Set up a time to meet with me weekly. Each meeting is for
an hour.
At each meeting, you will present the work that you have done
since our last meeting, and we will discuss the objectives and
deliverables for the next meeting.
At the first meeting, you will have to explain to me what problem
you are trying to solve, why it is a worthwhile problem, and
what original contribution to knowledge will your work make.
If your work involves implementation, I will ask to see a prototype
very early, by the end of the first quarter, to be sure that the
work is feasible.
Keep a list of all references that you have come across during your
research, and make note of what information you learned from each
reference - this will come in handy when you start writing your
thesis.
While the writing of your thesis report is progressing, you
should form your thesis committee:
I leave it up to the student to invite the
professors of his/her choice, but you should discuss with me about
your choices.
Choose some potential time slots for your defense.
Consult with the professors about their availability, then
contact Ms. Diane Goldman in the Computer Science Department
office to set up a date and time for your defense.
At no later than one week before the defense, a copy of the draft of your thesis
that has been approved by me should be made available to each of the
professors on the committee.
At the defense, you are expected to give a presentation for about
an hour. Most people prepare presentation slides for the presentation.
If you do, please let me have a look at your slides before the presentation,
so that I may give you my input. You should time your presentation for
an hour and you should refrain from using an excessive
number of slides and "flipping through the slides" in the presentation.
Some presenter brings food and drink to the defense for the audience, but this
is not required!
After your presentation, the audience and the committee will be invited
to ask questions. After that, the audience will be asked to leave
so that the committee may ask you additional questions, if any.
You will then be asked to leave the room and wait nearby
so that the committee may
convene to discuss your thesis.
When you are invited back to the room, you will be told if
your defense was successful.
If you passed, you will be congratulated. However, your work
may not yet be done.
Oftentimes the committee members may have suggested to me
that some parts of your thesis be rewritten or clarified.
Therefore, you should allot some time for revising your thesis after the
defense.
It is advisable that you bring a copy of the approval page
for your thesis (see
GUIDELINES FOR COMPLETING GRADUATE THESES AND REPORTS about
the approval page) with you so that the committee members may
provide the signatures that you will need when you submit the
thesis to the university. Having the page signed while the
professors are in the room will avoid
the hassle of tracking down a professor who may be unavailable
after the defense (due to vacations, trips, etc.)
Be sure to print the approval page on 100% cotton, 20 or
24-lb. bond paper (which is the kind of paper on which the
final version of your thesis must be printed.)
Make the revisions suggested by the committee and submit your revised
thesis to me.
When it is approved by me, I recommend that you submit a draft copy to
the Graduate programs office. A thesis editor is available daily to answer
thesis questions, and I recommend that you run the draft by the
editor before you print the final version on expensive paper.
The office is in Building (38), Room 154; phone number
(805) 756-2328 or e-mail: bpowell@calpoly.edu
As the last step: print a copy of your thesis for submission to the university.
You will need to obtain my signature on the approval page before you
can do so. Turn the copy to the Graduate Programs office, and ...