Thesis Assistance

If you are working on a thesis and have a question not answered in the Guide for Writers of Theses or on this web site, email dissert@ilstu.edu or call 309-438-4593 to speak to a thesis assistant (available 8:30-4:30 starting in September).

Thesis FAQ

Continuous Enrollment Requirements Registration Information

Guide for Writers of Theses (2011) Essential reference for theses; includes sample pages. Follow 2011 edition if you will be completing your degree in December 2011 or later. Additional samples, format tips, avoiding common errors (pdf),  Department/school style manual preferences

Thesis template file (Word 2010) Instructions for Thesis Template File Pre-formatted sample file to help meet format requirements; use the Review function in Word to view comments section containing additional instructions (select Review tab, then choose Final showing markup). Template files are not available for other versions or for programs other than Word   

Copyright Authority Checklist Checklist provided by the university copyright officer. Contact Sarah Dick, sdick@ilstu.edu, 309-438-2860, at Milner Library to determine whether a consultation and/or permissions letters will be required before the Right to Defend deadline. Read the checklist at the beginning of your research and start the consultation process, if the checklist determines that consultation is required, no later than 4 weeks before the Right to Defend deadline.

Graduate School Dates and Deadlines (pdf)  All deadlines are arrival, not postmark. If submitting by mail allow extra time so that documents arrive by the deadline. Mailing address: Thesis Examiner, Graduate School, Campus Box 4040, Illinois State University, Normal IL 61790-4040  If express or overnight, add building and room: 309 Hovey

Deadline 1: At the beginning of your thesis research, complete and submit the Proposal form. The deadline on the chart is the latest date at which a student may begin research for completion in that semester; if you will be beginning your research earlier than your last semester do not wait until the last semester to submit the form. Your proposal must be approved in the Graduate School before you formally embark on thesis research. You will need to include protocol numbers as required by Research Ethics & Compliance for research involving human subjects, animals or biohazards. 

Deadline 2: As early as possible in the semester you plan to complete your degree, all required items for the Right to Defend must arrive at the Graduate School Office at least 10 working days before your planned defense, and at the latest by the Right to Defend (formerly called Format Check) deadline. Materials due at this deadline include

  1. completed Right to Defend Checklist
  2. complete draft of your thesis (must include all pages, from annotation through chapters and appendices, but exact formatting is not required for the Right to Defend) With the exception of the Thesis Approved page, there is no mandatory format check for the Right to Defend. The Graduate School now offers by reservation an optional format review. See details in the Guide for Writers of Theses.
  3. Thesis Approved page must be formatted exactly according to the sample page in the Guide for Writers of Theses or the thesis template file (format on that page needs to be perfect  because you will print it on final copy paper for your committee to sign after the defense—incorrect format could require collecting signatures twice)
  4. completed and signed Copyright Authority Checklist along with any necessary letters (read that checklist and begin the process at least 4 weeks in advance, since consultation, signature of copyright officer and letters may be required)
  5. copy of your approved thesis proposal form that you received from the Graduate School (if you have misplaced it, contact the thesis assistant at least a week in advance to request a copy) if all members of the committee are the same as on your originally approved proposal, write across the top of the copy “No changes to committee”; if any members have changed since the proposal, write “Committee has changed”
  6. if any members of the committee have been changed since the proposal, you must also submit a Committee Change form, completed and signed.
  7. Materials must be approved by the Graduate School before you defend. If they are in order you will receive a Right to Defend approval message to your university email account (you may schedule a tentative defense date without the message, but you must have the message in hand in order to defend.)

Deadline 3: As early as possible in the semester you plan to complete your degree -- at the latest by the Final Deposit deadline indicated on the chart, all required items for final deposit must arrive at the Graduate School Office.  Copies that are missing any signatures will not be accepted for deposit. In the event that one or more committee members is not available to sign in person they may authorize another faculty or staff member to sign their name before the deadline by sending an email message from their university account to the signing faculty or staff member with a copy to the thesis  examiner. Required materials must be approved by the Graduate School before your degree can be finalized and recorded. Copies submitted for this deadline must be formatted exactly according to Guide for Writers of Theses or they will not be accepted for completion. Materials due at this deadline include

  1. Completed Final Deposit Checklist
  2. Two final cotton copies of the thesis, unbound, formatted, printed and signed to meet department/school style manual and university-wide requirements as described in the Guide for Writers of Theses and printed on 25% rag or cotton, 20 lb weight white paper (confirm those exact color, cotton or rag content, and weight phrases on the paper package) that meets all requirements detailed in the Guide. In case of conflict between department style manual and university-wide requirements, follow university-wide requirements. These two cotton copies will be sent by the Graduate School to Milner Library after approval.
  3. 8 blank pages of the same paper to be used at Milner Library for binding
  4. Copy of the Right to Defend message you received via email, signed by your thesis director to signify successful completion of the defense
  5. Only if you added any material after the Right to Defend submission that resulted in a new yes answer on the Copyright Authority Checklist a new signed copy of that checklist along with any additional required letters
  6. Only if yours is a dual-approval program, a signed department/school format approval form

Request for extension of time (ipdf) For students who may be unable to finish the master’s degree within the total years of time limitation detailed in the front section of the Graduate Catalog.

Fisher Thesis Award Nominations are put forward by academic departments/schools and judged in the colleges before the University competition.

NOTE: To be eligible for the fall competition, a student must have received the Master's degree in the December, May or August graduation preceding the submission. Students who have defended their thesis, but not yet graduated, are not eligible. These students would be eligible for the following year's competition.