Master's Thesis Details

1. Planning the Thesis
H&NTR 791.2X, Research Seminar in Health Science, must be completed prior to or during the semester in which the thesis title is filed (for all students except those in the M.S. program in nutrition). Each student must have two thesis advisers-a primary and a secondary. The student is responsible for finding advisers. Advisers must be regular, full-time members of the Health and Nutrition Sciences instructional staff. The student should select advisers who have expertise in the area in which he or she is planning to do research. After the advisers and student have conferred, the student is required to submit a brief written outline of the thesis proposal to the advisers. A title for the thesis is then determined and agreed upon by the student and the advisers. The primary adviser signs an agreement stating that the advisers and the student have agreed to work together on the thesis. The student gives the statement to the deputy chairperson, and permission to register is entered. It is the student's responsibility to then register for H&NTR 791.2X. Therefore, it is essential that the above process be completed by December in the fall semester and May in the spring semester, well before classes end.

2. Filing the Thesis Title
As a safeguard against misunderstanding, students who plan to offer a thesis are required to obtain formal approval of their thesis proposal prior to undertaking the research, according to the following steps:

• Students obtain two copies of the Thesis Title Form in the Office of the Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, 3238 Boylan Hall, or in the Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences, 4123 Ingersoll Hall.
• Students select, with their adviser, a second adviser.
• Students complete the form and enter the thesis title.
• The first and second advisers sign the form prior to securing the other necessary signatures.
• Students obtain the signature of the department chairperson or deputy chairperson.
• Students in the M.S. in education degree program submit both copies to the thesis coordinator, 2105 James Hall, for signature. Students in other graduate degree programs file one copy in the Graduate Dean's Office, 3238 Boylan Hall.

3. Conducting Thesis Research
Once approvals have been obtained, all students (except those in the M.S. program in nutrition) register for H&NTR 791.2X, Research Seminar II. This course covers the practical aspects of research design. The student develops the proposal to include the research methods and procedures and begins the research.

Prior to conducting research involving human subjects or records about human subjects, permission must be obtained from the institutional review board. Application forms are available from Professor of Psychology Glen Hass. In order to be approved, a proposal must include the rationale, procedure, and tools as well as information about protection of the welfare and rights of the subjects.

Prior to conducting research involving animals, approval must be obtained from the Institutional Animal Care and Utilization Committee (IACUC). Application forms are available from Professor of Health and Nutrition Sciences Kathleen Axen (kaxen@brooklyn.cuny.edu).

Once required approvals have been obtained, the thesis research is conducted.

4. Registration for Thesis Supervision
After successfully completing the research seminar, students submit a Thesis Permission Slip and register for H&NTR 780X, Thesis Research, in the semester in which they expect to submit their completed thesis.

5. Writing the Thesis
The student will rely mainly upon the thesis advisers for criticism and advice. General stylistic specifications are as follows:

• The thesis is to be typed on 8½ x 11  unpunched, white, rag content, bond paper, without margins, and with a thirteen-pound minimum weight. Both the original copy and the first copy are to meet this specification. Bond specially prepared for easy erasure is not acceptable.
• The title page should include the following information: the title, submission statement, full name of the author, and year of submission. (A sample of title pages is available in the main office of the department or from the graduate deputy chairperson.)
• Pica or elite type or computer fonts 10-12 cpi, or 12 points are acceptable but must be used throughout the entire paper. No ink insertions are allowed except for characters not appearing on standard typewriters (e.g., accents, brackets, symbols used in scientific formulas). Such insertions are to be made in permanent black ink. Corrections may be made with an eraser if the result is clean and clear. Striking over or crossing out an error is not permitted.
• The text is to be double-spaced, except for footnotes and quotations of more than three lines, which must be set apart (single space, indented).
• Prefatory material is to be numbered consecutively in small Roman numerals; all other pages, including illustrative material, bibliography, and appendices, are to be numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals. Numerals are to be placed in the upper right-hand corner. It is wise to postpone typing page numerals until final revisions have been made. In this case, lightly penciled numerals are essential during the early stages.
• The left and top margins are to be 1½; other margins are to be 1.
• All charts and illustrations must be in black and white; they must have the same left margin as the text. In general, photostat and photo-offset are the only two acceptable methods of reproducing illustrations and charts. Any mounting is to be done with a permanent glue; tapes and staples used for mounting are not acceptable.
• A uniform page size is preferable, but, if necessary, inserted material may be folded from the right, top, and bottom of the page in such a way as to permit binding. One-and-a-half inches is to be left free at the top.
• Tape binders are to be used for all copies of the thesis that are turned in to the department. Note: Past theses are available in the College library and the department main office. In matters of form and style, the thesis should conform to the above specifications. For other stylistic matters, consult the current editions of Kate L. Turabin, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations (Chicago: University of Chicago Press), and William G. Campbell, Form and Style in Thesis Writing (Boston: Houghton Mifflin).

