Thesis

Important information for both thesis options

Thesis Submission Timeline

Initial Submission Steps

Your supervisor may find some useful tips for selecting examiners on the Graduate Supervision website.

• At least two months before initial submission:

Students must submit their “Intent to Submit Thesis” through myThesis.

You will be asked to provide your thesis title, abstract, length of thesis and date of submission.
You will also be asked to nominate examiners (please discuss the examiners with your supervisor(s) prior to submitting the names). Once this is submitted, the request will be sent to your supervisor(s) and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in Music for approval. Then an invitation to the examiner will be sent through myThesis for the examiner to accept or decline. This whole approval process must be completed prior to your submission date.

Master’s students can access myThesis through the GPS website. Detailed guidelines and an instructional video are available on this page.

Verify MyProgress to ensure that all components of the program are complete or components of the program are marked as “Complete” or “In Progress”.

• Day of submission:

Submit your thesis through the submission page on myThesis on the date submitted in your “Intent to Submit Thesis” form. Your supervisor(s) and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in Music will be advised of your submission and they will be asked to approve it.

Final Submission Steps

1. Review the examiner's comments with your supervisor and make revisions if required. Consult the Associate Dean (Graduate Studies in music) and the GPS website if the thesis has not been passed.
2. Submit online as per instructions by the date in the above table.
3. Notify your supervisor that this has been completed. Your supervisor will review and issue the final confirmation.
4. Check out the convocation website for further details, and prepare to celebrate!

Thesis (in-depth monograph-style thesis)

Thesis Criteria

The M.A. thesis demonstrates familiarity with previous work in the field and the ability to carry out research and organize results. It must be written in good literate style.

• An exhaustive review of work in the particular field is not required, nor is original scholarship necessarily expected.

Length: Typically between 80-100 pages (excluding musical examples and other illustrations). It cannot exceed 150 pages in total, including all preliminary pages.

Thesis Evaluation Criteria

1. Is situated in a broader context and appropriately acknowledges the larger field of research (e.g. citations/references).
2. Details of methodology and methods.
3. Reports results clearly.
4. Justifies analyses and conclusions.
5. Discusses implications.
6. Is presented appropriately for disciplinary norms (grammar, style, coherence, cohesion).

Format of Thesis Proposal

A complete thesis proposal consists of the following elements:

• Summary, defining and situating topic, explaining: rationale based on literature review; purpose, research questions or hypothesis; methodology; expected results; expected contributions/implications for the field (2 double-spaced pages of text)
• Bibliography (2-3 pages)
• Completed M.A./M.Mus. Thesis Proposal Form including confirmation of REB Ethics Submission/Approval if required.

Thesis Proposal Deadline

• After the draft proposal has received preliminary approval by the candidate’s Supervisor, the Supervisor will distribute it to all faculty members in the Music Education Area.
• Within one week, any feedback and suggestions should be directed to both the candidate’s Supervisor and the Music Education Area Coordinator. The candidate may be required to revise the proposal based on this feedback.
• Once the candidate’s supervisor and the Music Education Area Coordinator are satisfied that important points of feedback have been addressed, the supervisor will schedule an oral presentation.

Proposal Presentation

The Oral Presentation Committee will consist of three members:

• the candidate’s supervisor
• the co-supervisor or second reader
• a third committee member from outside the Music Education Area, who will serve as Committee Chair

If the co-supervisor or second reader is from outside the Music Education Area, then the Committee Chair may be from within the area.
All three committee members must be present for the presentation either in person or via teleconference.

The presentation will include the following components:

• a brief presentation by the candidate providing an overview of the topic (between 15–20 minutes)

• a brief period in which the candidate will respond to questions from the faculty (approximately 15-20 minutes)

Candidates are advised to respect the 15-20 minute maximum for the brief presentation.
Since all committee members will have read the submitted proposal in advance of the defense, the presentation should be used as an opportunity to go into greater detail, to provide additional context, and/or to discuss an example that demonstrates the proposed methodology.

