Thesis Writing Resources

Writing a thesis is an ongoing process throughout your research degree. McGill University offers several resources to help you get started:

• Our GPS website offers an overview of the thesis submission and examination process (described here as well), details on final thesis submission, FAQs, and more. Please consult this site extensively.
  • Students should consult the Initial Thesis Submission Checklist and Preparation of a Thesis page early in their writing to review the mandatory components of a thesis.
• Graphos offers courses to help with literature review writing and offers Thesis Writing Groups.
• The McGill library provides access to theses submitted in the McGill digital repository eScholarship, which can be useful to review when starting to write a thesis. There is also a section on “Preparing a Thesis or Dissertation”, which has helpful resources.
• The GPS supervision website offers helpful advice on writing, selecting examiners, the oral defence, and the outcomes of a defence.
• Post-Graduate Students Society (PGSS) offers bi-annual workshops on thesis submissions with GPS as co-hosts. It is good to attend these towards the middle of your degree. The last presentation can be found here.
  • Consult the PGSS Roadmap to a Successful Thesis Submission presentation from November 2023 here.
     

Thesis Office Drop-in

The thesis office now offers drop-in sessions. If sessions are available, the dates and times will appear in the booking form; if the dates and times are booked, then no option will show in the calendar.

The drop-in session with thesis office staff is a space where you can request clarification or elaboration on information provided on the GPS website, related to thesis preparation guidelines, thesis submission, the thesis examination process, final thesis submission, and McGill resources. The thesis staff will not advise on department-specific procedures or discipline-specific practices.

The drop-in session will last 10 minutes at the most. Students are invited to submit their questions in advance via the registration form and come prepared, as the drop-in time cannot be extended. There may be questions that the staff cannot answer, in which case students will be invited to email the thesis office so further inquiries can be made. The staff reserve the right to end the session at any point.

Please email thesis.gps [at] mcgill.ca if you must cancel a scheduled meeting

Support Resources

myThesis Guidelines for students, supervisors, and Units

• Student Guidelines
• Supervisor Guidelines
• Unit Guidelines (Revised, July 25th, 2023)

Watch our how-to video here.