Relationship and Responsibilities

The student and faculty advisor will work together from the development of the initial proposal through to the completion of the final revisions.  It is important for both the student and the advisor to understand their responsibilities to ensure that the student-advisor relationship is successful.

• Ensure that the student's proposal is sufficiently detailed so that it communicates the intent and viability of the proposed topic;
• Ensure that the student is meeting the goals of the proposal during the development of the official draft;
• Serve as an academic subject expert to the student, helping to identify source materials, etc.; and
• Be able to assist the student in meeting the requirements of the style manual used for the particular essay  (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian), unless other arrangements are made with the student.  Please note students should always use the latest edition of any publication style manual.

The student should:

• Ask the advisor for help when necessary;
• Implement changes suggested by the advisor; and
• Keep in contact with the advisor on a regular basis.

The Thesis  

• exploring how the primary and secondary literature and other sources in that field speak to that question,
• conducting substantial, in-depth research (and, if a scientific project, experimentation) in the field of study,
• analyzing the relationship between the thesis topic and other formulations of the issue and related issues in the broader field of study,
• formulating a central argument and supporting it by analyzing several different sources to show varying ways of expressing and understanding the argument, and
• drawing together the tendrils of those supporting analyses to construct a concluding analysis of your question in a way that articulates your argument in greater depth and complexity than was possible earlier in the thesis.

The CAS thesis is more advanced than a master's essay and not as intensive or lengthy as a doctoral thesis. Whereas the master's essay demonstrates knowledge of a field through an in-depth study; and a doctoral thesis makes a unique contribution to knowledge in the academic discipline through an original discovery, analytical method, or interpretation of extant sources that is presented with discussion of its context within all of the relevant secondary sources in the field; the CAS thesis should make an original argument based on original research and analysis of both primary and secondary sources. The thesis should be approximately 100 pages in length.

The Creative Thesis
For students engaged in a creative thesis, such as a series of paintings, a collection of poems, or a novel, the CAS thesis has two parts: the creative component and the academic analysis. The size and scope of the creative component will be determined by the advisor, and should be—in the advisor's estimation—equivalent to the scope of a 100-page written thesis. The academic analysis—the second component of the thesis—should be 30 pages, and should constitute a written analysis of the creative project in its academic context: what is the argument of the work? what are the methods and techniques of the work? how is the work distinct in its field? to which artists does the work speak, and what is it saying to those different artists? to which philosophical tenets, interpretive methods, theories, and/or arguments within the relevant secondary literature does the work speak, and what is it saying?

The academic analysis should put the work in its academic context, but not offer a personal autobiography. The academic analysis is meant to answer the question of what does the work do/argue and why; it is not meant to answer questions about personal inspiration, how the artist's feelings have changed over time, or other such non-academic topics. Personal narratives are appropriate for the creative component; in the academic component, the responsibility is to explore the academic relevance, critical success, and intellectual significance of the creative work.

The Scientific or Mathematical Thesis
For students engaged in a scientific or mathematical thesis in which the student conducts original experiments or makes a non-narrative mathematical argument, the thesis has two components. The first component is a presentation of the experiment (subject studied, methods, data sets, findings) or the mathematical argument. The second component is the academic analysis of the experiment or the mathematical argument. The student should work with the advisor to determine the size and scope of each component. It is understood that the presentation of the scientific experiment or the mathematical argument could be quite short in written form even if quite elaborate in construction or implementation (or vice versa). Depending on the topic, the academic analysis could require anywhere from 30 to 100 pages; the advisor will supervise this aspect of the student's work.

Documentation of Creative or Scientific Thesis Work
Students who complete theses with a creative or scientific component must submit videotapes, photographs, slides, charts, and/or other appropriate forms of documentation such as programs or gallery lists.  Field projects might include a research-style manuscript and/or videos, photographs, charts, computer files, or other appropriate forms of documentation.  The thesis committee must view the performance or studio work, preferably in person.  Whenever possible, the GLSP director or designee should also attend a show or performance.

Student Art Exhibitions
A gallery exhibition is not a requirement for graduation.  However, graduating students interested in showing their work at Wesleyan's Zilkha Gallery may be able to do so during the summer term following commencement.  The availability of Zilkha Gallery is dependent on the Center for the Arts (CFA) summer schedule of events and the University's plans for building renovations and maintenance.  Commitments regarding a summer exhibit in Zilkha cannot be made until the CFA has confirmed the gallery's availability.

Students who elect to mount a gallery exhibition are welcome to seek out other galleries or locations such as schools or public buildings in their communities for more convenient showing schedules.  The coordination of an exhibition held off campus is the sole responsibility of the student(s).

Completing the Thesis  

Colloquium
The colloquium is an opportunity for the student to have a conversation in person with the advisor and the readers to discuss the student's work in progress. The student will discuss the work completed to date, the intentions for work remaining to be done, the anticipated conclusion, and will ask for responses to specific intellectual questions with which the student is grappling. The advisor and readers will give the student feedback on the progression of the work, making suggestions about primary and secondary sources the student should consult, about the construction of the argument, and about issues the student does not address that should be addressed for the project to be fully realized. The difference between the colloquium and a thesis defense is that the colloquium is designed to support and guide the student, giving feedback while the student still has time to incorporate it into the work.

