The thesis is modeled on a short scholarly monograph of approximately 100-120 pages (excluding bibliography), with multiple chapters.The Thesis may be completed in one year (3 semesters), but two years is more common.
Sample Thesis Topics
- Finding New Roads Towards Peace: The Report of the Carnegie Commission on the Balkan Wars, 1912-1913
- The Franco Regime and the Independence of Spanish Morocco (1945-56)
- Alone in Power: The Presidency and Decision Making of President Richard M. Nixon
- Monastic Formation through the Liturgy and the Musical Compositions of St. Hildegard of Bingen
- Land, Displacement and Coping Strategies': A Social History of the Marange People, Eastern- Zimbabwe, 1960s-2015
Thesis Proposal Guidelines
Due Date: March 15 of the first year of study
The proposal is designed to help you think through your thesis project in some depth and detail. Writing this proposal should help you develop an understanding of the critical questions involved with your topic and help you form a plan of research. A good proposal will allow your supervisor to ensure that your research is heading in a promising direction and that your goals for the thesis are manageable. It also gives your supervisor a chance to provide you with feedback on possible sources and suggest questions for you to consider as you pursue your research. In writing your proposal, it will be helpful to keep in mind the requirements for the thesis. As the History M.A. program regulations explain: The Thesis will be modeled on a short scholarly monograph with multiple chapters. The Thesis will be approximately 120 pages in length, excluding notes and bibliography.
The proposal should be approximately 7-8 double-spaced pages in length (excluding bibliography) and should address the following issues:
- Research Questions: This section should explain the goals and significance of your research project. You should identify the specific problem or research questions that will be the focus of your study. In addition, you should explain why the topic is important and what scholarly contribution you hope to make.
- Historiography, Methodology, and Theory: Although you do not need to include a full literature review or historiographical discussion, you should position your project in relation to other scholarly works on the topic. You should also discuss the research methodology and/or theoretical frameworks that will inform your analysis. Why have you chosen these particular methods and theories, and how will they contribute to your project?
- Research and Sources: Provide a brief summary of the primary sources you plan to investigate (such as archival materials, correspondence, newspapers, magazines, literary texts, government documents, visual sources, oral histories, etc.). Also, comment on the availability of sources and whether you anticipate encountering any problems accessing these materials.
- Structure/Chapter Outline: Include a preliminary chapter outline that summarizes the focus of each chapter. (M.A. theses typically include an Introduction, three chapters, and a Conclusion, but, of course, you should choose a chapter structure that best suits your topic and approach.)
- Research Timeline and Logistics: Outline a proposed timetable that indicates when you plan to research and write various portions of the thesis. If you are planning research trips to archives and libraries, include a tentative schedule for this research.
- Bibliography: Attach a preliminary bibliography that provides information about both the primary and secondary sources that you have located thus far in your research. You should list the primary and secondary sources under separate headings.
Finally, please note: If your project involves research with human subjects (such as oral history), then you will need to apply for approval from Trent’s Research Ethics Board (REB). You should start this process as soon as possible, as you must have REB approval before conducting research with human subjects.
Thesis Submission and Defence
After the supervisor, second reader, and student have worked through as many drafts as are required the completed thesis will be submitted to the Program Director. This should be submitted by no later than June 1 of the student’s second year if they expect to graduate by the end of their second year. Students who don’t meet the deadline for completion in two years (the exact date is in the Trent Calendar for the year in question) are required to register and pay one full term’s fees.
Once the supervisory committee has confirmed that the thesis may proceed to examination, the Program Director establishes a committee to participate in the examination and defence, consisting of a Chair, the supervisor, at least one member of the supervisory committee and at least one other member, internal or external to the University who is not a member of the supervisory committee; and determines the date, place and time of the defence.
A “Pre-Oral Defence” form is supplied on which the internal/external examiner should verify whether they recommend that the oral examination should proceed. The form must be returned to the Graduate Program Director at least one week before the scheduled date of the oral. A negative response may result in cancellation of the defence and return of the thesis to the student.
Five recommendations are open to the Examining Committee:
(i) the thesis is approved as it stands, or
(ii) the thesis is approved provided certain minor revisions are made, or
(iii) the thesis is approved provided certain major revisions are made, or
(iv) the thesis is not approved as it stands but may be resubmitted, and re-examined by some or all of the Examining Committee (this may or may not involve another oral defence), or
(v) the thesis is not approved.
Once the thesis is approved along with any revisions, students need to submit the thesis to Graduate Studies. It is the responsibility of students to familiarize themselves with the Principles Governing Submission and Examination of Theses/Dissertations as outlined in the Trent Calendar and to ensure that they have completed all the requirements for the degree. This includes the submission of the thesis to the Graduate Studies Officer for final approval and its binding and/or microfilming, once it has been approved