Graduate Committee and Thesis/Action Research Project Requirement

The admitted student is responsible for contacting ECSU graduate faculty professors and potential experts in their research field to form a graduate committee. The graduate committee is responsible for guiding the majority of student academic and research efforts and has final approval on such key areas as research topic, Program of Study, and thesis defense. The graduate committee must be composed of at least three and no more than four full-time ECSU graduate program faculty with at least two members serving in the Department of Natural Sciences, Pharmacy and Health Professions and one member serving as committee chair. The committee chair must be an ECSU full-time graduate faculty member, but may be affiliated with a department other than the Department of Natural Sciences, Pharmacy and Health Professions. If the student’s thesis topic requires expertise outside the University, it is permissible to add a member from outside ECSU in addition to three ECSU full-time graduate faculty members. Any exceptions to the graduate committee structure outlined here requires approval of the Department Graduate Program Co-coordinator.

The Masters of Science in Biology - Biological Sciences and - Biology Education tracks require the completion of unique and high quality research designed under the guidance of the student’s graduate committee. This specific process begins with the formal approval of the thesis or action research project proposal by the graduate committee. The research, which represents a significant portion of effort in the program, must make a notable contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the student’s discipline area. The thesis or action research project is the culminating documentation of the research efforts, and the student must orally present and successfully defend the thesis or action research project to the full satisfaction of the graduate committee as a requirement for graduation.