Evaluation of the Oral Presentation

The Oral Presentation Committee will deliberate to reach a consensus on one of the following three outcomes:

• Pass (with no revisions): indicates that the proposal and the proposal form may be forwarded to the Graduate Studies Office by the Area Coordinator. The Music Education Area Chair will sign the proposal form to indicate that the oral presentation has been successfully passed.
• Provisional Pass (with minor revisions): indicates that the candidate must revise the proposal based on feedback provided by the committee.
  • The final proposal will be approved by both the candidate’s Supervisor and by the Committee Chair.
    Once approved, the final proposal and the proposal form may be forwarded to the Graduate Studies Office.
    The Music Education Area Chair will sign the proposal form to indicate that the oral presentation has been successfully passed.
• Fail: indicates that major revisions are needed and that a new proposal presentation must be scheduled.

Thesis Submission Timeline

Initial Submission Steps

• At least two months before initial submission:

Students must submit their “Intent to Submit Thesis” through myThesis.

You will be asked to provide your thesis title, abstract, length of thesis and date of submission.
You will also be asked to nominate examiners (please discuss the examiners with your supervisor(s) prior to submitting the names). Once this is submitted, the request will be sent to your supervisor(s) and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in Music for approval. Then an invitation to the examiner will be sent through myThesis for the examiner to accept or decline. This whole approval process must be completed prior to your submission date.

Master’s students can access myThesis through the GPS website.  Detailed guidelines and an instructional video are available on this page.

Verify MyProgress to ensure that all components of the program are complete or components of the program are marked as “Complete” or “In Progress”.

• Day of submission:

Submit your thesis through the submission page on myThesis on the date submitted in your “Intent to Submit Thesis” form. Your supervisor(s) and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in Music will be advised of your submission and they will be asked to approve it.

Final Submission Steps

1. Review the examiner's comments with your supervisor and make revisions if required. Consult the Associate Dean (Graduate Studies in music) and the GPS website if the thesis has not been passed.
2. Submit online as per instructions by the date in the above table.
3. Notify your supervisor that this has been completed.  Your supervisor will review and issue the final confirmation.
4. Check out the convocation website for further details, and prepare to celebrate!

Thesis (research-paper-based)

Thesis Criteria

1. The portfolio thesis will consist of two original papers on one broad topic linked together with an introduction and summary. Examples of the format could include:
   1. one broadly themed paper followed by a case study or more in-depth study of a topic that arises in the first paper;
   2. two contrasting perspectives on a broad topic.
2. The document would have four chapters including an introduction, two papers and a summary. The total length would be between 60-75 pages double-spaced.

Thesis Evaluation Criteria

1. Is situated in a broader context and appropriately acknowledges the larger field of research (e.g. citations/references).
2. Details methodology and methods.
3. Reports results clearly.
4. Justifies analyses and conclusions.
5. Discusses implications.
6. Is presented appropriately for disciplinary norms (grammar, style, coherence, cohesion).

Format of Thesis Proposal

A complete thesis proposal consists of the following elements:

• The proposal for the paper will be two pages long with a bibliography (may be divided into two sections- one for each paper). The proposal will include a context or introduction; rationale; overarching research question; research questions for each paper; methodology (including format, how sources were searched, key areas of focus and keywords); and implications.
• The proposal will be submitted to the Music Education Area for approval. Unlike in the case of the Music Education MA Thesis proposal, the student will not be required to orally present the proposal to a committee.
• Completed  M.A. Thesis Proposal Form (research-paper-based) including confirmation of REB Ethics Submission/Approval if required.

An evaluator will be chosen for the thesis who has expertise in the field of research related to the paper. This evaluator may be a professor in Music Education or from outside of the area.

Thesis Proposal Deadline

• After the draft proposal has received preliminary approval by the candidate’s Supervisor, the Supervisor will distribute it to all faculty members in the Music Education Area.
• Within one week, any feedback and suggestions should be directed to both the candidate’s Supervisor and the Music Education Area Coordinator. The candidate may be required to revise the proposal based on this feedback.
• Once the candidate’s supervisor and the Music Education Area Coordinator are satisfied that important points of feedback have been addressed, the Music Education Area Coordinator will sign the thesis proposal form and forward it to the Music Graduate Studies Office.