Writing and Defending Your Thesis or Dissertation

Some suggestions for the final stages of your degree:

• For masters students, your thesis proposal must be defended and submitted at least four months before your thesis iteslf.
  
  
• For doctoral students, your dissertation proposal must be defended and submitted at least seven months before your dissertation iteslf.
  
  
• When writing an outline, proposal, or thesis, refer to the required format in the booklet "Guidelines for Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations". You can get a printed copy of this booklet from the Graduate School, or download a PDF copy from:
  
  

  http://www.umass.edu/gradschool/dissertationandthesis/

  
  
• A month before the final defense, give the Physics Graduate Program Office your defense details to be forwarded to the Graduate School for publication in the Campus Chronicle. The information needs to be received by the Graduate School at least three weeks before the defense.