School of
Computer and Information Sciences
Guide for Completing the
Thesis Concentration
or
Project Concentration
School of Computer and Information Sciences
Guide for Completing the
Thesis Concentration or Project Concentration
1.
2.
3.
4.
Initiating the process
a. CIS 518
b. Declare Thesis/Project Concentration
c. Get a Thesis/Project Advisor
d. Apply for enrollment in Thesis Prospectus/Project Proposal Course
e. Apply for graduation
f. Enroll in Thesis Prospectus/Project Proposal Course
Planning Phase
a. Form Committee—Thesis/Project Advisor is the Committee Chair.
b. Develop the Thesis Prospectus/Project Proposal
c. Defend the Thesis Prospectus/Project Proposal
d. Modifications to the Thesis Prospectus/Project Proposal
e. Obtain Committee approval of Thesis Prospectus/Project Proposal
f. File Thesis Prospectus/Project Proposal and Committee approval
form with the Director of CIS Graduate Studies
g. Grades for Development Stage
h. Apply for enrollment in Thesis/Project Course
Completion Phase
a. Enroll in Thesis/Project Course
b. Complete the Thesis/Project with guidance from Committee
c. Thesis/Project Defense
d. Oral Comprehensive Examination
e. Final Revision
f. Originality and Citation Review
g. First Submission to Graduate School
h. Final Submission
i. Grade Assignment
References and Web Sites
1. First Steps
a. Completion of CIS 518
i. What?...CIS 518! A required course for all CIS graduate students.
Objectives are to be able to
1. discuss issues related to integrity in research such as
a. recognition of prior work,
b. protection of human subjects in research,
c. confidentiality in peer review,
d. honesty in data collection,
e. honesty in reporting of research, and
f. ethical guidelines for collaboration between student and
mentor
2. describe research methods employed in computing research
papers
ii. Why?... SACS requires it for accreditation of our program.
iii. How?... Methodology—emphasis on experiencing the process of
developing a document according to the choice of Concentration:
1. Course-Only option students demonstrate an understanding of the
research methods by preparing a document in the style of one
submitted to a journal.
2. Thesis/Projects option students demonstrate an understanding of
the research methods by preparing a prospectus/proposal for
their thesis/project problem.
b. When you make a decision, you should submit Declaration of Concentration
with the Academic Counselor, School of CIS, Main Office.
i. Who should choose the Thesis Concentration?
ii. Who should choose the Project Concentration?
iii. Who should choose the Course-Only Concentration?
c. Remember to Apply for graduation – two terms before the expected date of
graduation
2. Enroll in Thesis Prospectus/Project Proposal
a. Which 595?
i.
Thesis students enroll in CIS 595 to prepare a Thesis Prospectus
ii.
CSC Project students enroll in CSC 595 to prepare a Project Proposal
iii.
ISC Project students enroll in ISC 595 to prepare a Project Proposal
b. Notes:
i.
Successful completion of CIS 518 is required for enrollment in any 595
ii.
A minimum of 3 hours of
1. CIS 595 is required for the Thesis Option
2. CSC 595 is required for the CSC Project Option
3. ISC 595 is required for the ISC Project Option
iii.
Continuous enrollment in the appropriate 595 is required until the
Prospectus/Proposal is satisfactorily defended
iv.
Current enrollment in the appropriate 595 is required when the
Prospectus/Proposal is defended
c. To obtain permission to register in the appropriate 595,
i.
Complete the Special Course Permission Form:
1. Indicate the specific 595 and the number of hours requested.
2. Obtain approvals from your thesis/project advisor and your
coordinator (CSC or ISC).
3. Attach your 595 objective document—this could be
a. an output document from CIS 518,
b. a description of the research or project problem/goal, or
c. a document developed from a previous enrollment in 595.
ii.
Submit the completed form for final approval to the Director of CIS
Graduate Studies School of CIS, Main Office—this will result in an
override for the approved 595 and section.
d. Register for the approved 595 and section.