6. Criteria for the Evaluation of Thesis

• Title: Is the title reasonably short, descriptive, and correctly worded?
• Statement of the Problem: Is the need for the research study adequately established? Is the discussion of previous related research adequate? Is continuity with previous research made clear, and is there evidence of a satisfactory literature search?
• Hypothesis: Is the hypothesis clearly stated? Are the basic assumptions involved in the solution of the problem made clear? Are they defensible?
• Procedure: Is the method logically sound and adequate? Are the data collected adequate for the solution of the problem and available? Are any sampling peculiarities adequately accounted for? Is the statistical analysis appropriate? Are the assumptions involved in the procedure made clear? Are the necessary assumptions defensible?
• Summary: Is the summary a correct statement of the evidence obtained? Does the summary bring out the major points of the evidence obtained?
• Conclusions: Are the conclusions justified by the evidence submitted? Do the conclusions answer the questions or the issued raised in the statement of the problem? Do the conclusions indicate practical recommendations?
• Form and Style: Is the writing clear? Are the references to authorities adequately documented?

7. Completion of the Thesis
The first draft of the thesis must be presented to the thesis adviser at least three months in advance of filing the completed thesis. Because a reader should be allowed about two weeks for the review of the thesis, a typewritten copy of the completed thesis must be submitted to the major thesis adviser at least eight weeks prior to the last date for filing the thesis in the semester in which the student wants to earn the master's degree (see the Graduate Bulletin calendar).

8. Filing the Thesis
The approval of both advisers and the department chairperson is necessary for the graduate degrees. In addition, the approval of the thesis coordinator, 2105 James Hall, is required for the master of science in education degrees. The necessary Thesis Approval Form is available in the Office of the Graduate Dean, 3238 Boylan Hall, or the Office of the Graduate Coordinator-School of Education, 2105 James Hall, for the master of science in education degree. The signatures of the advisers and the department chairperson, on two copies of the thesis form, must precede the signature of the thesis coordinator (M.S. in education).

Four copies of the final thesis must be submitted: one to the graduate dean, 3238 Boylan Hall, with the completed Thesis Approval Form; two to the department; and one to the thesis adviser.

For the M.S. in education degree, the following instructions should be followed:

• Students submit the original copy and one duplicate copy of the final thesis, together with two signed copies of the Approval of Thesis Teacher Education Program Form, to the thesis coordinator.
• After any recommendations made by the thesis coordinator have been complied with, the thesis coordinator signs the approval forms and retains one form.
• Students submit the original of the thesis, tape bound, and one copy of the signed approval form to the Graduate Coordinator Office, 2105 James Hall, on or before the date specified in the College calendar for filing of the completed thesis.
• A minimum of three copies of the thesis bound in tape are required by the Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences-two submitted to the deputy chairperson and one to the faculty adviser.

9. Thesis Abstract
A thesis abstract should be submitted in triplicate to the department Chairperson or deputy chairperson. The thesis abstract must be approved by the adviser. (Abstract instructions are available in the main department office or from the deputy chairperson.)

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