Please read the the Thesis Guidelines and Requirements for M.A. LCT program for details.
In consultation with the M.A. Graduate Director, you may decide to complete a thesis rather than the non-thesis option, which is an additional 6000-level LCT class. You should aim to decide whether or not you are writing a thesis by the half-way point of their program, or at about fifteen hours (5 classes).
The non-thesis option is the easier of the two and the one that the majority of our students take. The non-thesis option requires an additional 6000-level LCT class in place of the thesis. The thesis requires much more work than a single 6000-level LCT class, and it runs the risk of slowing the student’s degree completion time.
Why would a student want to write a thesis? First, if you have a topic in mind that truly interests you and the seminar topics offered during your program of study haven’t allowed you to explore it, the thesis will give you the opportunity to do so. Second, a thesis will give you the opportunity to develop a specialization. The M.A. remains a generalist degree, but a thesis allows an in-depth exploration of a limited topic. Lastly, the thesis provides an opportunity for sustained, self-directed research and thus provides preparation for writing a dissertation as part of a doctoral program.
It is widely assumed that writing a thesis gives students a better chance of getting into a Ph.D. program and of getting an assistantship when admitted. However, this is anecdote rather than fact: many of our M.A. students have been admitted into Ph.D. programs without writing a thesis. Nonetheless, the thesis option is good choice for students who are considering further graduate study because the thesis develops the research skills necessary to succeed in a doctoral program.
Please Download the Detailed Thesis Guidelines and Requirements for MA LCT program. The handout provides details of the following:
- Review University Thesis Requirements
- Choose a Topic Area
- Choose a Thesis Director (Must be a graduate faculty member in the MA LCT program.)
- Choose a Thesis Committee
- Submit the Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) dynamic form
- Submit the Restricted Registration Agreement for thesis hours credit
- Write a Thesis Proposal
- Write the Thesis
- Defend the Thesis
How to Register for Thesis Hours
Before you register for thesis hours, your Thesis Advisory Committee Form must be approved by the College of Graduate Studies.
To register for thesis hours, you must have a current Thesis Advisory Form on file. Then for each semester you are taking thesis hours, you register for thesis hours. You initiate a Restricted Registration form. Review the thesis requirements and full-time enrollment requirements in the UCF College of Graduate Studies Catalog.
Before you begin the form, ask your director what their expectations are for
- “Assignments,” “Deadlines,’ grade percentage (weight) for these assignments–this must equal 100%.
- There must be at least one assignment.
- “Consultation Policy”
- Briefly describe how often you and your director agree to meet during the semester.
- “Learning Outcomes”
- Briefly list one or two (or more) learning outcomes (i.e. “Complete thesis draft,” or “Defend thesis”).
Now complete the form:
- Complete the top portion with your Student Information.
- Course Prefix: LIT for MA-LCT students; ENC for MA-TC students
- Course Number: 6971
- Hours: 3
- If you have already completed 6 credit hours of thesis, you may elect to register for 1 credit hour to avoid excessive costs.
- Grade: S/U (do not put A/F)
- Instructor (Director) Name
- Include information for assignments, deadlines, grade weights (must equal 100%), consultation policy, and learning outcomes.
- Check the box asking for your agreement.
- Sign name and date the form.
- The form will then route to your thesis director and then to the College of Arts & Humanities for manual registration.