NMU’s College of Graduate Studies and Research is hosting a thesis and formatting preparation workshop today, Nov. 2 from noon to 1 p.m. in Hedgcock 2303. 

If students can’t attend in person, the workshop will be streamed via Zoom. Students can subscribe to the GSR events calendar to view the Zoom link and learn more about the different workshops being offered. 

The thesis workshop covers the master’s thesis process – forming a committee, setting a timeline, signing up for thesis credits – and thesis formatting rules – types of pages needed, citation notes, appendices – Janelle Taylor, assistant director of graduate student affairs, said.

Students should be prepping well in advance. This is especially important for graduate students who are enrolled in a thesis-required program at NMU. Other students can benefit from parts of it, but it is pretty specific to the master’s thesis process, Taylor said.

“Just like anything, knowing the parameters before you start can help a student create a good thesis with as few process-related headaches as possible,” Taylor said.

A master’s thesis is the culmination of everything a student has done during their graduate program, taking on average two, but sometimes more, years to complete. As for writing the specific document, most people do a majority of the writing in their last semester, but the timeline can vary a lot by student and by program, Taylor said.

Looking ahead, GS&R is offering a one-on-one style thesis workshop next week Nov. 11-9 for students who are submitting their thesis this semester and need to ask specific questions. GS&R is also hosting graduate student community-building events.

“We focus our workshops on topics that relate directly to students’ research, academic, and professional growth. The information and connections made in workshops help students to get the most out of their time at Northern,” Taylor said.