Thesis Guidelines
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for an MLIS degree from the Information School, you may elect to write a thesis (instead of a portfolio). The thesis should provide evidence of your ability to carry out independent investigation and to present results in a clear and systematic format. The thesis option involves a highly-structured and well-defined research project that you pursue under the guidance of your faculty advisor and a thesis committee.
LIS 700 Credit
Register for LIS 700 for 9 (minimum) to 15 (maximum) credits. These credits are typically spread over three or four quarters.
Note: LIS 700 credits are not eligible for the UW Tuition Exemption program.
Thesis Selection
To pursue the thesis option, you must consult with a member of the Information School faculty who shares this field of interest to discuss the possibility of a thesis, with the intent of asking the faculty member to become their Thesis Committee Chair. Once a faculty member has agreed to take on the role of Thesis Chair, you and the faculty member together will forward suggestions for members of the Thesis Committee to the Graduate Program Coordinator.
Thesis Committee
A Thesis Committee consists of two to four faculty members. The Thesis Committee will be appointed by the Graduate Program Coordinator for the thesis work. The Thesis Chair and at least one other Thesis Committee member must be members of the UW Graduate Faculty of the Information School. In addition, we recommend that all members of the Thesis Committee be UW Graduate Faculty, although a maximum of two faculty members may be chosen who are not. The Thesis Committee is responsible for evaluating your 700-level work and for examining and approving the completed thesis.
The names of the Thesis Committee members should be forwarded to the Office of Student and Academic Services (OSAS) to be put in the student's permanent academic file.
Timeframe for Thesis Completion
During the duration of the thesis, you are responsible to the Thesis Chair for all matters relating to thesis work. You are responsible for maintaining sufficient contact with the Thesis Chair to ensure satisfactory progress with the thesis.
Thesis format must follow the requirements outlined in the UW Graduate School's Policy and Style Manual for Theses and Dissertations. Thesis advisers are available from the UW Graduate School for consultation on style and formatting during the thesis preparation process.
MLIS students pursuing the thesis option must register and complete a minimum of 9 credits of LIS 700. You will be allowed to register for a maximum of 15 credits of LIS 700. In cases where the thesis is not satisfactorily completed by the time you have completed 15 credits of LIS 700, an extension may be negotiated jointly by you and the Thesis Chair in consultation with the Graduate Program Coordinator.
Required Forms
If you have questions on the thesis process, contact Marie Potter, MLIS Academic Advisor, or your faculty advisor.