MSc Thesis Guidelines

The Thesis Secretary is available throughout the year for questions concerning format at 514-848-2424 x 3813 or in room S 101, 2145 MacKay Street.

DEADLINES:

The thesis submission deadlines must be respected if students expect to graduate at a specific convocation.

Students must also apply to graduate by July 15 for Fall convocation or by January 15 for Spring Convocation. Forms are available in the Birks Student Service Centre, LB 183.

What is an MSc in Administration Thesis?

“The MSc. Thesis requirement is intended to provide candidates with an opportunity to carry out an investigation in depth in a particular area of interest and to make a substantive contribution to knowledge in the area. It is expected that the thesis will include a comprehensive and critical synthesis of the relevant literature and will also embody either a substantive theoretical contribution to knowledge, a rigorous empirical investigation or both.” (p. 609 School of Graduate Studies Calendar 2007-08).

What constitutes ‘a contribution to knowledge’ will vary considerably between departments and among faculty. It is critically important that students discuss this issue at length with a prospective thesis supervisor. The basic objective of the thesis will generally be the result of discussion/negotiation between the supervisor and the student. The student should take responsibility for discovering the standard of work required by a prospective supervisor.

From a purely practical perspective the subject ought to be such that the work required to complete a Master’s thesis can be completed in about 6 to 12 months of full-time study.

Linking Up and Forming a Thesis Committee

Students Should Take the Initiative in the Link-Up Process

When seeking a thesis supervisor you might note that there are approximately 75 qualified (i.e. tenure-track or tenured professors with a PhD) available to supervise MSc theses, with great depth and diversity of expertise within this group. The determination of a thesis topic and the establishment of an appropriate working relationship is a mutual process reflecting the academic interests and personal working styles of both the student and the supervisor. Bear in mind that approximately 25 PhD., 30 MBA and 30 EMBA students are also seeking supervision for graduate projects in the faculty each year. You should expect to have to knock on several doors and “shop around” before linking up.

Before seeking to link-up you should normally have completed the core courses (MSCA 601, 602 and 603) and a Research Methods course. It is also helpful to have a grasp of some of the research issues in your area of specialization (option), therefore, you should have taken several at least a few elective courses. For a full-time student March/April is a good time to begin the link-up process in earnest in order to begin your research during the Summer semester. You should, however, take advantage of every opportunity to discuss research interests with faculty members.

A good starting point in finding a supervisor is to refer to the faculty profiles (on the JMSB website, or available through the MSc program office). This document provides the research interests of faculty members. Consultation with your option representative will also help you identify a suitable supervisor. At this stage the primary goal is to identify and link-up with a thesis supervisor. This person will have primary responsibility for the direction and completion of your research.

Once you have chosen your supervisor you will need to select at least one more committee member in consultation with your Supervisor. You then complete the “Link-Up” form (available on the MSc website under Current Student Resources) and submit the form to the MSc program office. The Link-Up form is thought of as a contract between the student and his committee. Before the final defense another faculty member who has at least a general understanding of the area of the proposed thesis must be added to the committee as an independent reader. For a full statement of the various responsibilities relating to the thesis see “Responsibilities Related to the Thesis” below.

The Thesis Proposal Document

The thesis proposal is an essential part of the evaluation process which spells out the student’s work activities and study goals for a six-month to one year period. The thesis proposal document is also thought of as a contract between the supervisor and the student. It is not intended to be legally binding on either party rather it is a statement of intent by the student to perform certain tasks (e.g., experiments, surveys). Given the uncertain nature of the research process one expects to encounter problems and opportunities which cause the research to deviate from an original objective, however, the thesis proposal should set upper and lower limits around what is to be done. Significant deviations from a proposal should be embodied in a new thesis proposal.

Generally, the thesis proposal is a comprehensive double spaced plan of between 6 and 10 pages and could contain the following elements: (From: C.W. Emory & D.R. Cooper, Business Research Methods, Irwin, 1991)

A Problem Statement or Research Question

The statement or question sets a boundary around the proposed study. It states the problem to be addressed or the question under investigation. The statement will include any restrictions or areas of the problem that will not be addressed. It is important that the problem be distinct from related problems and that the reader can adequately assess the scope, depth, and limits of the proposed research. The statement also communicates the significance or importance of the research.

Research Objectives

Specifies the precise objectives and purpose of the research, usually in order of importance. This section is used to verify the internal consistency of the proposal by checking to see that each objective is discussed in the research design.

Literature Review

Contains a preliminary assessment of the significant literature; the relevant research findings, industry reports, company data, and government documents pertaining to your problem area. At this stage the intention is not to be exhaustive but to identify the main themes and the important and relevant bodies of literature. If your supervisor prefers an extensive review, you may consider relegating it to an appendix.

