{"id":2368,"date":"2020-10-20T15:07:45","date_gmt":"2020-10-20T19:07:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cah.ucf.edu\/english\/?page_id=2368"},"modified":"2024-03-15T13:55:50","modified_gmt":"2024-03-15T17:55:50","slug":"thesis-requirements","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cah.ucf.edu\/english\/graduate-lct\/thesis-requirements\/","title":{"rendered":"Thesis Guidelines & Requirements for Current Students"},"content":{"rendered":"

Please read the the\u00a0Thesis Guidelines and Requirements for M.A. LCT<\/a> program for details.<\/p>\n

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).<\/p>\n

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\u2019s degree completion time.<\/p>\n

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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Please Download the Detailed Thesis Guidelines and Requirements for MA LCT<\/a> program. The handout provides details of the following:<\/p>\n