Thesis

The 2-credit Thesis is modelled on a short scholarly monograph of approximately 100-120 pages (excluding bibliography), with multiple chapters. Thesis students may, with the permission of the Program, explore non-traditional modes of presentation such as scholarly editions or digital technology or performance. The Thesis may be completed in one year (3 semesters), but two year is more common and funding is available for a second year.

SAMPLE THESIS TOPICS

  • “Poetry is a Speaking Picture, Painting a Silent Poetry”: the  Intersection of Art and Literature in the Works of P. K. Page

  • Audience Aesthetics: Jonathan Franzen, David Foster Wallace, and the Post-Postmodern Text

  • The Tramp, the Fan, and the Working Man: Bruce Springsteen, the Road, and American Publics

  • Reading and Writing Are Dangerous: Exploring the Creative Process in the Works of Stephen King

  • Reading Paintings: Visual Culture and Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion

  • Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone: Shifting Centres, Margins, and Publics

  • Belling the Cat: Public Misrule and Literary Political Technologies in 1381

 

DEVELOPING A PROPOSAL

Throughout the year, students will be presenting reports on the progress of their thesis at the Research and Professional Development Seminars. In addition to this they will be developing their projects with their supervisor.

Initial Thesis Proposal

The student and supervisor will meet as soon as possible to discuss the student’s project. Over the course of first term they will work towards developing a brief initial proposal of about one page plus a draft bibliography for submission to the Supervisory Committee and they will fill out and sign a Thesis Agreement . These will both be completed by late December or early January.

Application for Ethical Review

When appropriate, generally when the research involves interviews, the student and supervisor must fill out an Application for Ethical Review form for submission to the Office of Graduate Studies at least 8 weeks before the beginning of the research in question. Guidelines and forms are available on the Research Ethics page of the University website.

Final Thesis Proposal

By the end of March students will have developed their final proposal and will make a public presentation of it at the Research and Professional Development Seminar. This proposal then will be signed off on by

  • The student

  • The members of the Supervisory Committee (see below)

  • The Research and Ethics Committee, when appropriate

and a copy will be deposited in the Graduate Office.

The thesis proposal should follow the program guidelines.  Some sample proposals:

SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE

Striking a Supervisory Committee. The Supervisory Committee will be struck by the end of December. It will in most cases consist of one reader in addition to the supervisor. The reader can be a member of the English Department or of the graduate faculty at Trent; in most instances it makes sense for the reader to be a member of the English MA Program. Although the Examining and Supervisory Committees can consist of different members, the usual practice is that the Examining Committee consists of the Supervisory Committee and one more faculty member. There is no formal process for striking a Supervisory Committee. The student should start looking around for a suitable faculty member as soon as possible. The supervisor can help with this.

Role of the Supervisory Committee. Different committees have different approaches to their role. Some committees, for example, prefer to see each chapter as it is completed. Others prefer to wait until the final draft stage. There is no right or wrong way of proceeding but the Committee will decide on its approach as soon as possible. The Committee will meet at least twice a year.

EXAMINING COMMITTEE

The Examining Committee will consist of the Supervisory Committee plus a member of the English Department or of the graduate faculty at Trent. In special circumstances the third member of the Examining Committee may be from outside the University.

SCHEDULING THE DEFENCE

Thesis defences tend to clump at the end of August or early September. This is not only a very busy time of year for everyone; it is also cutting things very close. It is very important for student and supervisor to realize that unless the whole process is completed by the end of September – and this includes the final submission of the Thesis incorporating any required revisions – the student will need to pay fees for the following year.

 

Here is a typical time-line, for a two-year thesis program:

Beginning of April      Draft of Thesis submitted to Supervisory Committee

End of April                Supervisory Committee responds to draft. The

                                  Committee will  most likely suggest revisions.

End of May                Revised draft submitted to Supervisory Committee

End of June               Committee members sign off on the final draft and

                                  it is submitted to the third member of the Examining

                                  Committee

Middle of July            Thesis defence. Revisions minor or major may be

                                  requested.

Beginning of August   Final copy of the Thesis submitted by the student

                                   to the Office of Graduate Studies.

Students who don’t meet the deadline for completion in two years (the exact date is in the Trent Calendar for the year in question) are required to register and pay one full term’s fees.

It is the responsibility of students to familiarize themselves with the Principles Governing Submission and Examination of Theses/Dissertations as outlined in the Trent Calendar and to ensure that they have completed all the requirements for the degree.  This includes the submission of the thesis to the Graduate Studies Officer for final approval and its binding and/or microfilming, once it has been approved.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS OF EXAMINING COMMITTEE

Five recommendations are open to the Examining Committee:

  1. the thesis is approved as it stands, or
  2. the thesis is approved provided certain minor revisions are made, or
  3. the thesis is approved provided certain major  revisions are made, or
  4. the thesis is not approved as it stands but may be  resubmitted, and re-examined by some or all of the Examining Committee (this may or may not involve another oral defence), or
  5. the thesis is not approved.

EVALUTION OF APPROVED THESIS

 

The approved Thesis is awarded a grade of “pass with distinction”, “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory”.