Thesis Submission
From EQUIS Lab Wiki
I (David Smith) completed both a Masters degree (2005) and a Ph.D. (2009) with the Queen's School of Computing. During that time, the process for submitting a thesis changed, and it is confusing what steps a student must complete to finish a degree. There are also firm deadlines from the Grad School that must be met, and it can be a nervous time for students.
This page is intended to provide an up-to-date snapshot of the process of getting through the final stages of a degree. If you're submitting, please update this page! The grad school has a similar, more general page here:
Here's what you do:
- Write your thesis. The thesis templates can be found here: Templates. I recommend sticking with LaTeX. You have to strictly abide by the formatting standards, which LaTeX better enforces for you. There's no exceptions to the formatting rules!
- Choose a date and committee. This is a conversation you have with Nick. As your thesis is finishing up, Nick will ask you who you would like on your committee. He'll also make recommendations. There's a "buddy system" among professors, so Nick will ask the committee members if they will do it. You'll also pick a day you'd like to have the defense. In the end, you'll get whoever is available :) All Ph.D. defenses are open, but a Masters can optionally have a closed defense.
- Prepare to submit the thesis. In the days leading up to submission, tell Debby it's coming. She will get it on the department calendar and verify with the head's rep, who will represent the department at your defense.
- Submit the thesis. When Nick agrees that your thesis is done, it's time to submit it. This absolutely has to be done at least a month before your defense date. To actually do the submission, email it to: Rose Silva. They will check the formatting on your thesis so you know what must be changed during your revisions. If it's a big file, follow the grad school instructions in the link above.
- Wait for your defense. The time between submission and defense feels surreal. During this time, you should send your title/abstract to Debby and she will send a notification email to the department. Also, you must prepare a 20 min talk to be given at your defense. Nick is available to provide feedback on this.
- Prepare paperwork. A couple weeks before your defense, Rose Silva will email you a few forms that must be completed and brought to the defense. These include a "UMI" form, which assigns a classification, a "co-authorship" form which must be signed by any co-authors, and a "National Library license", which gives the government the right to distribute your thesis.
- Pass your defense. Professors are awful people who's sole intention is to make you cry! In actuality, it's a very professional experience and something you'll feel good about when you're done.
- Complete revisions. Haven't gotten here yet...
