Thesis

A thesis is a significant, sustained project that is the result of independent thought and intellectual curiosity. It is the expectation that a student's chosen project is in the discipline of their major in CAS (or one of their majors if they have multiple majors).

The thesis should exceed the quality and quantity of scholarly work beyond what is required for a term paper. In the process of completing a thesis, a student identifies a research question; develops methods to answer the question(s); collects, manages, and analyzes data; and disseminates the findings and implications through a thesis defense.

In CAS, a thesis can also be a creative project (when appropriate to the student's major). Please see the FAQ section below for more information about what can be used for a thesis.

This is a separate process from submitting a thesis for the Honors Program.

Thesis Process and Parts

Thesis Prospectus 
The college has an electronic submission process via DocuSign for the Thesis Prospectus. All signers (you, your thesis advisors, and the chair of your major department) will receive a copy once it has been completed and received by the Dean’s office. This is to be turned in a year prior to the intended graduation date. 

Thesis Defense 
After completing the thesis, students must arrange with their two thesis advisors to give an oral defense of their project. Often the defense begins with the student giving a short presentation on the project. This should be completed well before the college’s deadline. 

Thesis 
Students should email a copy of their final thesis to cas-distinction@unl.edu with their name and NU ID in the subject line by the due date (see timeline below). 

Thesis Evaluation Form 
The student initiates the Thesis Evaluation Form in DocuSign by entering their information and the two thesis advisors’ information. The form then routes to each advisor in turn who will complete the evaluation and sign. The Thesis Evaluation is composed of two parts:

• Evaluation of thesis or creative effort: Please justify your evaluation in detail and include a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the project.
• Evaluation of examination: If the examination was oral, identify the areas of subject matter covered. If the examination was written, a copy of the questions and answers must accompany this report. Please com­ment on the strengths and weaknesses of the student's performance in either case.

Once both advisors have signed, the form will automatically route to the Dean’s office. The student and thesis advisors will receive a copy of the completed form. This should be completed before the college’s deadline for thesis materials. 

CASC 99 Undergraduate Thesis 
Students who submit a thesis to CAS and successfully defend it to their two thesis advisors will be automatically enrolled in CASC 99. This course represents the significant intellectual work involved in the process: planning, documenting, presenting and defending, and reflecting; it earns students experiential learning credit and documents the accomplishment on the transcript. 

Due Dates Based on Tentative Graduation Dates

Students should allow a year for the entire process of planning, conducting research, and writing a thesis.

Thesis Prospectus Due Dates

• December Graduation: October 31st the year prior to the intended graduation.
• May Graduation: March 31st the year prior to the intended graduation.
• August Graduation: July 31st the year prior to the intended graduation.

Thesis, Thesis Defense, and Thesis Evaluation Form Due Dates
The college deadline is eight weeks prior to the Monday following commencement, except for the August commencement in which case the deadline is four weeks prior to the Friday before commencement.

Students are responsible for developing a timeline with their two thesis advisors to ensure time to read the thesis, conduct the oral defense, and submit the paperwork before the college deadline.

The following are the dates on which materials are due in the Dean's Office for the next several graduation periods. These dates are based on the formula mentioned above and will be updated as actual graduation dates are posted by the Registrar's office.

* If you cannot meet this deadline, please reach out to cas-distinction@unl.edu. We may be able to accommodate a late submission for the Thesis Prospectus.

** This is a firm deadline due to deadlines the college must meet with the Office of the University Registrar.

Steps for the Student

Year Prior to Graduation 

1. Complete your part of the Thesis Prospectus form through DocuSign. It will route to your thesis advisors and your major department chair. You are required to use your university email address (@huskers.unl.edu) for the college to accept your email submission. 

2. Begin research. Research in many areas/fields takes time to plan and conduct, so start early!

Semester of Graduation 

1. Complete thesis project. 

2. Submit thesis to thesis advisors with sufficient time to meet distinction deadlines. Typically, this is at least two weeks prior to the college due date. 

3. Start the Thesis Evaluation Form by filling in your advisors’ information (it will route to them to complete).  

4. Successfully defend your thesis to your thesis advisors before the college due date.  

5. Submit final thesis to cas-distinction@unl.edu.

Thesis outside of your major 
To write your thesis outside your major, please see the FAQ section and contact the CAS Dean’s Office at cas-distinction@unl.edu regarding the process for approval.

Expectations for the Advisors and Unit

Advisors

Before signing the thesis prospectus, discuss the following with the student:

• the student's plan for the project as described in the Thesis Prospectus
• the minimum GPA requirements of 3.500 for distinction and whether the student expects to meet this requirement.
• the college committee determines the level of distinction by using the cumulative grade point average based on all credit hours taken at UNL prior to the beginning of the term in which the student receives his or her degree. Incomplete coursework and classes from the current term are not included in the determination of level of distinction.
• any additional policies or requirements set by the major department/program.

Semester of Graduation

1. Continue supervising the student's research.
2. Oversee the thesis defense.
3. Jointly evaluate the thesis and quality of the thesis defense on Thesis Evaluation Form.

Chair/Director of Major Department/Program

Chairs/directors certify both thesis advisors listed are appropriate to advise the proposed thesis for this major.

• At least one advisor must hold the title of assistant professor/professor of practice, associate professor/professor of practice or professor/professor of practice.
• Multi-year lecturers and instructional staff (excluding graduate students), with approval from the major department, may serve as one of the co-advisors.
• At least one of the thesis advisors must be from the College of Arts and Sciences.

Thesis FAQ