General information
The topic and scope of a thesis are arranged by a student and a supervisor. A MASc thesis is expected to define a substantial research problem, provide a comprehensive review of the literature in the research problem area, describe the theoretical, analytical and/or experimental solution, and provide a comprehensive set of conclusions and recommendation.
Faculty of Engineering Graduate Studies term deadlines can be obtained from your graduate coordinator. There are two sets of dates that we can work off of: the next convocation deadline or the 100% refund deadline. Please ask your graduate coordinator for more information.
Student tasks
- Apply for graduation via quest.
- Confirm completion of required courses and other criteria. Exemptions must be approved by the department.
- Your supervisor will assign two additional readers for your MASc thesis.
Provide the following information to your graduate coordinator for preparation of department certification of MASc thesis acceptance form:
- Name of your supervisor(s).
- Name of your readers. Two additional readers are required as well as your supervisor(s).
- Title of your MASc thesis.
- Once the above is submitted, your graduate coordinator will prepare the department certification of MASc thesis acceptance form. This form will be given to you and you will submit it to your readers and supervisor, for them to initial and date, when you provide them with a copy of your thesis to review.
- With MASc thesis acceptance form, personally distribute a copy of bound thesis to each reader and supervisor, and have them initial the acceptance form for receipt of thesis.
- Once the readers have initialled the MASc thesis acceptance form, take the form and the final copy of your thesis to the Engineering Graduate Studies Office (EGSO). EGSO will initial your acceptance form and will put a copy of your thesis on display. The display period is 15 business days and is a degree requirement. Return the signed form to your graduate coordinator.
- Following the 15 Business day display period, meet with your readers and supervisor(s) to discuss thesis, receiving comments and requests for corrections. When all corrections are made to the satisfaction of the readers and supervisor(s), have the readers and supervisor(s) sign and date the department certification of MASc thesis acceptance form, indicating acceptance of thesis. Return signed and dated department certification of MASc thesis acceptance form to your graduate coordinator.
- Now you are ready to upload the approved and final copy of your thesis to GSPA through UWSpace.
- A request to restrict circulation of the thesis form can be submitted if you would like to request that your thesis be withheld from the public domain
- Once your thesis is submitted to UWSpace, the thesis will be reviewed for formatting by GSPA. You will be notified by email (to your uwaterloo email account – check your SPAM email box) if there are any corrections required. It is your job to check the account indicated above for any correspondence from GSPA. Once all final corrections have been made and approved, GSPA will upload your thesis to UWSpace where is will be available for viewing through this public site.
- Final approval from GSPA and upload to UWSpace completes your degree requirements and thesis milestone. GSPA will then ensure your academic record will be updated.
- Submission of thesis for binding is no longer a Faculty of Engineering requirement. The Department of Management Sciences requires students to submit one bound copy for your supervisor(s). The Department of Management Sciences will pay printing and binding costs of one bound copy for your Management Sciences supervisor(s). When ready to submit your thesis for binding, obtain a signed graphics requisition form from the department to include with your submission.
- The thesis approved date is the date the department will use to process the intent to graduate/program completion form.