A Master's Thesis is expected to contain the following items:
- Introduction and Motivation
- Background of the Research Problem
- Related Work (state of the art)
- Problem Definition and Technical Solution
- Evaluation of Developed Solution
- Conclusions
- References
In particular, the review of the state of the art should be thorough and the work performed should advance the state of the art.
Each Master's Thesis will be read and judged by a thesis committee consisting of the candidate's supervisor, a faculty member appointed by the supervisor, and a faculty member appointed by the Department through the GPD. The candidate is required to present a seminar on the thesis topic.
To register for MS Thesis (CS 699), the candidate must first obtain the approval of the GPD on the proposal.
Required Format
For more information on the format and procedure for completing the thesis, see ODU's Thesis & Dissertation Guide. Also see the guides under "Electronic Theses and Dissertations" at the Graduate School page.
Model Journal
Before you submit your thesis to ProQuest, the format must be approved by the College of Sciences. The College expects that you submit a "model journal" article along with your thesis. Your thesis format should match the journal for placement of table titles, placement of figure titles, and reference format. Your advisor may suggest a model journal, for example IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing.
Recommended Deadlines
- Submission of thesis to committee: six weeks prior to the last day of classes for the semester (must be at least two weeks before the defense)
- MS thesis defense: four weeks prior to the deadline for college review
- Submission of electronic copy of committee-approved thesis to College of Sciences: three weeks prior to the deadline for college review
- Include all required documents (see College of Sciences Thesis & Dissertation Review Procedures)
- The College will follow-up with you about one week after submission
- Any subsequent submissions to the College may be sent as PDF via email
- Submission of approved thesis to ProQuest: see the official academic calendar for exact deadlines