Overview
The master’s thesis consists of five (5) three-credit courses. These courses allow students to apply knowledge and skills they have gained in their academic courses to produce a substantial piece of scholarly work. The produced thesis must represent the results of the student’s independent research working with a supervisory committee. The proposed topic for the thesis should be defined in a mini-proposal that includes a brief statement outlining the research question, the proposed method of treatment, and the arrangement made for faculty supervision and must be approved by the supervisor and program director before registering to these courses. The thesis involves two milestones for evaluation: a thesis proposal examination at the end of the first course (COMP 676) and a final thesis examination that takes place after completing the research work at the end of the last course (COMP 680). Each examination includes an oral defence in addition to the written report, both of which are assessed by an examination committee.
Outline
The integration thesis consists of five 3-credits elements, namely COMP 676, COMP 677, COMP 678, COMP 679, and COMP 680. These elements are not conventional courses; however, they are treated similarly for administrative purposes.
MSc CIS students who select the MSc CIS thesis route are required to complete the following courses in order:
- COMP 676 Thesis I (Proposal Writing)
- COMP 677 Thesis II (Research Stage I)
- COMP 678 Thesis III (Research Stage II)
- COMP 679 Thesis IV (Research Stage III)
- COMP 680 Thesis V (Thesis Writing and Defence)
The thesis proposal will be developed in COMP 676 under the supervision of the supervisor and supervisory committee. The supervisor and the supervisory committee must formally approve the thesis proposal. The student will conduct a formal presentation of the proposal to the committee. The presentation is followed by an oral examination.
Course contracts for COMP 676, 677, 678, and 679 are six months each. COMP 680 has an eight-month course contract.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the integration thesis, the student must obtain a PASS grade for each of the required courses.
Materials
The thesis handbook, which provides guidance to students who are undertaking a thesis as part of the completion requirements for the MSc CIS program, is available online. The handbook includes relevant information, such as stages in the thesis, as well as templates and guidelines.
Students are expected to obtain and pay for all materials used in their theses. The MSc CIS program does not currently offer funding for students to complete their theses; however, information on Athabasca University Graduate Research fund can be found on the Research Centre’s website.