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Thesis Project Phase This page was last reviewed on August 30, 2011   

Deciding On Your Thesis Project

As your studies progress, you are encouraged to narrow your focus and decide on a topic for your thesis project, your major academic project. You then need to find professors and experts who specialize in your area of research and work and who will agree to be your thesis project supervisors. These experts may be in any program or programs at the University of Waterloo. You may also choose to work with professors at other universities or experts in your field of interest, but you must include at least one Waterloo professor.

With your academic advisors' help and approval, you submit and present a thesis project proposal to the Independent Studies Academic Board as part of your IS 220 course (strongly recommended for the three-year General BIS) or IS 330 (required course for the four-year Honours BIS).

In this proposal you describe your post-secondary studies to date, the studies you plan to carry out for your thesis project, and include a draft table of contents and a proposed timetable for your thesis project. The members of the Board will base their decision to approve your proposal on whether:

  • you're ready to do third or fourth-year-level work
  • your thesis project proposal is suited to this academic level
  • there are professors at uWaterloo working in your area of interest and who are willing to evaluate your work

 

The Thesis Project Phase

The second stage of the Independent Studies program - the thesis project phase - lasts at least two full-time terms. When the members of the Independent Studies Academic Board approve your thesis project proposal, they also formally appoint your thesis project supervisors, the professors and experts who specialize in your area of interest and who have agreed to work with you. You meet regularly with your thesis project supervisors as you work toward completing your thesis project.

You are not required to complete term plans and term reports although your supervisors complete a "progress report" for you at the end of the first stage of your thesis project phase. Honours students must maintain their 75% or better averages.

When you complete your thesis project, your supervisors submit written evaluations of your work to the Academic Board in the form of a letter which is included as part of your official transcript. The two thesis supervisors determine your grade for your thesis project and that grade is assigned to all thesis phase courses.

 

The Academic Board awards the Bachelor of Independent Studies degree (BIS) after reviewing the evaluations of your supervisors, your Description of Studies, your grade transcripts, and other relevant academic material.

 

To see a selection of IS  thesis abstracts and certain IS theses, we invite you to visit the other three sections of Thesis Projects (With Your BIS, Thesis Project Abstracts, Thesis Project Reviews) and the Alumni Profiles.

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