Introduction:

The effort to develop a thesis proposal and then research, write, submit the thesis (and defend if a PhD dissertation) is a challenging and necessary component of your graduate degree. In order to assist you in the successful completion of this task, the procedures and guidelines as required by the Institute of Islamic Studies and the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research will be presented below.

The overall process: A summary

The process of completing a thesis moves from selecting a topic in consultation with your advisor(s) and then developing a suitable proposal which in turn must be submitted and approved by the Institute Faculty during a staff meeting. Once approved, research and writing commences until the first draft is completed. When the final draft of the thesis is ready, the thesis/dissertation is submitted to the Faculty of Research and Graduate Studies who in turn send a copy to the External Reader. When the External Reader has submitted his/her report, the candidate is required to make any stylistic and/or other minor corrections in preparation for the final submission (MA candidates). For PhD candidates, the oral defense must be completed along with subsequent corrections before the final submission.

The overall process: The details

1. Thesis versus Dissertation
2. Thesis proposal
3. Preparation of the thesis
4. Initial thesis submission
5. Final submission

Thesis versus Dissertation

The MA thesis is normally concerned with secondary sources, but the use of primary sources is strongly encouraged. For more information on the MA thesis please see http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/thesis/programs/guidelines/.

The PhD dissertation is concerned with producing original research based on all the relevant primary and secondary sources. For more information on the PhD dissertation please see http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/thesis/programs/guidelines/.

Thesis proposal

The Institute of Islamic Studies maintains specific procedures for the development and submission of thesis proposals prior to research and writing. The procedures involve the following:

1. Selection of topic

Students should begin considering thesis/Dissertations topics early in their programmes in consultation with their advisor(s). [Some students may have more than one advisor.] This can be tested by writing papers in your courses to explore the potential for your topic(s). Avoid the mistake of leaving this task to the end of you MA programme! PhD students can develop ideas during their course work and preparations for their comprehensive examinations.

2. Writing a Thesis Proposal approved by your advisor(s)

The purpose of your proposal is to demonstrate the viability of your research topic to the Staff of the Institute. This entails developing a specific research question(s), along with the reasons and importance of the proposed research, suitable methodologies to answer your question(s), an outline and a detailed bibliography. A sample outline is provided below for your guidance, but please consult with your advisor(s) as to the format they prefer.

Sample outline

• Thesis Title
• Thesis Question(s)
• Reasons and Importance of the Research
• Literature Survey
• Historical Context/Introductory Material in support of thesis
• Methodology
• Outline
• Bibliography

MA Proposals:

The maximum length accepted is 4 pages excluding bibliography.

PhD Proposals:

The maximum length accepted is 6 pages excluding bibliography.

In addition all proposals must be typographically, grammatically and diacritically correct. If not, the proposal will be rejected.

Please keep in mind that many funding agencies require concise, well thought out research proposals and the writing of research proposals will become a necessary part of your academic career.

Once your proposal is written and approved for submission by your advisor, the proposal needs to be approved by the Institute Faculty at a staff meeting. The proposal together with the forms must be submitted at least one week in advance. These meetings occur at various times and so you must be prepared when a meeting is announced.

3. Completing the Thesis Proposal Form

In addition to your written Thesis Proposal you need to complete the Islamic Studies Thesis Proposal Form [.doc] in which you offer a timetable for the completion of your thesis. This form must be submitted with your Thesis Proposal to the main office one week before the meeting for distribution to the staff prior to the meeting. The Thesis proposal form is available as a MS Word document that you can complete and then print out. Please see Thesis Proposal Form. Karen Moore (Room 319) is ready to assist if any questions arise.

4. Submission of the Thesis Proposal and the Proposal Form to the IIS office

Please ensure the proper completion of your written thesis proposal and your Proposal form with the appropriate signatures. These are then submitted to the main office, Room 319, Morrice Hall.

5. Faculty approval of Thesis and recommendation of external thesis readers

The Faculty will communicate approval of your thesis proposal in writing and may recommend several possible external readers.

