ENGL 689 Thesis Proposal and Research

This course is designed to help students complete their M.A. Thesis. It is expected that research for the thesis project will be relevant to the student’s study in the master’s program and will make an academic contribution.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Course Guide

View this course’s outcomes, policies, schedule, and more.*

*The information contained in our Course Guides is provided as a sample. Specific course curriculum and requirements for each course are provided by individual instructors each semester. Students should not use Course Guides to find and complete assignments, class prerequisites, or order books.


The purpose of this course is to allow the student who is completing a thesis to begin researching, outlining, and writing under the supervision and direction of his/her thesis director.


Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in Module 1.

Thesis Topic and Thesis Assignment

Students must submit a sufficiently narrowed topic and a thesis statement for their thesis-proposal-research.

Research Journal Assignment

The student must submit 1 Research Journal. This journal must provide the instructor with a brief update on what progress the student has made on his/her thesis research and how the project has progressed since the previous module. The journal submission must be at least 200 words.

Preliminary Outline Assignment

Students will submit one preliminary outline, detailing the overall structure of all thesis chapters.

Thesis Proposal First Draft Assignment

The student will draft his/her thesis proposal that builds on the Thesis Topic and Thesis Assignment, Research Journal, and Preliminary Outline.

Thesis Proposal Second Draft Assignment

The student will draft his/her thesis proposal that builds on the Thesis Topic and Thesis Assignment, Research Journal, and Preliminary Outline. The student will build on the work completed in the Thesis Proposal First Draft Assignment.

Quiz: Thesis Timeline

The student will create a projected timeline for the completion of the thesis project.

Thesis Proposal Assignment

The student will write a thesis proposal that is approximately 10 to 15 pages (3,000-4,500 words), exclusive of the bibliography (which should contain at least 25 sources), and include a working title, introduction, review of relevant scholarship and primary sources, explanation of the approaches to the topic, a description of thesis chapters, conclusion, and working bibliography.

Thesis Proposal Defense Assignment

The student will defend the thesis proposal in an e-Meeting platform with his/her thesis committee.


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