The master’s thesis and abstract must be submitted to the supervisory committee chair (faculty advisor) at least 2 weeks prior to the oral defense. The faculty advisor should be involved in helping the graduate student develop their thesis into a publishable form.
Once approved, the Final Examination Report form must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies Master’s Program Coordinator and NHS Graduate Coordinator at least four weeks prior to the oral defense.
An electronic copy of the thesis and abstract must be submitted to all supervisory committee members, Office of Graduate Studies Master’s Program Coordinator, and NHS Graduate Coordinator for approval at least two weeks prior to the oral defense. All major revisions to the thesis should be completed before the oral defense. Minor revisions (such formatting or spelling) are permitted after the oral defense.
The graduate student is responsible to submit the completed Final Examination Report form and deposit their thesis by the Office of Graduate Studies deadlines.
Written Requirements
- Office of Graduate Studies Written Format Guidelines: https://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/current/degrees/guidelines
- Make revisions based on corrections and recommendations after each evaluation Oral Defense Guidelines
- 45-minute public seminar presentation with 10 minutes for questions, open to faculty, graduate students, and guests
- Followed by oral examination by the Supervisor Committee (please allow 2 hours in total)
Reporting Examination Results
- If the committee agrees unanimously that the student has passed: Part 4 of the Final Examination Report is signed by all committee members present for the defense, https://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/current/Masters-FinalExam.pdf.
- If only one member dissents: The dissenting member files a letter of explanation to the NHS Graduate Chair, NHS Graduate Coordinator, and the Office of Graduate Studies, but the student is approved for the degree and Part 4 of the Final Examination Report is signed accordingly.
- If more than one member dissents: The student fails to pass the final oral exam. The committee files a report on the failure to the NHS Graduate Chair, NHS Graduate Coordinator and the Office of Graduate Studies, indicating what the student must do before attempting another examination. A student may attempt a final oral exam only once per term.
Procedures Specific to Program
Information listed here is specific to individual programs in the department. Assume that the statements related to the proposal, defense, and comprehensive exam above apply unless otherwise stated here.