The colloquium should be scheduled to occur when the student feels that the thesis is approximately 1/2 to 2/3 complete.  The student needs to consult with the advisor and readers as well as the GLSP office to determine a time when the student, advisor, two readers, and the GLSP director will be available to meet.  Once a date and time is determined, the GLSP office will schedule a meeting room on campus. Students are expected to submit at least 40 to 50 pages worth of work to this faculty committee at least four weeks prior to the scheduled colloquium.

The student will introduce the colloquium with a brief presentation discussing what the he or she is arguing and where the work currently stands.  The student should be prepared to identify the areas where the most feedback is needed and to ask questions of the faculty committee that will help the student in his or her work over the next few months. 

The GLSP office will send a confirmation letter to the student upon receipt of the official draft.  Students planning to graduate in the upcoming commencement must submit their official draft no later than March 15 (or the Monday following the date if it falls on the weekend).  Official drafts are sent to the faculty readers and a confirmation letter is sent to the student and the advisor.  The readers have approximately 4 to 6 weeks (excluding holidays) to review the work and forward comments to the student, the faculty advisor, and the GLSP office. 

Submission Requirements

Paper:

• 24 pound or heavier
• Archival quality/acid free
• White bond
• 8-1/2 x 11 inch format

• Printed using a laser printer or another of comparable quality (not inkjet or similar quality printers due to the "bleeding" of the ink)

• Paper must be loose sheets (i.e., not in a binder)
• Deliver in person (If this is not possible, the copies should be boxed to avoid damage.  Students should consider mailing the document by registered or certified mail to the GLSP Office.)
• Must be accompanied by the Binding Form and required binding fee of $20 per copy (check payable to Wesleyan or credit card information; cash is not permitted).
• If multiple copies are submitted for binding, all copies must be printed on archival paper.

The forms and all required binding fees must be submitted to the GLSP office with the copies to be bound.  Candidates are charged a binding fee of $20.00 per copy.  Binding fees may be paid by check or credit card only.  Checks should be made payable to Wesleyan University.  The GLSP office will not produce or photocopy any of the copies for binding.

Completion
Once the thesis is approved and graded—providing all other certificate requirements have been met—three units of credit will be awarded, the student's program is considered completed, and the student earns the rights and carries the responsibilities of the certificate.  Please note that students graduate and diplomas are issued only during the annual spring commencement, held in late May.  For letters of completion, students must submit a written request to the Assistant Director for Student Services, allowing 2 to 4 weeks for requests to be processed.  For an official transcript, students should contact the Office of the Wesleyan University Registrar, (860) 685-2810.

Formatting Guidelines
All proposals, theses, projects, or accompanying project narratives must be prepared according to the following formatting guidelines:

• Font: a standard typeface or font must be used throughout the document (e.g., Times New Roman, font size 12).
• Margins: 1" margin on the top, right, and bottom; 1-1/4" margin on the left to accommodate binding.
• Justification: must be left justified.
• Double-spaced based on the standard manuscript format, except where creativity requires something different (as in some poetry formats).
• Single-sided: the document must have print on only one side of the paper.
• Style manual: the document must adhere to requirements in the latest edition of the chosen publication style manual (see Publication Style Manual Guidelines in this document).
• Illustrations: if they are an integral part of the project, illustrations must be originals or commercial quality copies.
• Title page: must be formatted as demonstrated at the end of this document.

• Title page (must adhere to the GLSP format on page 15)
• Copyright page
• Preface or acknowledgements
• Margins
• Table of contents
• Chapters (headers)
• Footnotes or endnotes
• Use and placement of quotes and punctuation
• References, bibliography, list of works cited/consulted
• Citations
• Figures (charts, graphs, maps, photos, drawings) and tables
• Appendices

          American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American psychological association (5^th ed.). New York, NY: American Psychological Association.

         Turabian, K. L. (1996). A manual for writers of term papers, term papers, theses, and dissertations. (6^th ed.). Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.

Copyright © 2003 Jane E. Smith

A dictionary definition of plagiarism includes "copying or imitating the language, ideas, and thought of another and passing off the same as one's original work."  It is sometimes difficult, however, to assess the degree of indebtedness to sources.  Paraphrasing or borrowing an idea, for example, is not the same as a direct quotation, but the source of the idea may still need to be cited.  In general it is better to say too much about sources than too little.  For guidance on citations and acknowledgments, the student should consult the style manual or consult with his/her faculty advisor.  Please note that illustrations not original to the student's work must also be properly cited.

Student Checklist for Thesis  (download checklist as a Word document)
This checklist is designed to serve as a guide to assist the student while moving through the thesis proposal and official draft process.  The student should work closely with his/her faculty advisor and GLSP academic advisor to ensure that all requirements are met to complete the program.

Sample title page

Sample copyright page