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Procedures/Guidelines for SURP-800 (Report/Thesis Proposal) and SURP-898/899

1. The first-year student should discuss their interest in the thesis or report option with their Academic Advisor. The Academic Advisor will provide general information regarding the effort and work involved in writing a report/thesis. Ideally this discussion should occur late in fall or early winter semester of the first year.
2. The student should develop a research idea (one page) for discussion with their Academic Advisor. The research idea should communicate the general topic or subject matter that the student is interested in developing into a research proposal for report or thesis. The Academic Advisor could direct the student to a member of SURP’s Core Faculty whose research interests may best align with the student’s research idea. The student should also investigate the research interests of the Core Faculty by reviewing the SURP webpage, faculty publications etc.
3. Once the student has determined that his/her research idea corresponds to one of the Core Faculty’s research interests. The student should make an appointment to meet with the Core Faculty to discuss the research idea. During this discussion the faculty member will consider if he or she is willing and able to supervise the student’s master’s report or thesis.
4. The student must receive approval and agreement from a member of the Core Faculty to supervise the student’s master’s report or thesis. Once this approval is received, the student must add SURP-800 to the Academic Change Form which is duly signed by the Core Faculty member who has agreed to supervise the student’s master’s report/thesis. This should happen in April. In extenuating circumstances, faculty may accept students after the usual April timing. Students will NOT be automatically enrolled into SURP-800.
5. Once the student has secured the agreement of a Core Faculty member to supervise their report/thesis, he/she will begin working on a literature review/background study over the spring/summer term.
6. The student will be required to complete SURP-800 in the fall term of their second year; the Decision Sheet for Master’s Report/Thesis Proposal will continue to be used to record progress and completion of the proposal.
7. If SURP-800 is not successfully completed in the fall term, registration in SURP-898/899 will be withdrawn in Winter term.

Important General Notes

• Students have no guarantee that a faculty member will supervise their master reports/theses.
• It is at the sole discretion of each faculty member to agree to supervise a master’s report/thesis.
• If the student’s research idea falls outside the scope of the expertise of the Core Faculty, he/she should first discuss the matter with the SURP Director. Only in exceptional cases, a supervisor may be found who is not a member of the Core Faculty.