Thesis Guidelines
All MA students are required to complete a master’s thesis. Theses should deal with a problem relevant to the student’s intended career and should give evidence of the specialized disciplinary aspects of his or her training.
The thesis is a work of substance and length (approximately 50 pages/12,500 words excluding the bibliography). The thesis title will be listed on the student’s transcript.
Thesis Process
1. Choosing an Advisor and Topic
Students should start thinking about a topic and connect with possible faculty supervisors early in the program. With the guidance of the faculty supervisor, further course and research work and time, the thesis topic will develop, improve, and likely evolve from the original idea.
Students are responsible for finding their own faculty thesis supervisors. All supervisors must be current Columbia faculty members of a relevant department and must hold a Ph.D. or other comparable degree. If there are two supervisors, both approve the proposal and decide on the grade for the final thesis. 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.
The student’s supervisor should have related research interests and experience in the subject of the paper. They will guide the research and writing of the paper and judge whether it exhibits proof of competence in the field.
2. Preparing the Proposal
Students must first submit a written proposal to a faculty supervisor (or two supervisors—see Thesis Registration and Supervisors below) who, by agreeing to be the supervisor, affirms that the topic is satisfactory, manageable, and of appropriate size. The complete proposal should include:
A statement of approximately 1000 words describing the topic, the nature of the resources to be used, and plans for the way in which you will approach your analysis of the topic (methodology) and
A brief bibliography indicating that you are aware of current work in the field.
3. Thesis Research and Writing
During the writing of the paper, the student will register for a thesis preparation or reading and research course. Students may take either ISCS G4990 - MA Thesis Research Seminar or ISCS G4999 - Supervised Individual Research. The seminar provides a class-like structure to the research and writing process of the thesis while the supervised research is an independent study under the supervision of a faculty member (thesis supervisor).
4. Thesis Registration
The Middle East Institute works with the Registrar to register students. The office must have the printed proposal with Thesis Registration and Approval Form attached in order to register the thesis. The first supervisor listed on the form will be listed in the registration system as the faculty responsible for the grade.
5. Completing and Submitting the Thesis
The deadlines for thesis submission are:
December 1st for writing in the Spring term
April 2nd for writing in the Summer term
June 1st for writing in the Fall term
With attention to the final deadlines above, the student and the supervisor(s) must agree on their own schedule for discussions, revision, and grading of the thesis. Be sure to allow enough time for the supervisor(s) to read and grade the thesis and to make any final revisions based on their comments (recommend three to four weeks prior to the final thesis deadline).
The proposal may be altered after submission, with approval of the first supervisor, if research indicates that a different direction would be more productive. If minor revisions are to be made, students must make these revisions before depositing the final bound copy of the thesis in the MEI office. The final version of the thesis must be deposited in the Middle East Institute office before the student can be certified for graduation.
Electronic copies of the thesis are also required for the Middle East Institute Thesis Database. Electronic copies may be in Word or PDF and may be submitted via email to Astrid Benedek at amb49@columbia.edu by the final thesis deadline.
6. Application for Degree or Certificate
In order to be considered for a degree or certificate, all students must file an Application for Degree or Certificate by the appropriate deadline. When a deadline for application falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. The form may be submitted electronically to diplomas@columbia.edu.
Structure of the Paper
The final printed version submitted to the MEI office should be approximately 50 pages/12,500 words long excluding bibliography. Students may exceed 50 pages in their final work with permission of their supervisor(s).
Use good-quality paper 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.
Other requirements
No one may undertake research that involves human subjects, including interviews, surveys, or related methods, without prior review and approval or evidence of exemption from the Institutional Review Board (IRB). IRB guidelines and applications are available here.
Students with major revisions required or who do not submit the final thesis by the deadline receive an incomplete grade (IN) and do not graduate. Students have one calendar year to complete an IN thesis.
International students interested in applying for OPT after graduation should contact ISSO concerning the completion of their degree requirements and graduation. The date of your degree completion (including the thesis) may affect your OPT application. ISSO can provide further information.
Resources for thesis writing
Advanced English for MA Thesis Writing: The Advanced English for MA Thesis Writing course is a non-credit, pass/fail, fourteen-week course designed specifically for MA students in the Humanities and Social Sciences whose first language is not English. During the course, students will learn how to improve the clarity, accuracy, and effectiveness of their writing. They will learn to identify and correct the most problematic aspects of their rhetoric, lexicon, and syntax as well as become more familiar with the writing conventions of their discipline. By the end of the course, successful students will have acquired the skills, tools, and confidence necessary to write an effective Master’s thesis. Particular attention will be paid to techniques for improving rhetorical, lexical, and syntactic sophistication and avoiding plagiarism. There will be limited homework.
Available in Fall + Spring semesters.
14 weeks
Classes meet once a week
Columbia Writing Center: The Writing Center provides writing support to undergraduate and graduate students. In one-on-one consultations and workshops, our consultants offer feedback and strategies to help you improve at every stage of your writing, from brainstorming to final drafts. Learn more about what happens in a Writing Center consultation.
We offer 6-week repeating appointments each semester to the following Columbia writers: international students, thesis and dissertation writers, first-generation college students, Mellon Mays fellows, Justice in Education students, military veterans, Pell Grant recipients, and those referred by the Office of Disability Services. We have a limited number of repeating appointments to offer. If you are eligible, you may submit a repeating-appointment request using this form. We typically run out of repeating appointments after the first two weeks of the semester.
GSAS Writing Studio: The GSAS Writing Studio is dedicated to supporting Arts and Sciences graduate students in the process of writing dissertations and MA theses. The Studio offers workshops, writing groups, retreats, structured co-working time, and quiet writing stations in our newly renovated space on the third floor of Lehman Library. All GSAS Writing Studio programs are restricted for use to GSAS graduate students in these Arts and Sciences departments; some, including use of the Studio's physical space, are also restricted to students in the dissertation-writing phase of the PhD. If you have questions regarding accessibility or accommodations, please contact us directly: gsas-writingstudio@columbia.edu.
The writing studio offers the following resources for MA students:
Writing Strategies (Teachers College): If you need some helpful tips before you start writing, these strategies will help no matter what stage of the writing process you are in.
Writing Resources (Teachers College): Consult any of our Helpful Writing Links, Writing Strategies, Types of Writing, or Citing Your Sources pages for more detailed information and additional writing resources for all stages of your academic writing processes.