Completing The Thesis

As noted earlier, a thesis defense will not be scheduled until the faculty Adviser and Second Reader agree that the thesis meets a passing standard. An Adviser will not pass a thesis prior to submission of a complete full draft. It is the student's responsibility to allow adequate time for the Adviser and Second Reader to review the thesis, as well as adequate time to make any required changes or corrections.

Submitting Full Draft

This is the draft read by both the Adviser and the Second Reader. Please allow a two-week turnaround period. This submission should meet the following requirements:

  1. The text must be correctly printed and spaced.
  2. The thesis must be correctly paginated.
  3. The thesis must have a title page and a table of contents.
  4. All additions and corrections already discussed with the Adviser and grammarian should be incorporated into this draft.
  5. The bibliography must be complete and in the proper format.
  6. Students should hand in (two) 2 copies of this draft (one for the Adviser and one for the Second Reader) and retain a copy for themselves. Submissions may be photocopies of a clear manuscript or computer printings.

The Second Reader will respond to the Adviser in time for the Adviser to discuss concerns or suggestions with the student prior to the defense. Upon approval, the student is free to schedule a defense. Please note: Submission of this draft does not guarantee approval for defense. The student may be required to do significant rewriting and should allow ample time for this possibility.

Thesis Defense

The defense takes place at least two weeks following the submission of the full draft to the Adviser and Second Reader and only after the Adviser has given the thesis an initial pass. The student is responsible for scheduling the defense in consultation with the Thesis Coordinator, the Adviser and Second Reader, for reserving a room and for making appropriate announcements. The student should arrange for a copy of the thesis to be placed on reserve in the library and should prepare an abstract that is available for those interested.

The purpose of the defense is to provide an occasion for the following:

  • for the student to present a brief summary of the thesis (15-20 minutes)
  • for the Adviser and Second Reader to publicly respond to their reading of the thesis,
  • for the student to publicly respond to any questions or make any requested clarifications, and
  • for the student, readers, and other faculty and students attending to engage in conversation on the topic of the thesis and the conclusions presented.

The format of the defense shall be as follows (time allotted 1.5 hours):

  1. Student summarizes methodology, research and conclusions.
  2. Adviser responds with his/her perspective on the process and raises any questions that remain about the thesis and its conclusions.
  3. Student Response (if appropriate).
  4. Second Reader responds to his/her reading of the thesis and raises questions or asks for clarifications.
  5. Student Response.
  6. Further questions or response from readers and student response if appropriate.
  7. Conversation is opened up to include questions and comments from other faculty and students attending.

The student's summary and ability to respond to questions is a part of the Adviser's determination of the final grade given for the thesis. The defense concludes the Second Reader's responsibilities in the process.

Abstract

This is a one-page or two-page condensation of the thesis including:

  • a statement of the problem or topic, including the thesis sentence
  • the method of research
  • major conclusions reached

Covering the abstract should be a title page (produced in the same form as for the thesis, except that the words "Abstract of" shall appear in a line above the title). The abstract shall be of the same paper and type as the body of the thesis. The abstract should be made available to interested readers prior to the defense date and is included in the final copy of the thesis.

Producing a Final Copy

Proofreading and Corrections

The writer is responsible for making all corrections suggested by the Adviser, Second Reader and grammarian.

Copyright Releases

Theses are bound, catalogued, and made available to students here and elsewhere. The student is asked to sign the copyright release form which permits copies to be made for others' research purposes.

Signing the Thesis

After the final draft has been approved, the thesis is submitted to the Adviser for signing.

Copies and Binding

The signed copy of the thesis is turned in to the Registrar's Office. The registrar will submit the thesis to the library for binding and processing. The Seminary requires two copies: one for the Library and one for the Archives. If desired, two or three additional copies may also be bound through the library at the student's own cost. Billing for additional copies will be done at the time the extras are returned to the registrar.