MA Thesis

Electronic submissions to the MA Program should be made to [email protected].

Application for the Degree (https://www.registrar.columbia.edu/content/application-degree-or-certificate) can be filed online with the Registrar using the Degree Application Status tab on SSOL (see button “Apply for Degree or Certification"). 

Thesis Formats

Option 1: Review articles with strong "views" and "future" components. The thesis shall give in-depth evaluations of the field, including the history, current status, and future directions. 

Option 2: Research proposal similar to that for a predoctoral fellowship.

Option 3: Scientific report. For students who have done research beyond that required for Supervised Research, the thesis can be about their research while enrolled in the MA program. The thesis should have a much more extensive background section. Data already used for SR reports should be included instead as appendices in the thesis.

Faculty Mentors

An approved Columbia faculty member can serve as a thesis mentor. The involvement of the faculty member can range from “holding-hands-every-step-of-the-way” to reading the final draft with minor comments, depending on the agreement between the student and the advisor and the quality of the final draft submitted.  If you would like to have a non-Columbia faculty as your primary advisor, you need to have prior approval from the Program.

Prepare a couple of scientific topics and approaches before requesting that the faculty member act a thesis mentor.  Be sure to share the Thesis deadlines needed for the intended degree conferral or graduation.  Once a faculty member agrees to be a thesis mentor on a scientific topic, he/she should send a short email to confirm the agreement ([email protected]).  Thorough discussion of the topic and feedback on a detailed thesis outline will minimize extensive revisions needed on the final draft.  

Formatting Guidelines and Binding Requirements 

Follow the requirements exactly. It not only makes a better-looking thesis, it keeps a thesis from being rejected due to technicalities. Theses that are formatted correctly will be easier for the Mentor and Program to review and will facilitate approval.

Requirements:

Margins (Left 1.5". all others 1") should use block justification so left-and right edges of text are even.

Print double-spaced on one-side of the page.

Minimum length is 20-pages for the main body of text, excluding figures & tables.

Data must be included where it is first mentioned and should always cite the original source.

Major headings begin on the top of a new page.

Citations (alphabetical by first author's last name or numerical) must be used to support statements.

Website citations are not peer-reviewed and should be avoided. 

References listed should contain all author names, volume numbers, all page numbers and full journal names.

Binding of the Thesis:

When binding your thesis please remember: NO SPIRAL BINDING!  For examples of acceptable thesis binding formats, see the image below,

Thesis binding may be done at Staples, Kinko's, Village Copier, or through Columbia Print (2950 Broadway-106 Pulitzer Hall; 212-854-3233), which is especially useful for those already overseas or out-of-town, because Columbia Print will deliver on campus.