Thesis Guidelines
MA in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Columbia University
The required thesis for the MA in Medieval and Renaissance studies is an original work of
scholarship based on independent research carried out under the guidance of a faculty supervisor.
Students should start thinking about a possible topic and begin discussions with possible faculty
supervisors as early as possible in the program, although students do not need to settle on a
subject immediately. (An early start is especially important for students planning to complete
the degree in twelve months.)
Students writing a thesis register for two semesters of the MA Thesis Course (G6999) as part of
the requirements for the degree. Students must identify a supervisor, who will work with them
over both semesters. In the first semester the student prepares a formal thesis proposal with the
guidance of their supervisor. In the second semester the student prepares the thesis itself. The
supervisor will approve and assign grades to both proposal and thesis, which will also be the
grades for the courses.
The scope of the thesis should approximate a substantial article for a scholarly journal. It should
be in the range of 40-50 pages / 10,000–15,000 words. 50 pages / 15,000 words should be
considered a maximum, not to be exceeded with permission from the supervisor of the thesis.
Supervisors
Students are responsible for finding their own faculty thesis supervisors, although the Director of
the MA program will assist students in this process. All supervisors must be current
Columbia/Barnard faculty members of a relevant department and must hold a Ph.D. or other
comparable degree. Most academic department websites list faculty profiles and research
concentrations. Students are encouraged to review faculty information to target possible
supervisors and contact faculty early to discuss the thesis. A thesis may have co-supervisors,
although for administrative purposes one of these must be designated as the primary supervisor.
Supervisors are expected to help the student formulate a topic and set of questions, guide the
student through relevant literature, establish a work schedule for the project, and at a minimum
provide written feedback on a complete draft in advance of final submission (although they are
encourage to provide such feedback at earlier stages, as well).
Proposal
By the end of the first semester of the thesis seminar (see deadlines below), students must submit
a written proposal and the Thesis Approval Form to a faculty supervisor or supervisors, and
submit a copy of the proposal to the Med Ren Program coordinator and/or Director. The
supervisor’s signature on the approval form is evidence that the supervisor deems the topic
appropriate, of a manageable size, and likely to be completed within a further semester. Students
should then make sure that both the proposal and completed approval form are given to the Med
Ren Coordinator or Director.
The proposal should include a statement of no more than 5 pages (1,500 words) describing: 1)
the question(s) to be investigated; 2) the sources to be employed; and 3) the methodology, or
approach to be taken to the analysis of the sources so as to generate answers to the question(s)
being investigated. The proposal should also include a bibliography of no more than 25 items,
divided between primary and secondary sources, demonstrating familiarity with both the
appropriate editions of sources to be used and the major scholarly interventions on the topic.
The Director of the MA Program will review and confirm all Thesis Proposal Approval forms.
Writing the Thesis
Students should confirm with the coordinator their schedule, especially if they are not planning
to take the two semesters of the thesis course consecutively (as may be the case with part-time
students).
Submission of the Thesis and Evaluation
The student should deliver a final draft of the thesis to the supervisor three weeks prior to the
final deadline for submission to allow time for the supervisor to evaluate the thesis and for the
student to make any recommended revisions before final submission. Students must deliver the
Thesis Evaluation Form (attached) to the supervisor along with the final draft of the thesis.
The final version of the thesis and the thesis evaluation form must be submitted to the
Coordinator of the MA Program before the student can be certified for graduation. The student
is responsible for submitting the final bound copy of the thesis. The (primary) faculty supervisor
is responsible for submitting the signed and graded evaluation form. Students cannot submit
their own evaluation forms; an evaluation form submitted by a student will not be accepted.
Evaluation of the thesis is solely in the hands of the supervisor and a second reader, who must
reach consensus on a grade. Students must receive at least a C to pass the thesis and to be
recommended for the degree. Readers may recommend and specify minor revisions to be made
in papers that earn a passing grade. These minor revisions must be made by the student before
deposit of the thesis.
