THE THESIS PROCESS: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

What forms must I have filed with the Graduate Office and/or my department?

• An approved Advancement to Candidacy form, with the program indication of Thesis 299 for the Culminating Experience.
• A Thesis Committee Assignment form, with your general topic and signatures of your chosen committee members and your program adviser.

What paperwork must I file while doing my thesis work?

• Registration form(s). You must be enrolled at the university during all fall and spring semesters when you are working on your thesis; if you plan to graduate during the summer, you must also be enrolled for that particular term.
  
  
  • When first registering for 2-6 thesis units, go to your department graduate adviser to verify your eligibility and obtain the thesis schedule number prior to the first day of registration.
  • Don't forget! Be sure you're registered during the semester/term when you are applying for graduation! (Summer applicants, please note.)

What additional paperwork must I file when I have reached the semester when I expect to turn in my thesis and want to graduate?

Application for Degree to be Granted. Graduate students who anticipate completing all courses and requirements by the final day of a term must apply for graduation online at their Student Center (My Academic Records & Registration > Master/Ed.S. Degr Pre-Approval), receive online approval from their graduate program coordinator/director, and pay a non-refundable application filing fee in order to complete the graduation application process.  The online application link is only available during the graduation application filing period.

What material do I need in order to format my thesis?

• Guidelines for Thesis Preparation , prepared by the Dissertation/Thesis Office, available at no cost from the DTO Web site (www.csufresno.edu/academics/gradstudies/thesis).
• Style manual or style sheet chosen by your department (e.g., APA, Turabian, MLA, CBE, J. of Anal. Chem., etc.—consult Appendix A in the Guidelines for Thesis Preparation).
• Formatting instructions (i.e., thesis template) from the DTO Web site. The thesis templates are discipline-specific and support MSWord for either the Mac or PC.

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WHEN SUBMITTING YOUR THESIS TO GRADUATE

How should I deliver my final submission?

• See "Dissertation/Thesis Submission and Review Procedures."

When is my final publication copy due?

• See "Dissertation/Thesis Submission and Review Procedures."

What general Graduate Office forms must I turn in to the Graduate Office by the end of the semester, in order to graduate?

• Graduate Degree Clearance. This form should be given to your thesis committee chair, who will report the committee's grade for your thesis work. The form then goes on to your graduate adviser, who reviews your complete file for compliance with degree requirements, signs off on the form, and (where required) forwards this to the college or school dean for signature. This form may be filed whenever your committee feels it is ready to award a grade; the process is not contingent upon Graduate Office review of the thesis, which is handled separately.

How can I make my thesis widely available?

• University Microfilms/ProQuest. The university's thesis consultant will provide instructions for deposit to UMI/ProQuest.
  
• CSU, Fresno eCollections. The university's thesis consultant will provide instructions for deposit to eCollections