3. Prospectus/Proposal Development
a. Committee Formation:
a. You should consult the Guidelines for Thesis and Dissertations section of
the current University of South Alabama Bulletin at
http://www.southalabama.edu/bulletin/graduate.htm. These guidelines, as
they apply to Thesis/Projects in the School of CIS, are summarized below:
i. With guidance and approval of your Thesis/Project advisor, you
should contact Graduate Faculty to be members of your
Thesis/Project committee.
ii. Your Thesis/Project advisor must be a member of the School of CIS
Graduate Faculty.
iii. Your Thesis/Project committee members must be members of the
University of South Alabama Graduate Faculty—the Director of CIS
Graduate Studies can provide you with this information. Occasionally,
an exception can be granted to include an individual whose unique
qualifications are essential to the completion of the Thesis/Project.
Contact the Director of CIS Graduate Studies for approval of any
exceptions.
iv. Your Thesis/Project committee must consist of at least three
members:
1. A majority of the committee members must be School of CIS
Graduate Faculty.
2. A Thesis committee must have at least one member from
outside of the School of CIS.
3. A Project committee may have a member from outside of the
School of CIS.
b. As soon as the composition of your committee members has been decided, you and
your advisor should complete the Appointment of your Thesis/Project Committee
and submit it for approval to the Director of CIS Graduate Studies, who then
forwards it to the Dean of the Graduate School for final approval.
c. Responsibilities
a. Thesis/Project advisor responsibilities [Davis, 1997]
b. Student responsibilities [Davis, 1997]
c. Thesis/Project committee responsibilities [Davis, 1997]
d. If Human Subjects are involved in your research or project
i.
Get The IRB Handbook for the Student Researcher
ii.
Complete NIH Office of Humans Subject Certificate on the Protection of
Human Research
iii.
Apply to the Institutional Review Board for approval to use Human
Subjects
4. Your Prospectus/Proposal Defense
a. You must be currently enrolled in
i. CIS 595 for a Thesis Prospectus defense,
ii. CSC 595 for a CSC Project Proposal defense,
iii. ISC 595 for an ISC Project Proposal defense.
b. You are responsible for scheduling your defense date, time and location with your
committee members, the Director of CIS Graduate Studies, and the Room
Reservation Coordinator.
c. Your defense request must be submitted at least one week prior to the defense
and it must be made Monday - Friday during the instructional period of a
semester. The Prospectus/Proposal Defense may be made at any point during the
semester.
d. When scheduling the Prospectus/Project defense, consider defending during CIS
518 class time:
i.
This gives current CIS 518 students an opportunity to witness first-hand
how a prospectus defense is conducted.
ii.
Time and location are already known.
iii.
Contact the current CIS C18 professor for a convenient date.
iv.
Check with your committee to see if the date and time are acceptable.
e. Submit to the Director of CIS Graduate Studies an electronic copy of the
completed Defense Request Form indicating the appropriate defense type, Thesis
Prospectus or Project Proposal. The Director of CIS Graduate Studies will
forward notification of your defense to all other individuals: the Dean of the
Graduate School, the School of CIS faculty, CIS Graduate students, and
Thesis/Project committee members, and the School of CIS webmaster for
insertion in the School of CIS Current Events Calendar.
f. Defend your Prospectus/Project as scheduled.
g. After your successful defense
i.
Modify the Prospectus/Proposal document according to directives from
your Thesis/Project committee.
ii.
Submit your final Prospectus/Proposal document and the completed
Thesis Prospectus/Project Proposal Defense Report with committee
member signatures to the Director of CIS Graduate Studies within 10
class days of the defense. Note all committee members must approve your
Prospectus/Proposal.
iii.
These documents are filed in your folder in the School of CIS and become
a contract for completing the Thesis/Project. Any changes to your
Prospectus/Proposal must be approved by all committee members and the
Director of CIS Graduate Studies.
iv.
Your Thesis/Project Advisor will then recommend grades for your
outstanding CIS 595/CSC 595/ISC 595 grade(s) to the Director of CIS
Graduate Studies, who is responsible for recording the grade(s).
5. Enroll in Thesis/Project
a. Which course to enroll?
i. Thesis students, who have defended their Thesis Prospectus, will enroll
in CIS 599 to prepare a Thesis according to their defended Thesis
Prospectus.
ii. CSC Project students, who have defended their Project Proposal, will
enroll in CSC 598 to prepare a Project according to their defended
Project Proposal.
iii. ISC Project students, who have defended their Project Proposal, will
enroll in ISC 598 to prepare a Project according to their defended
Project Proposal.
a. Notes
i.
A minimum of 3 hours of
a. CIS 599 is required for the Thesis Concentration,
b. CSC 598 is required for the CSC Project Concentration,
c. ISC 598 is required for the ISC Project Concentration.
ii.
