The following schedule for the submission of drafts assumes that a student has already submitted a working draft of the thesis to his or her advisor and has been obtained the advisor’s approval to proceed. What the schedule below refers to as the “first draft,” therefore, more likely represents a second or third version of the thesis.
A student who plans to defend his or her thesis and graduate in a given semester must adhere to the following schedule for the submission of drafts. If a student fails to follow this schedule, the thesis director may decide that there is insufficient time to evaluate the draft and for the student to make necessary revisions, in which case the student must defer completion of the thesis and graduation. For this reason it is extremely important that students understand and observe the schedule.
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merchant. Circa 1854. Library
of Congress.
First draft. Students should submit a reasonably complete draft of the thesis to the thesis advisor at least EIGHT WEEKS before the latest possible date for scheduling the thesis defense. In the case of students planning to defend and graduate in the summer, the draft must be submitted by the last day of class in the spring semester. The advisor must discuss the draft in detail with the student within 10 days of receiving it and make specific recommendations for revision.
Second draft. Based on the advisor’s comments and recommendations, the student will submit a revised draft of the thesis at least FOUR WEEKS before the date scheduled for the thesis defense. If the advisor approves the second draft, the student will submit copies to the other readers on the thesis committee. If the advisor or the readers require further revisions, the student will submit the revised version to the advisor and readers at least TWO WEEKS before the scheduled thesis defense.
