Terminal Master's Defense

Before the Defense:

1. Register for 599 Thesis Research. Terminal master's students should register for at least one semester of 599 and may register in 599 for all terms.
   
   
2. Complete at least 32 credit hours of course work in your three core areas with grades no lower than B or S. No more than 12 hours of research can be counted.
   
   
3. Add yourself to the degree list in the term you plan to deposit your thesis via UI Integrate Self-Service. You do not need to be registered in the semester in which you deposit your thesis if it is not the same semester as the one in which you took your exam.
   
   
4. Reserve a Room or provide a Zoom Meeting link for your defense after the date and time have been approved by your defense committee. Inform the PEEC Office Administrator of the date, time, room/zoom link, and the names of your committee members at least 3 weeks before your defense date. If you need help reserving a room, contact the PEEC Office Administrator. Terminal Master's Advisory Committees do not need to be approved by the Graduate College; however, membership of the Advisory Committee must be approved by the Director of the Program as outlined in PEEC’s Graduate Program Handbook.
   
   
5. Schedule your exit seminar. Inform the PEEC Office Administrator of the date, time, and room/zoom link of your exit seminar.
   
   
6. While writing your thesis, be sure to follow the Grad College Thesis Requirements for formatting. Click on the following link to view a sample Title Page, Sample (Master's). If you have any questions about any of the formatting requirements, ask the PEEC Office Administrator, who is required to approve the formatting of your thesis before you are allowed to deposit.

After the Defense:

1. After you have made the revisions recommended by your committee, make sure that you have followed the Grad College Thesis Requirements for formatting your thesis, and then email the PEEC Office Administrator a copy of your thesis (Word docx version) for format review at least 5 business days before the deposit deadline.
   
   
2. After making any necessary format changes suggested by the PEEC Office Administrator, resubmit the final revision to the PEEC Office Administrator for a final review and approval. The Office Administrator will then submit a Thesis/Dissertation Approval (TDA) form to the Graduate College and notify you that you may then submit your thesis for electronic deposit to the Graduate College.
   
   
3. Deposit your thesis and submit supplemental materials.
   1. Convert your thesis file(s) to a single PDF file, if not already in that format.
      1. Name the PDF file: Lastname_Firstname.pdf (Use last and first names as they appear in Banner and listed on the title page; do not include middle names/initials in the filename.)
         
         
      2. Do not embed audio/video files in or apply security settings to PDF file.
         
         
   2. Go to grad.illinois.edu/thesis/submit to create a submission profile and submit your electronic thesis.
      
      
   3. At the same time, submit the following to the Thesis Office (the deposit is not complete until all items are received):
      1. IDEALS deposit agreement. See the Release Options page for a detailed overview of the IDEALS release options and license text. You will agree to the IDEALS license agreement during step 2 of the thesis submission process.
         
         
      2. Copyright permission letters (If applicable). The author determines if letters granting permission to reprint copyrighted material are needed. If so, there will be an opportunity to upload them with your submission. If you need to send them separately, please email them to thesis@illinois.edu. For more information about this item, see the Copyright Tools page.
         
         
   4. Make all necessary corrections to your thesis, if any, as required by the Thesis Office. They will notify you of required changes via email.
      
      
   5. The Thesis Office will notify you via email when your deposit is complete. The deposit fee ($25) will be charged to your student account.
      
      
   6. All final corrections and required materials are due no later than 4:45 p.m. on the final day of the deposit period for your intended graduation (see Graduate College Academic deadlines).