If the thesis is deemed to require major revisions, the student is given a grade of incomplete (IN);
the (primary) supervisor should deliver the Thesis Evaluation Form along with a description of
the revisions requested to the MA Program office; the (primary) supervisor should also
communicate clearly to the student, in writing, the nature of the revisions requested. Students
have one year to complete the work in order to receive a letter grade. The student must submit
the revised thesis, along with a new Thesis Evaluation Form, within one year from the original
date of submission to the first supervisor, who will in consultation with the second reader
determine a final grade and submit a revised Thesis Evaluation Form.
Students receiving grades of D or F on the thesis will not be recommended for the degree or
permitted to revise the original thesis. Students may, however, submit for consideration a new
thesis proposal.
If the readers cannot agree on a grade, they should consult with the Director of the MA Program,
who will make a final determination.
Deadlines for Submission
The final deadline for the MA thesis depends on the semester: the Friday before Labor Day
(summer), the last day of teaching in December (fall), and the last day of teaching in April/May
(spring). The deadline for the final draft to be submitted (by email) to the supervisor and second
marker is three weeks ahead of these final deadlines.
Physical Structure of the Paper
The final thesis marks the end of a student’s degree work in the Master’s program in Medieval
and Renaissance Studies at Columbia University. As public testimony of your scholarship, a
copy of the final paper is deposited in MA Program office, where it is available to other students
and scholars. Therefore its physical appearance is a matter of some importance to you and to the
program.
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Use good-quality 20 lb. bond paper (acid-free if possible) with text printed on only one
side of each page.
Use one standard style and size of font (ex. 12 pt. Times New Roman) throughout and
double-space the text (long quotations, footnotes and bibliography may be single-spaced).
Choice of style manual (e.g. MLA, Chicago) is up to the student and faculty supervisor,
but students should follow one method of reference and bibliographic notation
throughout.
The title page should not be numbered, but all other pages should be sequentially
numbered.
Margins should be 1½ inches at the top and left sides and 1 inch at the bottom and right
sides.
Binding and cover: the top cover must be transparent so the title page is visible; the back
cover should be opaque. Binding should be strong, permanent and durable. Velobind,
which uses a plastic strip and ―rivets, is the best type of binding that is easily available
at most copy shops.
Electronic copies of the thesis are also required for the MA in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Thesis Database. Electronic copies may be in Word or PDF and may be submitted via email to
the Program Coordinator (medren@columbia.edu) at the time of deposit.
M.A. in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Thesis Proposal Approval Form
Student’s name printed ___________________________
UNI: _______
Tentative title of paper
__________________________________________________________________
Attach thesis proposal to form
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Primary supervisor:
Name of primary supervisor (please print) __________________________________________________
Department or program: _______________________________________________________
Signature ___________________________________ Date ________________
Secondary supervisor or Reader (if applicable):
Name of primary supervisor (please print) __________________________________________________
Department or program: _______________________________________________________
Signature ___________________________________ Date ________________
Grade for semester’s work preparing Proposal:__________________________
Signature of Coordinator of MA Program ______________________ Date received in office _________
Signature of Director of MA Program _________________________ Date _______________________
M.A. in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Thesis Evaluation Form
Student’s name printed ___________________________
UNI: _______
Title of paper
__________________________________________________________________
Primary supervisor:
Name of primary supervisor (please print) __________________________________________________
Department or program: _______________________________________________________
Suggested Thesis Grade :____________________________________________________
Signature ___________________________________ Date ________________
Second marker (who may be a secondary supervisor):
Second marker/secondary supervisor) __________________________________________________
Department or program: _______________________________________________________
Suggested Thesis Grade:____________________________________________________
Signature ___________________________________ Date ________________
Final Agreed Grade:_____________________________ Date:________________________________________
Supervisor’s and Reader’s comments should be attached to this form, and submitted by a
faculty member to the MA Program Director or Coordinator.