Thesis Timeline Overview

• What interests you? What are you curious about?
• Read: academic research; newspapers; professional organization websites; blogs
• Keep a journal: write down ideas; relevant topics from current events, coursework, personal life

• Talk to your current professors about topics
• Review faculty bios on the department website
• Set up meeting(s) with potential faculty mentors
  • Discuss your ideas; seek input; broaden or narrow possibilities
  • Do they have time and/or interest to work with you?

• KINES 595 Readings & Conference
• KINES 596 Independent Study
• KINES 696 Directed Research

• Minimum of two additional faculty; okay to have four total; 2/3 must be Kinesiology faculty
• Confer additional faculty selection with Thesis Advisor
• What are their expertise or skills? What content knowledge would they offer to your thesis topic? Are they knowledgeable about a particular methodology? Do you have a good working relationship with them?

• As soon as your committee has been formed, submit the Appointment of Supervisory Committee Form form to the Graduate College.
• Must be submitted, no later than the time you file the Application for Admission to Candidacy which is one semester before the semester you intend to graduate. For example, early November for a May graduation or early April for a December graduation.

Visit the Graduate College Thesis and Dissertation Information (via Graduate Student Success Center, GSSC)

• Enroll in KINES 688 Proposal the semester you are working on and plan to propose your thesis

• Download the Thesis Template from the GSSC at the start of the writing process

• Traditional Format includes Chapters 1 – 3 (Introduction, Literature Review, Methods)

* Determine with your thesis advisor/committee if you will be completing a traditional format (Chapters 1-5) or Non-Traditional ‘multi-paper’ format.

• Thesis Advisor approves thesis proposal document and go-ahead to schedule proposal defense
• Confer with your committee a date/time to propose, then reserve a room in the Bronco Gym building with Kevin Blume (KevinBlume@boisestate.edu). Typically, we reserve the room for two hours so that you have time to set-up before the defense and plenty of time afterward for discussion with your committee.
• Prepare thesis proposal announcement using the sample form
• Submit formal proposal document (e.g., cover page, table of contents, page numbers, headings, references) to committee TWO WEEKS prior to scheduled proposal defense
• Submit digital Proposal Announcement and copy of proposal to the KINES Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) to be distributed to all Graduate Faculty and Graduate Students.

• Review Thesis Proposal Grading Form (contact GPC for a copy)

The thesis proposal grading form is a guide for your committee to assess your document and presentation, and to provide feedback. This form should also give you a sense of the expectations concerning your proposal document and presentation.

• Plan for a 15-20 minute oral presentation to committee and invited public
• Plan for 5-10 minutes Q&A from audience & committee
• General audience and the student will leave the room after Q&A; the committee will confer privately
• Student is then invited back in to discuss the proposal, any necessary changes, and next steps.
• Thesis Advisor/committee may complete a Thesis Proposal Grading Form and/or Thesis Proposal Contract (these are internal documents; contact GPC for copies).

Most likely, your committee will have suggested or required changes to your proposed thesis research.  The thesis contract will be authored by your thesis advisor (if one is needed) and would include any required and/or recommended changes to your planned research by the committee.

• Once the proposal is approved, the IRB application should be submitted for review (if needed).

• Data Collection: The timing of data collection will be dependent upon IRB approval (if needed) and will vary from student to student. Be sure to plan appropriately for participant recruitment and data collection processes. If this occurs over the summer the student must communicate this timeline to thesis advisor and committee members.
• Data Analysis: Working in conjunction with your thesis advisor, you will analyze collected data.
• Write Chapters 4 & 5 (Results & Discussion) in consultation with your thesis advisor/committee

• Thesis Advisor approves thesis document and go-ahead to schedule defense
• Confer with your committee a date/time, then reserve a room in the Bronco Gym building with Kevin Blume (KevinBlume@boisestate.edu). Typically, we reserve the room for two hours so that you have time to set-up before the defense and plenty of time afterward for discussion with your committee.
• Prepare thesis defense announcement using the sample form
• Review the Thesis and Dissertation Information provided by the Graduate Student Success Center (GSSC). Specifically you’ll find Preparing for Your Oral Defense and Required Supporting Documents List helpful at this stage in the process. Here you will find necessary forms to have completed prior to your defense and others you’ll need after the defense.
• Complete the Graduate Defense Notification Form (refer to the GSSC site) 2 weeks in advance.
• Provide a complete copy of your thesis document (e.g., cover page, table of contents, page numbers, headings, references) to your committee (2 weeks in advance of the scheduled defense date)
• Submit a digital Proposal Announcement and copy of completed thesis document to the GPC to be distributed to all Graduate Faculty and Graduate Students.
• Refer to Thesis & Dissertation Information website for important details and deadlines
  • Complete and submit Graduate Defense Notice for Graduate College
  • Defend by mid-semester to graduate at the end of semester, e.g., early for May graduation. See Thesis and Dissertation Deadline Dates to ensure graduation date.
  • Other deadlines associated with submitting document for review; final document
• Review the Thesis Defense Grading Form (this is an internal document; contact GPC for a copy).
  • The thesis defense grading form is a guide for your committee to assess your document and presentation, and to provide feedback. This form should also give you a sense of the expectations concerning your thesis document and presentation.

• Bring a copy of the Defense Committee Approval Page to your defense. Refer to the Preparing for your thesis of Dissertation Defense page for more information and a template to follow.
• Plan for a 20 minute oral presentation to committee and invited public
• Plan for 5-10 minutes Q&A from audience & committee
• General audience and the student will leave the room after Q&A; the committee will confer privately
• The thesis Advisor/committee will complete the Thesis Defense Grading Form (this is an internal document; contact GPC for a copy) and the Defense Committee Approval form
• Student is then invited back in to discuss any necessary changes before submitting advisor-approved copy with signed approval forms, per Graduate College requirements & deadlines.

**Note There are two deadlines for final submission of the thesis document. The first deadline listed is established for the graduate college to review and format your document. You must have defended and completed all final edits/feedback from your advisor/committee, included approval forms and checklists. The second deadline is the FINAL-FINAL version submission to the Graduate College.