Research Design and Methodology

Spells out exactly what you are going to do in technical terms and the rationale for doing it. This section will probably contain several subsections to show the phases of the project (e.g., sampling procedures, data collection procedures, measurement issues, data analysis, and theoretical basis for using the chosen techniques).

Schedule

Includes a description of the major phases or key activities of the project and an estimated target completion date.

Budget

Since it is important to consider the costs of conducting research, the budget identifies major research costs and explains the way they are to be funded.

• If you plan to apply for a MSc Thesis Research Grant please consult the latest guidelines from the Associate Dean Research. The information is available on the MSc website under Current Student Resources.

Approving a Thesis Research Proposal

Informal Proposal Defense

Unlike the PhD in Business Administration, there is no requirement in the MSc in Administration for a formal public thesis proposal defense. However, it is important that the committee and the student meet at least once to approve the student’s proposal.

The recommended procedure is:

1. Thesis Committee reads proposal
2. Student presents and answers questions in a closed and informal meeting
3. The Committee approves or suggests revisions
4. Any necessary changes to the Link-Up form are submitted to the Assistant Director, MSc/PhD.

Procedure for Submission of a Thesis

Please see the following documentation on the MSc in Administration website under Current Student Resources:

1. Preparing to Defend Your MSc Thesis
2. Thesis preparation and Thesis Examination Regulations

The Thesis Defence

The thesis defense is conducted before an examining committee, the chair of which is a faculty member from outside of your area of specialization. The chair will manage the defense process. Generally the defense will proceed as follows:

1. Chair will introduce the student and provide any ground rules for the conduct of the session
2. Student will make a 15-20 minutes presentation (typically power point)
3. Supervisor will ask questions. Previously submitted questions from faculty will be addressed. The chair will then open up the discussion to other faculty members.
4. When the chair is satisfied that an adequate examination of the thesis has taken place, the chair will close the public defense and request that everyone except the thesis committee leave the room.
5. At the “in camera” sessions, the merits of the thesis will be discussed and a recommendation made:
   • Accept as submitted.
   • Accepted with minor modification. Minor modifications are defined as corrections which can be made immediately to the satisfaction of the supervisor.
   • Accepted with major modification. Major modifications are defined as corrections requiring further research, or structural changes, or other substantive revision. When a thesis is accepted with major modifications, a precise description of the modifications must be included in the examining committees report and a deadline set for the completion of the modifications.
   • Rejected.
6. The chair will advise the MSc in Administration program office of the decision.
   

Responsibilities Related to the Thesis

Graduate Program Director

The Graduate Program Director (GPD) oversees the supervision of all graduate students enrolled in the MSc and PhD in Administration program and serves as the chief liaison with the School of Graduate Studies. The GPD is responsible for ensuring that the student receives proper supervision and that the program requirements are met, and is responsible for keeping the School of Graduate Studies informed of any development in or changes relating to the student’s program, including the appointment of the supervisor and supervisory committee members (where applicable) and changes to that membership, change of student status, course and program change, scheduling of examination dates, etc. The GPD ensures that the student is aware of all program requirements, degree regulations and general regulations of the department and the School of Graduate Studies, provides counsel on all aspects of the program, and stays informed of the student’s research activities and progress. The GPD is also charged with ensuring that students conduct their research in a manner that is as effective, safe, and productive as is possible. The GPD is the official representative of the department to its graduate students.

Student

Graduate students are ultimately responsible for their own programs. They are expected to read the Graduate Studies Calendar and any other relevant documents to become familiar with all regulations and deadlines relating to their program. The student’s fundamental responsibilities include ensuring that their registration is accurate and does not lapse, submitting appropriate forms to the department for signature, paying all fees required by the deadline dates set out in the Graduate Studies Calendar.

Thesis Supervisor

The thesis supervisor, in consultation with the graduate program director, must:

1. prepare a program of studies for the student
2. arrange for and attend all supervisory committee meetings and the candidate’s examinations
3. ensure that these are scheduled and held in accordance with Graduate Studies regulations
4. review the thesis both in draft and final forms

Thesis Committee

In conjunction with the thesis supervisor, the thesis committee meets with the student at various stages during the preparation of a thesis and makes recommendations for revision as required. Normally, the thesis committee approves the thesis prior to its defense and forms the examination committee along with the examining committee chair.

Responsibilities of the Committee Members

The basic responsibilities of committee members (as distinct from the thesis supervisor) are to:

1. approve the thesis proposal
2. provide assistance and direction to the student if necessary and appropriate until the thesis has been defended and accepted
3. evaluate the thesis
4. attend the student’s thesis defense