6. Candidate's written response to the recommended external Thesis readers

Once you receive the Faculty's letter of their approval of your thesis, you are asked to respond in writing to the Graduate Program Director formally accepting the recommended external readers. If there are any objections such as a conflict of interest with one or more of the suggested external readers, you are asked to state this in your letter to the GPD.

N.B. In addition PhD students are required to defend their proposals at the staff meeting to answer questions and further explain their proposed research.

Preparation of the thesis

All thesis/dissertation submissions must adhere to the guidelines set by Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. These procedures and requirements must be read and followed. Please see Guidelines for Submitting a Doctoral or a Master's Thesis which covers:

1. Guidelines for Thesis Preparation
2. Guidelines for Thesis Submission
3. Thesis Submission Checklist
4. IV.Guidelines for Unit Heads on Appointment of Thesis Examiners and Oral Defense Committees
5. Guidelines for Thesis Examiners
6. Guidelines for Doctoral Oral Examinations
7. Guidelines for Thesis Failures

Submission to Advisor

Please be aware that Professors need at least one month to read a thesis and give feedback, possibly longer. If you do not present your thesis to your adviser in enough time, he/she may not be able to ensure that it can be submitted by a certain deadline. You must consult your advisers well in advance about dates and availability.

Initial thesis submission

Once the thesis has been written, corrected by your advisor, revised as appropriate and approved for submission, the candidate may submit the thesis to the Graduate Faculty, Thesis Office - Room 400, James Administration Building. Please note:

1. Thesis submission deadlines:

PhD Dissertations

Fall Graduation	First Monday in June
Winter Graduation	First Monday in October
Spring Graduation	First Monday in February

MA Theses

Fall Graduation	Third Monday in June
Winter Graduation	Third Monday in October
Spring Graduation	Third Monday in February

Note: The end of August deadline remains in effect and theses/dissertations submitted before this date will be considered from Winter Graduation.

2. Accompanying documents to be submitted with the copies of your thesis:

Note: All documents and forms listed below can be found on the Graduate Studies Forms webpage.

1. Thesis Submission Form, completed and signed by the student, supervisor and chair of the department.
   Please see Thesis Submission form
2. Library Waiver Forms (National, UMI, and McGill), including copyright waivers, if applicable.
   Please see National Library Waiver form, UMI Abstract form, McGill Library Waiver form
3. Nomination of Examiners Form, completed by the department, signed by the Chair of the department, supervisor and the student.
   Please see Nomination of Examiners form
4. Thesis Submission Fee, by "Interac" at the Thesis Office, or by certified cheque or postal money order payable to McGill University. Cash and personal cheque payments will not be accepted at the Thesis Office. (MA $75.00; PhD $100.00)
5. Thesis Submission Checklist, completed and signed by the student.
   Please see Thesis Submission Checklist

3. MA candidates should bring at least three (3) copies of their thesis along with all related documents and forms to the Institute for verification prior to submission to the Thesis office. One copy is for the Thesis office, one for the Institute and one for your thesis advisor. If you have co-advisors, each should be provided a copy of your thesis.

4. PhD candidates should bring at least eight (8) copies of their thesis along with all related documents and forms to the Institute for verification prior to submission to the Thesis office. Two copies (copy 6 & 7) are for the Thesis office, one for the Institute, one for your thesis advisor and the remaining are for the members of the Oral Defence Committee. If you have co-advisors, each should be provided a copy of your thesis.

Once submitted, the thesis is forward to the external reader who will in due course send a reader's report. Based on this report, there may be additional corrections or changes to be made to the thesis before final submission.

Final submission

For the MA thesis, once all corrections are completed based on the internal and external reader's report two (2) copies of the thesis are submitted to the Graduate Faculty, Thesis Office along with the signed Final Submission form.

For the PhD thesis, once corrections are completed based on the oral defense, the internal and the external reader's report two (2) copies of the thesis are submitted to the Graduate Faculty, Thesis Office along with the signed Final Submission form.