Progress to the MS Degree

Advisory Committee

Students pursuing the thesis master’s degree should select an Advisory Committee by the end of the first year. This process typically involves selecting the committee chairperson and discussing with that person the composition of the remainder of the committee. The committee is comprised of three members of the University’s graduate faculty, including a chair who must be a member of the economics graduate faculty. If the student is pursuing a minor/co-major, one committee member must be from the graduate faculty of the minor/co-major department.

Plan of Work

Once an advisory committee is formed, students should complete the Graduate Plan of Work through MyPack. The POW should detail the courses that have been taken or will be taken to fulfill the degree requirements. The POW must be completed and approved by the Graduate School before the student may schedule the comprehensive oral exam. Students should file the POW well before (a minimum of 2 weeks) the chosen oral exam date in order to prevent possible delays.

Final Oral Examination

When all other requirements except completion of course work for the final semester are satisfied, the student may submit to the Graduate School a Request for Permission to Schedule the Master’s Oral Exam. This form should be submitted as early in the final semester as possible, but no later than 2 weeks prior to the proposed exam date. If all course requirements have been met, the Graduate School will forward an Admission to the Final Master’s Oral Exam and the exam can be scheduled by the student at a convenient time for the Committee and the student.

The student will submit a copy of the preliminary draft of the thesis to the chair and members of his or her advisory committee for review. Students should discuss with their committees an appropriate timetable to follow in order to provide adequate time for review prior to the oral exam. The thesis must be complete by the time of the exam except for such revisions as may be necessary as a result of the final examination.

Thesis Final Draft Submission

The student must submit the draft PDF file of the thesis to the Thesis Editor for review by the “ETD Review Deadline” for the semester in which the final oral exam occurred. These deadlines can be found in the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation guide.  The thesis must be submitted electronically through the ETD submission system. The thesis review ensures that the format of the dissertation conforms with the specifications described in the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation guide.

Once the student has incorporated edits recommended by the advisory committee and the thesis editor, the student must submit a final, error free file of the thesis to the Graduate School. This must also be done through the ETD submission system by the “Final Error Free ETD” deadline for the semester, as noted in the Graduate Calendar.  The student will be electronically notified when the final error free file is accepted. Once the final error free file has been received, it will be routed back to the thesis committee members for final approval.

Students should be aware that the rules regarding submission of the thesis to the Graduate School are specific and deadlines are enforced. As a result, students would be wise to acquaint themselves with the required procedures and timelines. Workshops (both online and in person) on the ETD process are offered and students should plan to attend. Schedules and registration for ETD workshops can be found online at the ETD website.

Note: Students who unconditionally pass their final exam in a given semester, up to and including the « No Registration Required Thesis/Dissertation Review » deadline will not be allowed to register for the following semester in the degree program under which they took they exam. Students already in another program may register in that program. International students with concerns about how they will complete final edits and minor revisions under these circumstances should contact Office of International Services to discuss the available options.

Preparing to Graduate

Students preparing to graduate with a MS degree in economics must do the following before the required Graduate School deadlines (calendar):

• Make sure that the online Graduate Plan of Work is completed and approved in MyPack.
• Submit the Request for Permission to Schedule Master’s Oral Exam form. This must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the exam date, giving careful attention to the Graduate School deadlines for completing the final oral exam and submitted the thesis to the ETD editor.
• Complete the online Application to Graduate (in MyPack). This should be completed at the same time as the Request for Permission to Schedule the Master’s Oral Exam.
• Submit the signed title page and draft thesis through the ETD system for thesis review.
• Submit a final, error-free file of the thesis to the Graduate School through the ETD system.
• Make sure all outstanding fees are paid.