Continuous enrollment in CIS 599/CSC 598/ISC 598 is required until the
Thesis/Project is satisfactorily defended.
iii.
Enrollment in CIS 599/CSC 598/ISC 598 is required for a Thesis/Project
defense
b. To obtain permission to register for CIS 599/CSC 598/ISC 598
i.
Complete the Special Course Permission Form:
1. Indicate the specific course and the number of hours requested.
2. Obtain approvals from your thesis/project advisor and your
coordinator (CSC or ISC).
3. Attach your timeline for completing the Thesis/Project.
iv.
Submit the completed form for final approval to the Director of CIS
Graduate Studies School of CIS, Main Office—this will result in an
override for the approved course and section.
c. Register for the approved course and section.
6. Your Thesis/Project Defense
a. You must be currently enrolled in
i. CIS 599 for a Thesis defense,
ii. CSC 598 for a CSC Project defense,
iii. ISC 598 for an ISC Project defense.
b. You are responsible for scheduling defense date, time and location with your
committee members, the Director of CIS Graduate Studies, and the Room
Reservation Coordinator.
c. Your defense request must be submitted at least one week prior to the defense
and it must be made Monday - Friday during the instructional period of a
semester. To complete the degree requirements in the semester in which you are
enrolled, all events (i.e. the Final Defense, Oral Comprehensive Exam, Final
Revision, Originality and Citation Review, First Submission, and Final Submission)
must be completed successfully according to the deadlines for First Submission
and Final Submission as reported on the University of South Alabama’s Graduate
School Calendar for the semester during which your defense is to be made.
d. When scheduling the Prospectus/Project defense, consider defending during CIS
518 class time:
a. This gives current CIS 518 students an opportunity to witness first-hand
how a prospectus defense is conducted.
b. Time and location are already known.
c. Contact the current CIS C18 professor for a convenient date.
d. Check with your committee to see if the date and time are acceptable.
e. Submit to the Director of CIS Graduate Studies an electronic copy of the
completed Defense Request Form indicating the appropriate defense type, Thesis
or Project. The Director of CIS Graduate Studies will forward notification of
your defense to all other individuals: the Dean of the Graduate School, the School
of CIS faculty, CIS Graduate students, and Thesis/Project committee members,
and the School of CIS webmaster for insertion in the School of CIS Current
Events Calendar.
f. Request that the Director of CIS Graduate Studies prepare and submit a
Comprehensive Examination Committee Appointment Request and Evaluation
Report to the Dean of the Graduate School for committee appointment approval
g. Prepare the Thesis/Project Defense Report with your information for committee
member signatures following your successful defense.
h. Defend your Prospectus/Project as scheduled.
i. After your successful defense, have your committee members record their
judgment of your defense on the Thesis/Project Defense Report that you have
prepared. A majority of the thesis committee must render a judgment of
success. Note: this is not the signature page for your Thesis/Project!
7. Oral Comprehensive Examination
a. An Oral Comprehensive Examination is conducted by CIS thesis committee
members immediately following a successful Thesis/Project defense (consult the
School of CIS Comprehensive Examination Policy for Thesis/Project students for
details).
b. Results are reported by your Thesis/Project advisor to the chair of the
Comprehensive Examination Committee and the Director of CIS Graduate Studies.
c. The members of the Comprehensive Examination Committee initial the final result
on the Comprehensive Examination Committee Appointment Request and
Evaluation Report.
d. The Director of CIS Graduate Studies submits the completed Comprehensive
Examination Committee Appointment Request and Evaluation Report to the Dean
of the Graduate School.
8. Final Revision
a. The thesis committee may require modifications to the Thesis/Project document.
b. These revisions must be made before the document is submitted for review for
originality and citations.
c. The document must be consistent with the Graduate School’s Guide for Preparing
Thesis
d. The content of the Thesis/Project document should not change after the final
revisions are made.
e. Note: Committee members may choose to sign the Thesis/Project Defense Report
after they have reviewed your Final Revison for the required modifications.
