MS Program Thesis Work and Progress Reviews

For those students who elect the MS thesis option, the first step, to be completed by the end of the third semester of full-time enrollment, is the submission of a written thesis proposal to the supervisory committee. This proposal must be approved by the supervisory committee before the student begins extensive work in the selected research area. In the proposal defense, the student presents and defends, as required, the plan research. Each semester after the proposal defense the supervisory committee will review the student's progress.

If at any time the progress in the student's research is found to be unsatisfactory, the supervisory committee will report to the department chair, inform the student in writing as to the nature of the difficulties, and record the committee's opinion in the student's file. The student will then be given ample opportunity to improve performance and defend the student's position at a further review meeting held at the end of the semester. If no improvement has been demonstrated, the student's future program, including the continuation of stipend and tuition waiver, will be re-evaluated.

A minimum of two weeks prior to the anticipated thesis defense, the written thesis must be delivered to the department in the format described in a pamphlet titled Requirements and Guidelines for Graduate Theses and Dissertations. Guidelines may also be obtained from the Office of Graduate Admissions and Graduate Studies or from the Department of Ocean Engineering. An announcement stating the thesis topic and time and location of the defense will be provided to all department faculty and to the supervisory committee members one week prior to the scheduled defense. The announcement will also be posted in the department and/or mailed to all ocean and mechanical engineering faculty, staff and students.