Main Content Region

Masters Project/Thesis Requirements

Applicants must complete the following:

Before students register for ETEC 6963, students need to do the following:

  • Complete the course work.
  • Choose your topic and the first and second reader. 
    Currently, first readers are: Dr. Eun-Ok Baek, Dr. Stephen Bronack, Dr. Michael Chen, and Dr. Amy S.C. Leh. The second reader can be any CSUSB Full Time Faculty.
  • Complete the MA Project Application Form. 
    Please submit a copy of the application form to the Educational Leadership and Technology (ELT) department office located in CE374. The first reader will assist with submitting it to the Department office.
  • Write and turn in with the MA Project Application Form a one page proposal description that includes: 
    • Why is the project important and needed?
    • Who is the target audience for the project?
    • What product is the project going to produce or What question is the project attempting to address?
    • How do you plan to produce or carry out the project? Download an example of the MA Project Application Form The master's project will require a substantial commitment of time. Please allow at least 2 quarters to complete the project.

Project/Thesis Assistance

The following site offers assistance in formatting your thesis/project in MS Word.

Graduate Studies Office Thesis, Project, & Dissertation 

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Information - If you plan to interview subjects.

 

Project/Thesis Checklist

  1. Advanced Candidacy: Consult with your advisor (Not 1st reader) to complete your program plan. Once the plan is completed in the condition that you have completed (ETEC5000, 5430, and 5440, 6430), submit it to your advisor. PDF
  2. MA Thesis/Project Application: Develop a one-page proposal for your thesis or project. Work with your MA Project Supervisor/1st reader until your 1st reader approves of the proposal. Instructions and examples are available on the ETEC's Resource webpage. Then submit the proposal to your 2nd reader. All committee members must sign the proposal approval sheet.
  3. You will work with two committee members. Your MA Project Supervisor/1st reader is the instructor of ETEC 6963 and must be a tenured or tenure-track Instructional Design and Technology program faculty member (Drs. Eun-Ok Baek, Stephen Bronack, Michael Chen, and Amy Leh). Your 2nd reader can be a full time faculty at CSUSB (does not need to be tenured or tenure-track faculty).
  4. Enroll in ETEC6963. You need to enroll for 3 units once. Your thesis will be graded as either Pass or Incomplete. If your thesis is not complete in the semester you register for the course, you will receive Incomplete and will have one year to complete it. In the meantime you will need to enroll in an ETEC elective course or EDUC 6990 through College of Global Extended Education in order to keep your student status. If your thesis is not complete after one year of your enrollment of the course, you will receive the grade of Incomplete and you need to re-register for ETEC 6980 course again.
  5. Obtain the ETEC Thesis/Project Requirements
  6. Graduation check: Candidates for degrees to be awarded must request a graduation requirement check on the Office of Records, Registration and Evaluations website at least one quarter before the term of their expected graduation. For more additional information about the graduation requirement check, visit the Office of Graduate Studies' Graduation Requirement Check webpage. Advancement to Candidacy is needed before the graduation check can be completed. Deadlines and fees for filing are published in the catalog and in the Class Schedule. Students not completing their degree in the term applied for will need to refile and pay for the later term. Access to registration for terms subsequent to the stated graduation will not be granted until the graduation check is refiled.
  7. Obtain the Thesis Guidelines from the Office of Graduate Studies. These guidelines include information about formatting, chapter contents, and more. Read them and follow the guidelines carefully as you develop your proposal and thesis. Considering attending Format Workshops offered by the office. Visit the Office of Graduate Studies webpage frequently to obtain information in relation to important deadlines or changes in deadlines.
  8. Secure IRB approval if your study involves human subjects. The form is available at the IRB Application and Forms webpage. You must have approval before you can begin collecting data. It may take up to 1-2 weeks for approval for the exempt review. Plan for this.
  9. Write drafts of the chapters of the thesis/project. Provide your 1st reader with drafts that have been carefully proofread. The drafts will be returned to you unread if there are too many errors in the document. It is not the chair's responsibility to have to proofread poorly written work. Work with your 1st reader to refine chapters. When approved by your 1st reader, distribute your thesis to your 2nd reader. You have to submit your thesis to your 2nd reader at least one-month ahead of time you need it by before the First Format Review.
  10. First Format Review: You may submit your thesis/project draft (on regular paper) to Office of Graduate Studies for format accuracy after your 1st reader has approved a completed draft of the text. Theses/Projects with half-finished chapters, incomplete or missing sections (such as table of contents, abstract, references, tables, graphs, etc.), blank pages, and gross spelling and grammar errors will be returned unreviewed to the student. If the thesis/project is submitted incomplete at the time of the First Format Review Deadline then the student must change their graduation date to the following quarter. PLEASE BE AWARE: changing printers will affect the formatting of your thesis/project. If possible, use a computer that you can use from beginning (First Format Review) to end (Final Format Review). Draft copies, along with your name and phone number, should be left with the draft. You will be contacted when the review is complete. When your formatting check has been successfully completed, an approval document will be sent to your 1st reader. The thesis reviewers are available for individual appointments during designated hours and days of the week. The purpose of these appointments is to allow students to discuss the reviewer's comments and seek guidance in the formatting process. No appointments will be made to review a thesis/project which has not undergone a first format review. 
  11. Submit final draft to committee members with at least 1month time period. (Optional: Run your manuscript by a tutor at the Writing Center before submitting this draft to your committee. The Center is located in the College of Education.)
  12. Work with your thesis 1st reader to make all corrections that were suggested by committee members during the review.
  13. Grade: The first reader will assign a letter grade to your thesis in consultation with the second reader.
  14. Obtain signature from your first and second readers on 3 required copies (and any additional copies for your needs) of the approval/signature page. The approval page needs to be copied onto 100% cotton or acid-free paper, as specified by Graduate Studies.
  15. Final Format Review: Theses, projects and dissertations are now submitted online at CSUSB ScholarWorks. When you submit a thesis/project for a FINAL REVIEW to the Office of Graduate Studies, the thesis/project must be complete. Before final printing, give final draft for last draft review. This means that you have (1) fulfilled all formatting requirements, and (2) obtained the signatures of all committee members on the signature page. If these criteria are not met by the final review deadline, then you must change their graduation date to the following quarter. 
  16. If the above two (2) criteria for the final format review are met, and formatting is complete and accurate, then the Dean of the Office of Graduate Studies will grant final approval and sign the form. 
  17. Give fee receipt from the bursar to your thesis supervisor/1st reader.
  18. Graduate Studies needs a copy of the final version of your thesis at least a week prior to the end of the semester if you are having the bookstore bind your thesis. Graduate Studies needs two copies and the Advanced Studies in Education Department needs one copy.