9. Originality and Citation Review
a. Turnitin.com is used by the School of CIS for originality and citation review.
b. You will submit an electronic copy of the Thesis/Project document to turnitin.com
(email the Director of CIS Graduate Studies, rdaigle@usouthal.eud, for
submission details).
c. Your Thesis/Project advisor and the Director of the CIS Graduate program
examine the turnitin.com reports for any problems with originality and citations.
d. You will be required to resolve any and all problems with originality and citations
and to resubmit the resolutions to turnitin.com if necessary.
e. When all problems have been resolved, the thesis committee, the appropriate CIS
Coordinator, and the Director of CIS Graduate Studies complete the First
Submission Approval Form which is given to the student to submit with the First
Submission.
10. First Submission of your Thesis/Project Document
a. Submit your Final Revision along with the completed Thesis/Project Defense
Report and the First Submission Approval Form to the Graduate School
b. The Graduate School staff reviews the document according to standards for
publishing as provided in the Guide for Preparing Thesis. Projects are held to the
same standard of publishing as are Theses.
c. The Dean of the Graduate School reviews thesis documents according to
established scholarly standards for University of South Alabama theses (consult
the Standards For Theses And Dissertations section of the current University of
South Alabama Bulletin at http://www.southalabama.edu/bulletin/graduate.htm).
The Dean’s review may result in suggestions for modifying the organization,
content, and presentation of the document.
d. The Dean of the Graduate School does not usually review projects.
e. A Graduate School Corrections Check Report of the problems with the standards
for publishing the document (for thesis and projects0 and the Dean of the
Graduate School’s suggestions for conforming to standards of thesis scholarship
are sent to you, your Thesis/Project advisor, and the Director of CIS Graduate
Studies.
11. Final Submission of Thesis/Project Document
a. Using the Guide for Preparing Thesis, the Graduate School Corrections Check
Report, and the Dean of the Graduate School’s suggestions for conforming to
standards of thesis scholarship, you will revise the document for Final Submission
b. The Guide for Preparing Thesis indicates the minimum number of bound copies
required by the Graduate School (excluding personal copies). The School of CIS
requires additional copies.
 Graduate School: Four copies required as follows:
 Two copies are deposited with the library
 One copy is deposited with the Graduate Dean’s office
 One copy is given the Thesis Advisor
 School of CIS: Additional copies required as follows:
 One copy to the Dean of the School of CIS
 One copy to each member of the thesis committee
 Personal Copies—as many as desired by the candidate
c. Paperwork for microfilming and receipt from the Bursar for binding must be
submitted at this time.
12. Assign Thesis Grades
a. The Dean of the Graduate School grants permission to the Director of CIS
Graduate Studies to assign grades for the Thesis/Project work.
b. The Director of CIS Graduate Studies requests that the Thesis/Project Advisor
recommends final grade(s) for Thesis/Project courses.
13. References and web sites
[Davis, 1997] Writing the Doctoral Dissertation: A Systematic Approach, 2nd Edition,
by Gordon E. Davis and Clyde A. Parker, Barrons, 1997.
University of South Alabama Bulletin (current year)
http://www.southalabama.edu/bulletin/
University of South Alabama Graduate School Bulletin Information
http://www.southalabama.edu/bulletin/graduate.htm
The Graduate School Website
http://www.southalabama.edu/graduateprograms/
Who should choose the Thesis Concentration?
You should choose the Thesis Concentration if you
• have good problem-solving skills
• have good written and oral communication skills
• can work independently with minimal guidance in an unstructured learning
environment
• have identified an area of personal interest that is not covered in-depth in a
traditional course
• can afford a semester delay in completing the masters
• plan to pursue a Ph.D. in a theoretical area
Who should choose the Project Concentration?
You should choose Project Concentration if you
• have good problem-solving skills
• have excellent written and oral communications skills
• can work independently with minimal guidance in an unstructured learning
environment
• have identified a project that is not covered in a traditional course and that is
innovative
• can afford a semester delay in completing the masters
• are more applications oriented in your research interests
• Might pursue a Ph.D. in an applied area
Who should choose the Course-Only Concentration?
You should choose Course-Only Concentration if you
• have good problem-solving skills
• have good written and oral communications skills
• work best in collaborative and cooperative activities in a structured learning
environment
• have interests in a large variety of topics that are available in traditional courses
• cannot afford a semester delay in completing the masters
• do not plan to pursue a Ph.D
School of Computer and Information Sciences
GRADUATE DECLARATION OF MAJOR/CONCENTRATION
Name: (Please Print)
Student Number:
______________________________________________
LAST
FIRST
MIDDLE
_______________
I wish to declare the following specialization.(Select either A or B)
College: School of Computer and Information Sciences
A.
