The Course
This course is intended for Master’s level students to create a Master’s Thesis project and to see it through to the first draft. In this semester, students will work with their thesis committee to make any necessary revisions to the thesis proposal and produce the first draft of the thesis. Students will work one-on-one with their thesis advisor and the thesis coordinator to identify times that they will meet and create a plan for communication throughout the process of completing the Master’s Thesis.
Course Focus
The Master’s Thesis is the culminating assessment in earning the degree of Master of Arts in Urban Education at Rhodes College. As such, it should be treated as a serious and academically rigorous component of the program. Each project is unique to the student completing it, and thus there is flexibility in scheduling, approach, and style that is up to the discretion of the thesis advisor. The thesis component of the M.A. in Urban Education at Rhodes College is meant to demonstrate advanced study and inquiry into a particular facet of urban education in relation to the experiences of candidates in the program. The thesis is a work of original scholarship, designed with guidance from a thesis advisor and thesis committee. A copy of the final project is uploaded to the ProQuest Dissertation and Theses database and added to the College Archives.
Thesis Committee
Program faculty will assign a thesis advisor and an additional committee member to each student. Working with their advisor, candidates can elect to add a third advisor from the college faculty or from a member of the community who has demonstrated expertise in the subject matter or who has considerable relevant practitioner experience. All committee appointments are subject to review and approval by the Master's Thesis coordinator and program faculty.
Thesis Proposal
The proposal should explain the purpose of the study or inquiry, including the following sections:
- Introduction
- Review of Relevant Research
- Methods
Thesis proposals should be roughly 2,000 words, excluding references. Guidelines for specific requirements of each section of the proposal will be assigned by the thesis advisor. The thesis committee will review the proposal and submit requests for revisions to the candidate as necessary.
Thesis Proposal Formatting
Length:
Double-spaced typed pages, size 12 Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins on all sides. Thesis proposals should be approximately 2,000 words, before references.
Citations:
All proposals must use APA formatting. If you have any questions, consult the APA manual.
Grammar/Spelling/Punctuation:
Be sure to proofread your proposal and strive to avoid any grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
Thesis Draft
The thesis should be organized into something like the following structure (though consult with your advisor for more specific guidance):
- Introduction
- Review of Relevant Research
- Methods
- Findings (Results/Analysis)
- Discussion (e.g., Interpretation, Connection to Existing Research, Implications, Limitations of the Study)
- Conclusion
- Appendix(es) [only if required by the project; e.g., curriculum project]
Complete theses should be between 6,000-8,000 words, including references and the curriculum appendices of curriculum projects.
Thesis Draft Formatting
See all thesis draft formatting requirements here.
Evaluation of Student Performance
Student performance will be evaluated based on the components listed below. Each element is required in order to receive any credit for the course. (One cannot, for example, skip the thesis proposal and still pass with a 70% in the course. This caveat includes any and all required revisions to the thesis following the thesis proposal.) The final judgment about each of these areas is made by the advisor in consultation with the thesis coordinator and/or other committee members.
| Participation | 30 |
| Completion, Timely Submission, and Quality of Thesis Proposal | 30 |
| Completion, Timely Submission, and Quality of Thesis First Draft | 40 |
| Total | 100 |
Grading Scale:
- A — 90-100 %
- achievement that is outstanding relative to the level necessary to meet course requirements.
- B — 80-89 %
- achievement that is above the level necessary to meet course requirements.
- C — 70-79 %
- achievement that meets the minimum course requirements in every respect.
- D — 60-69 %
- achievement that is worthy of credit even though it fails to meet fully the course requirements.
Course Policies
Participation: Students are required to schedule and attend meetings with their advisor (number of meetings TBD by advisor), respond to inquiries and requests by advisors, committee members, and thesis coordinator (including timely response to all correspondence over email), and attend all core events related to the thesis (e.g., workshops).
In recognition of the fact that illness and emergencies occur, students are allowed one absence from scheduled meetings/events without it impacting their grade. After the second absence, the participation score will drop to half. After the third absence, a student will receive a zero for the participation score. Four absences will result in an automatic failure of the course. In the event of exceptional circumstances, a student who has had four absences in a single course can request a hearing with the program faculty to consider granting a waiver of this policy. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to notify the instructor as soon as you know and make a plan for a new meeting time.
Automatic Failing Grade: If a student misses 4 or more meetings, they will automatically receive an F for the semester. See above for examples of excusable absences and requirements for completing missed course work.
Students who do not submit a thesis proposal or first draft will automatically receive an F for the semester.
Tardiness: Please arrive to meetings on time. Tardiness will result in a loss of participation credit.
Late assignments: You are expected to hand in all assignments on time. Failure to do so will affect your grade at your advisor's discretion.
Honor Code
All submitted components of the thesis must be your own work and completed in accordance with Rhodes’ Honor Code. Students are expected to be familiar with the requirements of the Code and to conduct themselves accordingly in all classroom matters. Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s information or ideas without proper citation. If you have questions about the correct use or citation of materials, please consult with your advisor or the Writing Center. Papers with evidence of plagiarism will be referred to the Honor Council.
Title IX
Rhodes faculty are concerned about the well-being and development of our students and are required by policy to share knowledge of sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, sexual exploitation, stalking, sexual harassment, and sex/gender discrimination with the Title IX Coordinator, Tiffany Cox. For more information about Rhodes’s sexual misconduct policy or to make a report, please go here.