Program:
Computer Science (CIS_CS_MSCIS)
Major:
Computer Science (CICS)
Concentration: Thesis (CIST) Project (CISP)
B.
Program:
Major:
Course-Only (CISC)
Information Systems (CIS_IS_MSCIS)
Information Systems (CIIS)
Concentration: Thesis (CIST) Project (CISP)
Course-Only (CISC)
Student Signature:
Date:
Advisor Assigned to Student:
Approval:
Director of CIS Graduate Studies
Date:
School of Computer and Information Sciences
GRADUATE SPECIAL COURSE REQUEST FORM
SEMESTER
COURSE:
CIS 594
CIS 595
CIS 598
YEAR
CIS 599
CSC 595
CSC 598
ISC 595
ISC 598
CREDIT HOURS:
JAG ID: J00
STUDENT NAME:
MAJOR:
COMPUTER SCIENCE
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
General Description of Proposed Study:
OTHER
I request permission to take this directed, independent-study course as specified above and in the
attached documents. I understand that it is my responsibility to consult promptly and frequently
with my FACULTY MENTOR and to insure that all necessary work is completed on time.
Date:
Student Signature:
As FACULTY MENTOR, I agree to direct this student’s work as specified above, to evaluate the
individual reports submitted, and to assign an appropriate grade at its conclusion for the specified
number of credits.
Date:
FACULTY MENTOR Signature:
Approvals:
Date:
Graduate Coordinator Signature:
Date:
Graduate Director Signature:
Please attach the following documents:
1.
Detail description of proposed study.
2.
Plan for completion of proposed study (include outcomes and anticipated dates for
outcomes)
3.
Any special requirements and agreements.
School of Computer and Information Sciences
Request to Defend
Thesis Prospectus:
Project Proposal:
Thesis:
Project:
Student Name:
Title:
Day and Date of Presentation:
Time:
Place:
Committee:
Chair:
Member:
Member:
Member:
Abstract:
When scheduling the defense, you should consider
1. Defending during CIS 518 class time—check with CIS 518 professor
2. Availability of thesis committee members for requested date and time
3. Defense must be made Monday - Friday during the instructional period of a semester.
4. Defense request must be submitted at least one week prior to the defense
5. Submit completed Defense Request Form to the Director of CIS Graduate Studies,
rdaigle@usouthal.edu
School of Computer and Information Sciences
Thesis Prospectus/Project Proposal Defense Report
Student Name:
Student Number: J00
The above student has defended his/her
Thesis Prospectus
Defense Date:
/
Project Proposal
/
Type or Print Name\Signature
Successful Unsuccessful
\
Chair of Thesis/Project
\
Committee Member
\
Committee Member
\
Committee Member
\
Committee Member
An electronic version of the thesis prospectus/project proposal has been checked with the
plagiarism software and has met the approval of the committee.
Chair of Thesis/Dissertation
Director of CIS Graduate
Date:
/
/
Date:
/
/
This report must accompany the thesis prospectus/project proposal which must be filed
with the Director of CIS Graduate Studies in the School of CIS within 10 class days of
the thesis prospectus/project proposal defense.
School of Computer and Information Sciences
Thesis/Project Defense Report
Student Name:
Student Number: J00
The above student has defended his/her
Thesis
Defense Date:
Project
/
Type or Print Name\Signature
/
Successful Unsuccessful
\
Chair of Thesis/Project
\
Committee Member
\
Committee Member
\
Committee Member
\
Committee Member
This report, along with the “First Submission Approval Form”, must
accompany the 1st draft of the thesis/dissertation to the graduate school by
the 1st submission deadline.
School of Computer and Information Sciences
First Submission Approval Form
Thesis/Project
The attached Thesis/Project has been approved by the committee, chair, and graduate
director _________________________________/______________.
Student’s Name and Number
An electronic version of the thesis/dissertation has been checked with the plagiarism
software and has met the approval of the committee.
Type or Print Names
Signature
__________________________________
Thesis/Project Chair
______________________________
__________________________________
Committee Member
______________________________
__________________________________
Committee Member
______________________________
__________________________________
Committee Member
______________________________
__________________________________
Committee Member
______________________________
__________________________________
Committee Member
______________________________
__________________________________
CIS Coordinator
______________________________
__________________________________
Graduate Director
______________________________